Prep boys' basketball: Lynx edge Warriors in Shootout final

Jan. 7, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

ANCHORAGE - The Wasilla Warriors nearly found themselves in overtime for the second time in three days.

But Dimond's Ryan Whilden prevented that from happening.

The Dimond forward split a pair of Wasilla defenders, and put a shot of the glass and into the bucket just prior to the final buzzer to give the host Lynx a 44-42 win in the championship game of the Dimond Prep Shootout at Dimond High School in Anchorage on

Saturday.

Wasilla senior Jesse Bean tied the game at 44-44 with 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Bean pulled down the rebound of a Jeremiah Collins three-point attempt, and posted the game tying bucket for the Warriors.

Dimond used a 17-4 fourth-quarter run to claim a comfortable 27-16 halftime lead. But strong second halves from Bean and fellow senior Logan Williams allowed the Warriors to get back into the game.

Bean, a guard, and Williams, Wasilla's big man in the post, scored just two points each in the first two quarters, but combined for 19 in the second half.

Both were named to the all-tournament team.

Wasilla steadily chipped away at the Lynx lead in the second half.

Junior Matthew Stearman notched a bucket to cut Dimond's lead to 37-34 with just more than six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. With less than two minutes remaining, Collins hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 42-42.

Whilden led all scorers with 24 in the game.

Williams scored a team-high 12 points, while Bean added 11.

Bean and Stearman each grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

Wasilla advanced to the title game by scoring a pair of tough wins over solid small-school opponents.

The Warriors opened the tourney with an 80-79 triple-overtime win over Grace Christian.

In the semifinals, Wasilla moved past Mt. Edgecumbe 55-44.

Wasilla head coach Jason Marvel said comparing top 3A schools such as Grace or Mt. Edgecumbe to programs like Wasilla was much like comparing the top NCAA Division II teams to Division I programs.

&#8220I don't think there's much of a difference,” he said. &#8220The 4A schools are a little bit bigger, but these 3A schools just have good programs, good coaching.”

Wasilla's first-round win over Grace Christian could prove to be one of the wildest of the season.

The Warriors led by two points as the final seconds ticked off the clock in regulation. With one final possession, Grace Christian fired a three-pointer. The shot was off, but a Grizzly forward was in position to convert the put-back before the buzzer sounded.

&#8220We didn't box out. I think a lot of guys thought it was over,” Marvel said.

Bean, who scored a tournament-high 34 points in the win, hit a three-pointer to tie the game at the end of overtime, and sent the contest into the second extra period.

In the third overtime, Bean hit one of two free throws in the final moments to give Wasilla the win.

Marvel said the adversity his team faced could prove to be pivotal as the Warriors work to defend their Northern Lights Conference title.

&#8220It's huge,” Marvel said. &#8220This build character, builds identity for the team. These ballgames we play early in the season really help down the road.”

Junior Dexter Pearce added 15 points to Bean's 34. Shane Green and Jack Troshynski came off the bench to combine for 19 points.

In the semifinals, Wasilla used a strong first quarter to get past Mt. Edgecumbe. The Warriors led by 13 points at the first break, and walked off the court with an 11-point win.

Collins scored a team-high 12, while Bean added nine.

The contest featured a pair of future UAF Nanooks. Bean and Mt. Edgecumbe senior John Clark have both committed to play for UAF next fall.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.