Moose stay perfect against Valley rival

ANCHORAGE -- Holding just a one-point lead at halftime, the Palmer Moose needed a spark -- something to move the team past their Valley rival. That spark was Stanley Ratcliff.

Ratcliff, a senior forward playing in his final game in a Moose uniform, scored 18 of his game-high 24 points to lead the Moose past the Wasilla Warriors 46-37 in the consolation final of the 4A boys' basketball tournament at the Sullivan Arena on Saturday.

With the win, Palmer claimed fourth in the tourney.

"At halftime we asked someone to step up," Palmer head coach Brandon Blake said. "Stanley Ratcliff responded in a big way, as he has done all year."

Ratcliff hit nine of his 12 shots from the field and was a perfect 6-of-6 in the second half.

Leading just 27-26 after three quarters, Palmer used a 13-2 run to jump out in front of the Warriors. Kurtis Devon scored six points and Ratcliff added four points during a run when the Moose featured five seniors on the floor, and Wasilla had just one, Ben Neher. The experience on the court helped translate to a Palmer win.

"Experience, no doubt about it," Wasilla head coach Jason Marvel said.

"We live and die with these guys, they sucked it up," Blake said of his senior-laden team. "We have played better and better. I wish the season wasn't over."

The Moose have five seniors on the 2003-04 squad -- starters Devon, Ratcliff, Jesse Prins, Charlie Bentti and Brandon Gaines -- and key reserves including Julius Draughon.

Ratcliff not only led the Moose on the scoreboard, but on the glass with 11 rebounds. Prins added 10 points, while Devon posted eight points and six boards.

Matt Crane led the Warriors with 16 points and Neher scored five, including a key three-pointer in the fourth, in his final game in the Wasilla red and white.

After leading the defensive charge for the Moose, Bentti was named the player of the game following the win over Wasilla.

"(Charlie) has had a tremendous tournament defensively, and offensively as well," Blake said. "He has had a tremendous region tournament and state tournament, and played the point guard position extremely well."

David Williams was named the player of the game for Wasilla. Williams scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

With the win, Palmer stayed a perfect 4-0 over the Warriors this season. The Valley foes met in a pair of hard-fought regular season games and in the semifinals of the Region III tournament.

West stunned the two-time state defending state champion Bartlett Golden Bears to win the 4A boys' title. Brian Hurn hit a three-pointer from the corner as time expired to lead the Eagles to a 70-69 overtime win.

Ramon Harris led West with 21 points in the game.

Mario Chalmers led the Bears with 25 points and Doug Hardy added 24 points.

Lathrop defeated East 77-63 to take third place in the tournament. Willie Blackburn led the Malemutes with 16 points. Derek Laws led the Thunderbirds with 17 points.