Strong start fuels Moose win over Ketchikan

PALMER — It hasn’t been the easiest of starts to a season for the Palmer Moose.

Palmer dropped seven of its first 10 games. But on Wednesday, the Moose proved they could play with one of the better teams in the state.

Palmer built a double-digit lead and survived a late Ketchikan rally to score a 65-64 win over the Kings at Palmer High School on Wednesday.

“I’m proud of my boys. They held on,” Palmer head coach Jason Marvel said. “They saw a little adversity at the end there, but they pulled through.”

Junior Sean Niekamp posted 14 points and 21 rebounds to help lead the Moose to their second win in three games. Senior Kyle Titus led Palmer (4-7) with 17 points.

Jeff Whicker led the Kings with a game-high 32 points.

“That Whicker kid’s an absolute stud,” Marvel said. “I have no answer for him. I think few teams do.”

Whicker slashed and dashed his way to 14 shots from the floor and his game-high effort.

But Niekamp’s work inside, timely outside shooting and their work from the free-throw line helped Palmer score the win.

Titus hit a trio of three-pointers and scored 14 of his 17 in the second half, and sophomore Jackson Buresh posted 13 of his 16 points in the final two quarters.

Titus, Buresh and Hunter Dean were a combined 10-for-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. Ketchikan was 6-for-14 from the line in the game.

Palmer and Ketchikan played to a 13-13 tie in the first quarter, but the Moose used a nine-point run midway through the second to grab a significant lead.

Buresh fired a three-pointer with 3:14 left in the first half to spark the run and snap a 17-17 tie.

On the next possession, Niekamp found the basket, drew the foul and hit the free-throw to complete the three-point play and give the Moose the six-point lead.

Christian Odom hit another three-pointer during the run.

“I think we hit our stride,” Marvel said. “We started hitting shots. When you start hitting shots, the rhythm of the game comes back. When all five guys are in rhythm and feeling it, I think it contributes to a lot on offense.”

Palmer held an eight-point lead during the final seconds of the first half. Ketchikan held the ball for one last shot, but as Whicker tried to pass the ball across half-court, Odom got his hand up and knocked the ball away for the steal. Odom picked up the loose ball, and went to the basket for the easy score before the buzzer.

“That was big,” Marvel said. “He’s got those long arms and does a real nice job of being real sneaky. That was a nice job.”

Palmer pushed its advantage to as many as 12 during the second half, but Ketchikan used a 24-point fourth quarter to chew away at that lead.

Whicker scored nine points in the fourth, and Rodney Manabat and Alex Williams each hit three-pointers late during the Ketchikan rally.

Whicker hit a three-pointer with 3:25 left in the game to cut Palmer’s lead to 57-53. On the ensuring possession, Whicker grabbed a steal on the inbound and scored the easy bucket to cut the Moose advantage to two points.

Palmer was nearly perfect at the free-throw line at the final minute, as the Moose preserved the victory.

Titus was 4-for-4 during the final minute, and Dean was 3-for-4 from the line in the final 41 seconds.

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

Palmer 65, Ketchikan 64

Wednesday, Palmer High School

Ketchikan — 13-6-21-24—64

Palmer — 13-16-20-16—65

Ketchikan (64) — Manabat 2 0-0 6, Williams 1 0-0 3, Whicker 14 2-5 32, Elliott 2 0-1 4, Bell 4 3-6 12, Allen 3 1-2 7; Totals: 26 6-14 64.

Palmer (65) — Titus 5 4-4 17, Dean 0 3-4 3, Buresh 6 3-5 16, Montgomery 2 0-0 4, Niekamp 5 4-6 14, Odom 5 0-0 11; Totals: 23 14-19 65.

3-point field goals: Ketchikan 6 (Manabat, Whicker 2), Palmer 5 (Titus 3); Total fouls: Ketchikan 17, Palmer 17.