PHS wins in OT

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

PALMER - As a basketball coach for the last 25 years, Greg Fullmer has been a part of some pretty thrilling games.

But none were more exciting than Palmer's 67-66 double-overtime victory over the Chugiak Mustangs in the final game of the 2005 Palmer Elks Showdown at Palmer High School on Saturday.

Palmer senior Aaron Kohring hit a short baseline jumper with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime to finally give the Moose the win, and fellow senior Trent Berberich hit a long three-pointer from the corner to send the game into a second overtime.

&#8220I don't remember a game more exciting than that ever,” Fullmer, the PHS head coach, said. &#8220The people who left early missed out.”

At one point Palmer trailed by 21, and the Moose erased a 17-point halftime deficit. The first Moose lead, a 60-59 advantage, didn't come until the first overtime.

&#8220It wasn't that our defense was playing that bad, Chugiak was hitting all of their shots,” Fullmer said. &#8220They were shooting the ball very well.”

Fullmer said Palmer did not have an innovative gameplan as the Moose marched on to the court for the second half.

&#8220We really didn't change a whole lot,” Fullmer said. &#8220We wanted to crank it up a notch. Our goal was to cut the lead to 10 by the end of the third, and we cut the lead to eight.”

Fueled by inspired play and success on the board, Palmer muscled its way back into the game. Kohring, who scored a team-high 21 points in the win, pulled a ball off the glass and converted the basket to tie the score at 52-52 with 26 seconds left. Kohring's shot put the game into the first overtime.

As the seconds on the clock ticked down toward the end of the first overtime, Berberich - who normally does most of his damage in the post - put up a long three-point shot that sailed to and through the net, to once again tie the game. This time at 59-59.

In the second overtime, Fullmer called a timeout with 18 seconds left. He told his players, Palmer needed to a take a shot, but a high percentage shot. He said whatever guard had the ball at the top of the key was to drive it to the hole, and make something happen.

Sophomore T.J. Fullmer drove the ball in the lane, kicked it out to Kohring, and Kohring nailed the game-winning shot.

The buzzer-beaters and the comeback made the game exciting for the Palmer crowd. But the Moose-Mustang match up was extra special for the Fullmer family. There were three siblings roaming the sidelines and three cousins on the court. Greg Fullmer's son T.J. is a Moose guard. His brother Kevin is the Chugiak head coach. Another brother, Jerry, is a Mustang assistant. And two of Fullmer's nephews Spencer Fullmer and Justin Williams play for the Mustangs.

Houston boys

upset Sitka

The small-school Houston Hawks upset the 4A Sitka Wolves 61-53 on the final day of the Elks Showdown at Palmer High School on Saturday.

Kaden Shumway led the Hawks with a game-high 21 points. Donovan Parker also hit double-digits with 10, while Ryan Thamm and David Monteil each chipped in eight points.

Houston finished 1-2 in the tourney. The Hawks started the season with consecutive losses to host Palmer and Chugiak.

Sitka girls

get by Hawks

Kim Dodson's 19 points was the difference in Sitka's 41-35 win over Houston on Saturday in the Palmer Elks Showdown.

Jen Mason led the Hawks with 1 points. Nori Dixon added seven.

The Hawks suffered three losses in the tourney, also losing to host Palmer and Chugiak.