Moose overcome Homer rally

KODIAK — The upset bug nearly bit the Palmer Moose.

Despite leading for virtually all of regulation, Palmer needed to overcome a late Homer rally to edge the Mariners 44-42 in overtime during the first round of the Northern Lights Conference Championships basketball tournament at Kodiak High School on Thursday.

“I kept telling the guys, allow teams to hang around and it’ll bite you in the butt,” Palmer head coach said via cell phone after the win. “Sure enough, it almost bit us in the butt.”

Palmer, the No. 2 seed from the NLC North that finished the regular season 7-3 in conference play, took a seven-point lead into the final minutes of regulation, Marvel said. But Homer (3-7 in conference action) cut into that advantage and actually took a late lead.

Homer captain Dean DeVaney, who scored eight of his game-high 12 points in the fourth quarter, hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds left to give the Mariners the 37-35 lead.

But in the final seconds, Palmer set up a play for Mitch Swetzof, and the senior slammed the ball into the basket to tie the score at 37-37 and send the game into overtime.

Marvel said Swetzof’s dunk was a set play the Moose practice, and Swetzof made the most of an opportunity.

“He found a wide-open lane and put it in,” Marvel said.

Palmer hit 5-of-9 free-throw attempts during the extra period to sneak away with the win.

Swetzof led the Moose with 11 points, sophomores Sean Niekamp and Christian Odom added eight each.

Marvel said 26 turnovers and possibly some first-round jitters caused the Moose to struggle at points during the win.

“Homer came to play,” Marvel said. “And we were less than stellar. I don’t want to take anything away from Homer, but we were not taking care of the ball.”

Marvel was pleased his team rebounded from the points in which the Moose struggled, and played well enough to earn a semifinal date with Soldotna, the top seed from the NLC South.

“At times we see adversity, and we need to overcome it,” Marvel said. “I think we overcame it today.”

Palmer is slated to face the Stars at 8:15 p.m., in the last of four semifinal games at Kodiak High.

With a win Friday, Palmer will advance to the conference title game and earn a ticket to the state tourney. The Moose are looking for their third straight trip to state.

Palmer 44, Homer 42 OT

NLC first round

Thursday, Kodiak High School

Homer 8-8-4-14-5—42

Palmer 10-13-5-9-7—44

Homer (42) — DeVaney 5 0-0 12, Sutherland 5 0-0 10, Gilbert 1 1-2 3, Horazdovsky 1 0-0 3, Wolford 4 0-0 8, Kennelty 3 0-5 6; Totals 16 1-7 42.

Palmer (44) — Fullmer 1 0-0 3, Dean 1 1-2 4, Hillis 3 0-0 6, Swetzof 3 5-7 11, Bohman 2 0-0 4, Niekamp 4 0-0 8, C. Odom 3 2-2 8; Totals: 17 8-12 44.

Big fourth quarter caps Colony win

KODIAK — Colony used a 22-9 fourth-quarter run to post a 63-21 win over the Skyview Panthers in the first round of the NLC tourney on Friday.

Junior John Palmer nailed a trio of three-pointers and led the Knights with 14 points.

Senior Collin Murphy added 10.

Colony 63, Skyview 41

NLC first round

Thursday, Kodiak High School

Colony 11-14-16-22—63

Skyview 10-8-14-9—41

Colony (63) — Gray 2 0-0 4, Lanners 5 1-2 11, Turner 0 1-2 1, Larson 0 2-2 2, Palmer 4 3-4 14, Scott 3 2-2 8, Jacobson 4 1-4 9, Niver 0 2-2 2, Murphy 3 4-4 10, Summers 0 2-2 2; Totals 21 18-24 63.

Skyview (41) — Mende 3 0-0 6, Jones 1 1-4 3, Conley 4 2-4 11, Schadle 1 0-0 2, Harvey 4 2-2 12, White 2 0-0 6, Diaz 0 1-2 1; Totals: 15 6-12 41.

Three-point field goals: Colony 3 (Palmer 3), Skyview 5 (Harvey, White 2); Total fouls: Colony 14, Skyview 21; Fouled out: Colony- none, Skyview- Meade.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.