Late jumper pushes Palmer girls back

SOLDOTNA —It’s do or die time for the Palmer girls.

The Moose dropped a heartbreaking 43-42 decision to South Division No. 1 seed Kenai Central Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Northern Lights Conference Championships basketball tournament at Skyview High in Soldotna.

“Our backs are up against the wall now,” said Palmer coach Paul Reid, whose team must now win three straight to earn a state tournament berth.

Kenai junior Stevie Dunlap’s jumper in the lane with 15 seconds left to play was the difference in a back-and-forth battle of two teams that were expected to battle down to the wire. Palmer won by just two points in overtime in the only previous meeting between the teams this season.

“We were definitely expecting that they were going to bring it,” said Palmer junior forward Kendal Venzke, who led Palmer with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Kenai took a 19-18 lead at the half on a deep three from junior Morgan Wensley, then stretched its lead out during a sloppy third quarter that saw the Moose turn the ball over seven times in the opening 3:23 of the half.

“We were shooting ourselves in the foot,” Reid said.

Kenai pushed its lead to as many as seven points before the Moose began to chip away at the lead.

Palmer took its first lead of the second half with 50 seconds left in the game on back-to-back baskets by freshman Taylor Blake, who scored 10 points in the fourth, including Palmer’s only two 3-pointers of the game.

But Dunlap — who spent long stretches of the game on the bench — was more than ready when her number was called, taking the inbound pass from Samantha Hull and nailing the quick-release jumper for the game-winner.

“I’m a shooter,” Dunlap said. “I was in the game to shoot the ball.”

Kenai head coach Stacia Rustad said she had full confidence in her shooting specialist.

“Hats off to Stevie for sitting on the bench all game and coming in and hitting the big shot for us,” Rustad said.

Palmer was able to get off a final shot, but Blake’s leaning effort from 10 feet fell just short as time expired.

Blake scored 12 points and grabbed four steals for Palmer, which also got six points from Shawna Thein, four from Monica Nuernberg and Kasara Brandenburg; and two from Erin LaMere and Anna Koehn.

Kenai junior forward Raquel Young led all scorers with 19 points. Young also grabbed eight boards for the Kardinals, who outrebounded Palmer 26-18.

The Moose play at 11:30 a.m. today against Skyview. Palmer must win its next three games to earn third place and a state tourney berth, but Venzke said her team isn’t scared of the consolation bracket.

“We’re not going to quit,” Venzke said.

KARDINALS 43, MOOSE 42

Kenai 11 8 9 15 – 43

Palmer 12 6 6 18 – 42

KENAI (43) – Hull 0 5-5 5, L. Beeson 1 2-3 4, Flanagan 1 0-6 2, Wensley 3 2-2 11, Dunlap 1 0-0 2, Young 8 3-7 19. Totals – 13 12-23 43.

PALMER (42) – Venzke 4 4-8 12, LaMere 1 0-0 2, Thein 3 0-1 6, Koehn 0 2-2 2, Blake 5 0-0 12, Brandenburg 2 2-5 4, Nuernberg 1 2-2 4. Totals – 16 10-18 42.

3-point field goals – Kenai 3 (Wensley 3), Palmer 2 (Blake 2). Fouled out – L. Beeson. Total fouls – Kenai 18, Palmer 19.