State basketball: Cougars upset top-seeded Wasilla boys

ANCHORAGE — Late in the third quarter as Amu Aukusitino took a foul near the scorer’s table, the Service junior lifted, and drained, a shot from half-court.

The shot came after the foul and the basket didn’t count, but kind of showed how things were going for Aukusitino and the Cougars.

They couldn’t miss.

Service shot 60 percent from the floor in the first half and Aukusitino hit a trio of first-quarter threes to spark the Cougars’ 50-46 upset of top-ranked Wasilla during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships semifinals Friday at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

Aukusitno’s first-quarter long balls helped Service build a 20-9 lead and the Cougars held on to grab a spot in the 4A state title game for the first time since Service beat Palmer to win the 1991 championship. The Cougars also derailed Wasilla’s quest for a second title trip in three seasons.

The Warriors were forced to settle for a spot in the third-place game.

Service built a double-digit lead in the first half, but the Warriors rallied in the second. Wasilla entered the second half trailing by 10, but slowly chewed away at the Service lead during the third quarter.

Wasilla senior post Connor Devine hit one of his team’s two three-pointers to bring Wasilla within six points with 2:14 left in the third, and senior Dillon Ferro sank a pair of free throws at the end of the third to cut Service’s lead to 42-38.

Ferro drove the baseline to tie the score at 44 with 3:35 left in the fourth, but the Warriors were never able to grab the lead. Service’s Adam Klie hit a pair of shots during the final 1:42 of regulation, and the Cougars hit free throws at the tail end of the fourth.

Devine led Wasilla with 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in the game. Dane Kuiper added 11 and Braydon Kuiper chipped in eight.

Klie led Service with 16 on 7 of 12 shooting. Aukusitino added 15.

Wasilla outrebounded Service 27-16 in the game. The Cougars forced 15 Wasilla turnovers, including 10 in the first half.

Service 50, Wasilla 46

4A boys semifinals

Friday, Anchorage

Service 20-13-9-8—50

Wasilla 9-14-15-8—46

Service (50) — Klie 7 1-1 16, Touray 2 1-1 5, Aukusitino 5 2-3 15, Robinson 2 0-2 4, Raguindin 3 0-0 6, Collins 1 0-0 2, Muller 1 0-0 2; Totals: 21 4-7 50.

Wasilla (46) — Ferro 2 2-2 6, B. Kuiper 4 0-0 8, D. Kuiper 5 0-0 11, Devine 6 2-2 15, Roberts 3 0-0 6; Totals: 20 4-4 46.

Three-point field goals: Service 4 (Aukusitino 3), Wasilla 2 (D. Kuiper, Devine 1); Total fouls: Service 7, Wasilla 13.