Knights use second-half push to upset Wasilla, win conference crown

In mid-February, the Colony Knights used a second-half rally to edge rival Wasilla during the regular season. Colony did it again. But this time it came in the region title game. And the Knights won in dramatic fashion.

Senior Hallie Clark knocked down a base line jumper with 7.5 seconds left to lift the Knights to a 45-44 victory over the Warriors during the Northern Lights Conference girls championship game Saturday night at Grace Christian School in Anchorage.

Clark, the reigning 4A girls player of the year, scored seven of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, and Colony’s final five points of the game. Clark also gave Colony its only leads of the second half, with both instances coming in the final minute. Clark buried a three with a minute remaining to give Colony the 43-42 lead, and followed with the jumper in the final seconds. Clark and fellow senior Tonya Karpow combined to score all 12 fourth-quarter points for the Knights. Karpow finished with 11.

Wasilla, which trailed 13-10 after the first, took the lead with a 14-6 second-quarter run. Senior Mylee Anderson tied the score a 17 with 2:46 left in the second to spark a 9-2 Warriors run that ended the half. Mielee Merchant hit a three-pointer during that stretch.

Wasilla pushed its lead to seven points twice in the third quarter, and to nine points (37-28) with Anderson’s rebound and putback late in the quarter. But Colony found a way to claw back.

The Knights held Wasilla to only two field goals in the final eight minutes, a Merchant three and Kyndra Bolling bucket.

Colony also held Wasilla’s senior all-state standouts, Anderson and Layla Hays, scoreless in the fourth.

Anderson led Wasilla with a dozen in the loss. Savannah Kroon and Katie Jackson scored eight each.

Saturday’s clash was a rematch of the 2024 NLC and 4A state title games. Both were won by Wasilla. Colony is now 2-1 against the Warriors this season, and both advance to the state tournament later this month.

Earlier in the day, Palmer capped its season with a 34-31 win over Soldotna in the NLC girls fourth-place game. Addy Wilson led Palmer with nine points. Grace Muilenberg added eight.

In the semis on Friday, Wasilla stormed to a 73-29 win over fifth-seeded Soldotna. Wasilla led 22-6 early, and added 20 points in both the second and third quarters.

Kroon led all scorers with 27 points. All of her scoring came in the first three quarters, including 18 in the first half.

Anderson added 16 points, and Hays chipped in a dozen.

Colony used the second and third quarters to earn a 50-41 win over third-seeded Mountain City Christian. MCC led 7-6 after the first and outscored Colony 22-16 in the fourth. But the Knights had a 28-12 run during the middle two frames, which proved to be the difference in the win.

Annelise Larson scored early in the second to give Colony an 8-7 lead. Clark followed with seven of her game-high 23 points in the second quarter for the Knights.

The Knights stayed ahead in the fourth with their work at the free throw line. Tonya Karpow was 6 for 6, Larson was 4 for 4 and Clark was 4 for 6 at the line in the final quarter for the Knights. Ally Shelley accounted for Colony’s only field goal during the fourth.

The Palmer girls kept their season alive with a 51-15 win over Kodiak in an elimination game. Presley Wright led Palmer with 10.

On the first day of the tournament, fifth-seeded Soldotna upset fourth-seeded Palmer 48-41. The Stars sealed the win with a 15-9 run in the fourth quarter. Wright led Palmer with 13 points. Wasilla and Colony had first-round byes on Day 1.

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