Moose survive

PALMER -- On a night when the Palmer boys' basketball squad was looking to end the regular season perfect in Region III play and officially capture the regular season conference crown, the Moose needed a valiant effort to overcome the intensity brought by the Wasilla Warriors.

On its home floor, Palmer survived to defeat Wasilla 53-51. Friday's contest gave the Moose a 10-0 record in region play and Moose head coach Brandon Blake his first undefeated record during regular season region play of his nine-year career.

"What a game," Blake said. "Both teams obviously came to play. I give (Wasilla) a lot of credit, they came out from the get go."

The Warriors led in the contest after each of the first three quarters. Wasilla owned a point advantage after the first and third quarters and went into halftime with a two-point lead.

But as the Moose celebrated senior night, a group of seniors led Palmer on a 19-16 run in the fourth quarter to top Wasilla. Senior forwards Kurtis Devon and Stanley Ratcliff combined for 12 points and senior guards Brandon Gaines and Julius Draughon each hit pivotal three-pointers in the final frame.

Draughon followed a Gaines three-pointer with his own shot behind the arc to give Palmer a 45-40 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Draughon also had a key defensive play, knocking the ball out of the Warriors possession, late in the game to help preserve the Moose win.

Wasilla senior Ben Nehr nailed a long three-pointer with 22 seconds and David Williams grabbed a rebound and hit the putback just seconds later to bring Wasilla within two points. Though Draughon missed a pair of free throws during the final ticks of the game, the swift guard redirected a Wasilla pass out of bounds as the time expired to help Palmer secure the win.

Along with the rabid fans dressed in Palmer blue and Warrior red, the play of Devon and Wasilla forward Luke Schafer fueled the intensity of the Valley showdown. Devon scored a game-high 14 points, five in the fourth quarter, and grabbed seven rebounds. Schafer scored seven of his team-high 13 points in the final frame.

"(Kurtis) did a great job battling, playing physical," Blake said. "Luke Schafer played a heck of a game. He's been hurt, but he looks pretty healthy now."