Roundball Classic: Warriors come from behind to beat Chugiak

WASILLA — After her team’s 40-24 loss to the West Valley Wolfpack on Monday, Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax called for her team to step up the intensity.

And the Warriors answered their coach’s call.

Wasilla followed a 51-46 double-overtime win over Ketchikan on Tuesday with a 39-35 come-from-behind victory on Wednesday, the final day of Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic at Wasilla High School.

“They definitely did that the last two days,” Hebert-Truax said, referring to of her team’s spike in the overall level of intensity of play. “When you play a basketball game, you’ve got to do that every game, come with intensity, ready to play.”

Junior guard Hilary Apangolook scored a team-high 12 points, and freshman Alexis Imoe added nine for the Warriors, who improved to 2-1 with the win.

Apangolook scored seven of her 12 points during the third quarter to help Wasilla erase a five-point halftime deficit. The Wasilla defense also held Chugiak to just one free throw during the final eight minutes.

That’s the statistic that stands out, Hebert-Truax said.

“The defense held Chugiak to one point in the fourth quarter. They definitely picked it up,” Hebert-Truax said. “They kept their intensity, went with the game plan and buckled down on defense.”

Wasilla outscored Chugiak 7-1 in the fourth, and limited Chuigiak’s leading scorer, 6-foot-2 center Kasey Kavanaugh to just three points in the third quarter and none in the fourth.

Kavanaugh scored 11 in the first half.

“We stopped their lay-ups,” Wasilla junior Kelsey Cottle said. “That was one of the focuses.”

Hebert-Truax said the key was rotating forwards to match-up against Kavanaugh. Cottle, a 6-5 junior saw time against Kavanaugh. The Warriors also had 5-8 junior Celeste Colegrove and 5-8 freshman Kyle Dinkel to match against Chugiak’s big post.

“That helped us a little bit,” Hebert-Truax said.

Chugiak was able to establish small leads during a handful of points in the game, but each time the Warriors would claw back. The Mustangs led 15-10 after the first, but in the second quarter, Imoe went on a six-point run by herself to give Wasilla the 18-16 lead.

Chugiak took a 29-24 lead in the third, but Imoe answered with a three-pointer, and Apangolook tied the game with a steal and drive to the basket.

In the fourth, Dinkel hit a three-pointer to give the Warriors the 35-34 advantage. Wasilla would not trail after that.

Chugiak, the defending 4A state champions finished 0-3 during the three-day Roundball Classic. Wasilla, Ketchikan and West Valley each finished 2-1. West Valley won the inaugural tourney’s championship trophy thanks to a tiebreaker based on point differential.

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

Wasilla 39, Chugiak 35

Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic

Wednesday, Wasilla High School

Chugiak 12-12-7-1—35

Wasilla 10-12-10-7—39

Chugiak (35) — Sweeney 1 0-0 2, Watzke 1 2-4 4, Heller 1 0-0 2, Sayer 5 0-0 11, Scheene 0 2-2 2, Kavanaugh 4 6-7 14; Totals 12 10-13 35.

Wasilla (39) — Frizzelle 0 1-2 1, Apangolook 5 0-0 12, Imoe 2 4-4 9, Kinkel 2 0-2 5, Nuss 1 3-4 5, Colegrove 1 1-3 3, Cottle 2 0-0 4; Totals: 13 9-15 39.

3-point field goals: Chugiak 1 (Sayer 1), Wasilla 4 (Agangolook 2), Total fouls: Chugiak 16, Wasilla 13; Fouled out: none.