Lady Crusaders ring up Moose

Gene Jansen/Frontiersman sports editor

Palmer boys win big

PALMER — The Valley Crusaders girls' basketball team rolled to its first win of the season in a decisive manner. They polished off the Palmer Moose "C" team 64-29 at the Mat-Su Borough gym.

The team is in its fourth year of competitive play and is made up of Christian home-schoolers who play organized basketball against other Valley C-teams and private high schools. But since they are not sanctioned by ASAA, they cannot participate in regional competition.

"One day we would like to play organized ASAA teams," coach Larry Hale said. "We feel like we can hold our own against them."

But for now, the Crusaders, who are now 1-3 on the season, remain an independent team looking for good competition. And if you were at the borough gym Tuesday night, Valley basketball fans didn't have to look any farther.

Ashley Hale led the Crusaders' offensive onslaught with 21 points and six steals.

"She had the best game she's ever had," Larry Hale said of Ashley. "All of these ladies worked really hard to be together as a team. I think overall, the team is coming together."

The Crusaders took a 30-10 lead into the half-time break but the Moose came back with some tough defense, holding the Crusaders to just five points in the third frame.

Although the surging Moose outscored the Crusaders 18-14 in the second half, it wasn't enough to overcome the 20-point deficit.

Jessica Bryant tallied eight points for the Crusaders. Palmer got scoring contributions from 10 players led by Katie Gibb's six-point performance. Jayme Irvin added five points for the Moose.

Palmer boys 64, Crusaders 29

Jesse Prins helped the Moose boys gun down the Valley Crusaders by 35 points. He scored 13 points, nine of them on the second quarter, en route to Palmer's C-team victory.

"He plays a lot better facing the basket then he does playing from the post," Palmer coach Howard Tresham said. "Curtis Devon and Rob Foxley came off the bench and contributed with rebounding."

Steve Dehart netted nine points for the Moose. Charlie Bent tossed in eight points and Travis Skogstadt added seven for Palmer.

Leading the way for the Valley Crusaders was Cecil Sanders, who pumped in 13 points, and Chad Tramp, who added eight points.

Girls

CRUSADERS (44) — Palmer 1 0-0 2; Brooks 1 0-0 2; Parry 0 1-2 1; Olsen 0 0-0 0; Ryan 2 0-1 4; Durgis 2 0-1 4; Malone 1 0-0 2; Doerr 0 0-0 0; Parker 0 0-0 0; Bryant 4 0-0 8; Hale 10 1-8 21. Totals — 21 2-12 44.

PALMER (28) — Jones 1 0-0 2; Huschle 0 0-0 0; Stanley 1 0-0 2; Gibbs 3 0-2 6; Schulter 0 0-0 0; Homeling 1 0-0 2; Loyer 1 1-3 3; Irvin 2 1-2 5; Schott 0 1-4 1; Berbench 0 2-2 2; Spanagel 1 1-2 3; Hooker 1 0-0 2. Totals — 11 6-15 28.

Total fouls — Crusaders 15, Palmer 17. Fouled out — None. Three-point goals — None

Crusaders 14-16-5-9 — 44

Palmer 8-2-7-11 — 28

Boys

CRUSADERS (33) — Long 0 0-0 0; Gugel 0 0-1 0; Michael 3 1-4 7; Nielson 0 0-0 0; Byrd 2 0-0 5; Tramp 3 2-4 8; Berger 0 0-0 0; Muth 0 0-0 0; Sanders 4 5-10 13; Brown 0 0-0 0. Totals — 11 8-19 33.

PALMER (64) — Hunt 0 2-2 2; Dehart 2 5-10 9; Carlson 1 1-4 3; Bent 3 2-4 8; Daly 0 0-0 0; Foxley 2 0-0 4; Reed 0 2-2 2; Prins 6 2-2 13; Gaines 3 0-0 6; Ratcliff 2 0-0 4; Devon 3 0-0 6; Skogstadt 3 0-0 7. Totals — 25 14-25 64.

Total fouls — Crusaders 19, Palmer 22. Fouled out — None. Three-point goals — Byrd, Prins, Skogstadt.

Crusaders 8 10 6 9 — 33

Palmer 15 18 18 15 — 64