Seniors lead Wasilla rally, Warrior boys finish fourth

ANCHORAGE — Sometimes it takes a little help from above.

With Wasilla leading by a possession during the final seconds of the game and Juneau threatening on its offensive side of the court, the ball was tipped up into the air after a missed Crimson Bear attempt and became lodged between the rim and glass of the backboard.

With the ball stuck, a jump ball was called with the possession arrow pointed toward the Warriors.

Wasilla was able to burn the final seconds and iced the game with a pair of Dillon Ferro free throws, and the Warriors earned a 52-47 come-from-behind win over the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears in the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Basketball Championships fourth-place game at the UAA Wells Fargo Arena Saturday afternoon.

“We talked about it in our last timeout. Any kind of tie-up or jump ball and the possession was going to be ours, so you don’t have to call a timeout,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said after the win. “And then (the ball) gets stuck in the crease. It definitely helped the arrow was in our favor.”

Wasilla may have scored a little help from the basketball gods there, but it was a Warrior rally that erased a five-point fourth-quarter deficit. Wasilla trailed 40-35 heading into the final frame and used a 7-2 run early in the fourth to tie the game at 42.

With a rebound and put-back, junior Connor Devine tied the score.

While Devine tied the game, it was Wasilla’s trio of senior guards — Cole Schierman, Joel Quenga and Wade Stahle — who ensured their basketball careers would end with a victory.

“My seniors have been terrific the last two weeks,” Engebretsen said. “That’s what made the difference.”

Schierman scored a game-high 16 points, shooting a perfect 6 for 6 from the floor and Stahle added 10.

“Cole was terrific today, Joel was terrific last night,” Engebretsen said.

Quenga scored only four points in the game, but was central to a pair of big plays in the fourth.

Stahle, who finished 4 for 5 from the line, opened the fourth with a pair of free throws to cut Juneau’s lead to a possession. After Tony Yadao stretched Juneau’s lead back to five, Quenga stole the ball on Juneau’s next offensive possession. The lightning-quick Quenga raced down the court and fed Schierman, who got the bucket, drew the foul and hit the free throw to complete the three-point play.

Later in the quarter, Quenga hit a big shot to give the Warriors the three-point advantage.

Schierman hit big shots throughout the game. Midway through the second, Schierman drained a three-pointer to give his team the 18-10 lead. After an eight-point Juneau run, Schierman hit consecutive shots, including a three-pointer, to push the Warriors up by five.

Following another Crimson Bear run, Schierman drilled a three during the final seconds of the first half to tie the score at 25

Stahle also hit two big three-pointers in the win..

“Our seniors stepped up big this weekend,” Engebretsen said. “It takes that senior resolve, that we want as much as we can get out of our season. We fell short of one of our goals, that was to cut down the nets (Saturday night). But they stepped up and came back with vengeance, decided not to just roll over.”

Wasilla 52,

Juneau-Douglas 47

4A fourth-place game

Saturday, UAA

Juneau 7-16-15-7—47

Wasilla 11-14-10-17—52

Juneau (47) – Baldwin 1 4-7 6, Fenumiai 2 2-3 6, Godfrey 1 0-0 2, Hurtle 2 0-0 4, Ibesate 2 1-2 5, King 2 3-6 7, Yadao 6 0-0 14; Totals: 17 10-18 47.

Wasilla (52) – Devine 3 3-6 10, Ferro 0 2-2 2, Kuiper 2 6-8 10, Quenga 2 0-0 4, Schierman 6 1-1 16, Stahle 2 4-5 10; Totals: 15 16-23 52.