Overtime thriller propels Warriors

ANCHORAGE — A momentary lapse in judgment by the state’s top 4A girls basketball player gave Wasilla a small window of opportunity, and the Warriors snuck through into their fourth state title game in nine years with a stunning 44-43 overtime win over Dimond at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

“There’s really not much you can say,” said Dimond coach Jim Young, whose team passed up an opportunity to win the game at the end of regulation when star guard Keiahnna Engel inexplicably chose to run the clock out by holding the ball at midcourt as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Engel, who led all scorers with 21 points, said she didn’t realize the game had been tied at 38-38 when Wasilla’s Hilary Apangalook made one of two free throws with 26 seconds left.

“I was thinking, ‘OK, they’re going to foul me. I looked at the bench and everybody was sitting there looking at me to do something and I thought, ‘Why? We’re up,” she said. “It was just bad.”

Wasilla coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax was as surprised as anyone by Engel’s blunder.

“It’s something I’ve never seen her do,” she said.

Wasilla freshman guard Alexis Imoe was the hero in overtime, slashing through the Lynx defense and powering up for the game-winning lay-up with seven seconds left in overtime.

Engel’s desperation shot at the buzzer fell just short, ending a heartbreaking game for the Dimond star, who knelt dejectedly on the court for several seconds before gathering herself to pose for what had to be one of the most bittersweet Player of the Game awards in state tournament history. Outside of the final seconds of regulation and overtime the state tournament program cover girl was spectacular, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds and leading her team with five assists and three steals.

Wasilla junior center Kelsey Cottle was a beast inside for Wasilla, scoring 19 points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking two shots. Carlee Naczi had seven points and seven boards, Imoe finished with six points and Celeste Colegrove dished out seven assists.

The victoy sets up a rematch of the 2007 title game, a 51-48 win that gave Wasilla its first championship since 1982. Juneau, the top-ranked team in the tournament, rolled to easy wins in the first two rounds, and Hebert-Truax said her squad will have to be at its best Wednesday night if it wants to win a third state title.

Engel, the state’s 4A girls player of the year, was a nightmare early for the Warriors. The junior track star — she’s the defending state champ in both the 100 and 300 meter hurdles — scored 10 points in the first quarter, including a pair of lightning-quick steals that led to fast-break scores that helped the Lynx build a 16-10 lead after one quarter.

Wasilla opened the second with back-to-back scores inside, cutting lead to 16-14 and forcing Young to call timeout early in the period. The stoppage in play didn’t slow Wasilla’s momentum, as the Warriors put together an 8-0 run to start the quarter and outscored the Lynx 11-4 to take a 21-20 lead into the locker room.

Wasilla got good production from Cottle, a 6-foot-4 center who scored 11 points in the first half, many of them off nifty inside feeds from Colegrove.

Engle kept the Lynx in the game with 14 first-half points.

The Lynx managed to claw their way back into the game in the second half thanks to the hot shooting of Alexis Rogers, who scored five points in the quarter – including the game’s first 3-pointer – to help Dimond take a 28-27 lead into the final eight minutes to set up the late-game dramatics.

Imoe’s game-winner came after a lengthy period of indecision by Wasilla, which looked unsure who was going to take the last shot. That’s when Imoe, a bruising, athletic guard who doesn’t shy away from contact, decided to win the game herself.

“She’s just got that competitive spirit,” Hebert-Truax said. “She’s gonna do what it takes.”

WASILLA 44, DIMOND 43

4A girls semifinals

Tuesday, Sullivan Arena

Wasilla 10 11 6 11 6 – 44

Dimond 16 4 8 10 5 – 43

WASILLA (44) – Apangalook 2 1-2 5, Imoe 2 1-2 6, Nuss 1 1-2 3, Naczi 3 0-0 7, Colegrove 0 4-4 4, Cottle 8 3-9 19. Totals – 16 10-19 44.

DIMOND (43) – Jackson 1 2-4 4, Rogers 4 0-2 10, Engel 9 3-4 21, Bagsby 1 0-0 2, anderson 1 0-0 2, afoa 2 0-0 4. Totals – 18 5-10 43.

3-point field goals – Wasilla 1 (Naczi), Dimond 2 (Rogers 2). Rebounds – Wasilla 31 (Naczi 7), Dimond 48 (Engel 12). Assists – Wasilla 12 (Colegrove 7), Dimond 8 (Engel 5). Fouled out – Nuss. Total fouls – Wasilla 12, Dimond 17.