North Pole takes Colo. team to OT

WASILLA — The Fairview Knights needed overtime to win the boys team title of the Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic at Wasilla High School on Wednesday.

The Boulder, Colo., team, which played in the Colorado Class 5A state title game last season, used a 6-2 overtime run to edge North Pole 49-45 in what proved to be the championship game of the three-day round-robin tourney.

“That North Pole-Fairview game was a dogfight all the way to the end,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said.

Craig Saltarelli, who was named the most outstanding boys player of the tournament, hit a trio of three-pointers and scored 13 points in the win. Bryce Dolan scored 14 points for Fairview. Kody Broderick scored 14 to lead the Pats.

With the score tied 41-41 during the final seconds, Fairview’s Jacob Lorentzen took an in-bound pass and made a move to the basket to provide the go-ahead score for the Knights. But as time expired, Fairview was whistled for a techinal foul. With North Pole trailing 43-41, senior Jesse Ward hit a pair of free throws for the Patriots with no time on the clock to force overtime.

Ward and Broderick were both all-tournament selections for North Pole.

Wasilla’s Connor Devine and Braydon Kuiper, and Colony’s Hunter Eisenhower were also named all-tourney.

Wasila won the girls title of the Roundball Classic. Junior Alyssa Hutchins was named the girls most outstanding player. Seniors Kelsey Cottle and Hilary Apangolook were named all-tournament. For more on the Warriors see a related story in the Friday edition.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.