Moose boys, girls dim Stars

PALMER — The Palmer girls used a late push to beat the Soldotna Stars 42-37 Saturday, led by a clutch performance from junior forward Kasara Brandenburg.

Palmer started off hot, scoring the first five points of the game. Senior Kendal Venzke contributed early, turning defense into offense, capitalizing on loose balls and offensive rebounds to develop a lead early for the Moose.

But the early success for the Moose was not a theme for the game. Neither team features major height or speed advantages, which created a very close match for one another.

Palmer led 23-21 going into the intermission at halftime. But Soldotna showed some life coming out of the break, sparked by sophomore Kaillee Skjold, to take the lead.

But Brandenburg would answer, shutting the door on Soldotna’s hopes. Brandenburg scored four baskets in a row to retake and extend the Moose lead to five. Palmer played solid defense down the stretch to clinch out the tough victory.

The Palmer boys also pulled off a hard-fought victory against the Soldotna Stars Saturday night, winning 58-50. The Moose started off strong, extending their early lead to 13. But Soldotna would not stay down for long, surging to cut the Moose advantage.

“They were hitting shots,” said Palmer head coach Jason Marvel.

Soldotna played Palmer even from that point on. With 1:08 left, Zack Jackson backed up and hit a shot from deep, ruled a two-pointer, to tie the score at 50.

Palmer’s man-to-man defense had trouble containing junior Evan Withrow. Withrow’s prowess from beyond the arc dramatically cut into the Moose lead.

But Palmer got over its cold streak from the free throw line the team struggled with in the first half and hit all eight free throws down the stretch to seal the game.

“Three of our four losses were by one possession,” Marvel said. “This is a good test, because we actually finished a game. I think we have a long ways to go, but I like where we’re going.”

Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School who also writes for the Frontiersman’s Sports section.