Trophy returns to familiar home for Wasilla girls

SOLDOTNA — It wasn’t pretty, but it sure was sweet for the Wasilla girls.

The Warriors held off a determined Colony squad to post a tense 35-30 win Saturday night in the championship game of the Northern Lights Conference basketball tournament at Skyview High in Soldotna.

The victory was Wasilla’s first league title in three years and avenged losses to Colony in each of the past two NLC title games.

“That added a little fudge to my sundae,” said Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax, who guided the Warriors (20-6) to their eighth NLC crown in 11 seasons.

Wasilla won the game despite going 11-of-34 from the free throw line and shooting just 34 percent from the floor. They were able to hang on thanks to Colony’s nightmarish shooting performance. The Knights made just five field goals in the game and shot just 14.7 percent from the floor.

Early on it looked like the game would be another Wasilla whitewash.

The Warriors opened the game on a 7-0 run and led 12-4 after junior Hilary Apangalook’s steal and fast-break lay-up forced Colony head coach Tom Lincoln to used a timeout with 1:01 left in the first quarter.

Wasilla led 17-9 at the half by putting together a less-ugly half than the Knights, who were woeful offensively. Wasilla shot 50 percent from the floor during the foul-marred half, but the Warriors could hit just six of their 17 tries from the line after reaching the bonus with 2:55 left in the first quarter. Colony (16-9) was worse, making just three field goals and knocking down only three of their 13 free-throw tries in the half.

“You have to make those shots if you want to win,” Lincoln said.

Lincoln said his team wasn’t hanging their heads aftter the game.

“We’re excited to get that state berth, that’s huge,” he said. “We just have to move on from this.”

Colony had no answer for Wasilla early. Freshman Alexis Imoe scored all eight of her points in the first half, and Celeste Colegrove nabbed eight of her game-high nine rebounds in the opening 16 minutes of play.

Freshman Mary Klapperich was the bright spot for Colony in the first half, scoring seven points to lead the Knights. Klapperich finished with 11 points, two blocks and countless hustle plays that kept her team within striking distance.

“I think she kept them in the game,” Hebert-Truax said of the younger of two Klapperich sisters on Colony’s roster.

The Warriors continued on cruise control into the second half, pushing their lead to as many as 14 points on a fast-break lay-up by Apangalook.

But Colony kept hanging around, and when Wasilla went cold late, the Knights were ready to capitalize from the unlikeliest of spots — the free throw line. Wasilla missed eight consecutive field goal tries down the stretch, which allowed Colony to close to 33-30 after a pair of Klapperich free throws.

“We knew they were going to come out furious,” said Apangalook, who finished with seven points.

Colony went 12-of-14 from the line in the fourth quarter, including a stellar 6-of-6 showing by sophomore Alyssa Hutchins – but the Knights couldn’t quite overtake Wasilla as the Warriors got lone free throws from Apangalook and junior Kelsey Cottle to provide the final margin of victory.

“We made them when we needed them,” Hebert-Truax said of her team, which went just 3-of-13 in the fourth quarter.

Cottle finished with eight points for Wasilla, which also got seven from Colegrove.

Hutchins also finished with 11 points for Colony, but only she and Klapperich made field goals in the game.

Four players fouled of the game — two for each team — and 52 fouls were whistled. Lincoln said the stop-and-start nature of the game may have contributed to his team’s shooting woes.

“The girls were frustrated, but you couldn’t say it was one team’s advantage or the other,” he said. “It did make it tough getting the momentum going.”

The two Valley rivals have now combined to win the last 17 NLC titles. Colony won seven in a row between 1994 and 2000, Wasilla ran off seven between 2001 and ‘07 and the Knights claimed the last two — over Wasilla. The two Valley superpowers have now squared off for the conference crown in nine of the past 11 seasons, with Soldotna in 2003 and ‘07 the only team this century to spoil the party.

“We just get a lot of kids that play basketball,” Lincoln explained of the Valley’s deadlock on title game appearances.

Wasilla — perhaps the best-traveling team in the state — entered the gym to a raucous ovation and rousing version of “Shot Through the Heart,” from the typically wound-up Warrior band. Colony’s presence was more subdued, but more than enough “Super Fans” made the trek south to even out the crowd noise.

“Our fans are the best there is,” Hebert-Truax said.

Wasilla’s players formed a massive Warrior pile following the final whistle, further emphasizing how important it was to return the NLC trophy to Wasilla.

“It was a little stressful at the end, but we just told ourselves to stay positive,” Apangalook said. “And that we wanted it more.”

WASILLA 35, COLONY 30

NLC championship game

Saturday, Skyview High School

Wasilla 12 5 11 7 – 35

Colony 4 5 7 14 – 30

WASILLA (35) – Apangalook 3 1-4 7, Imoe 3 2-9 8, Nuss 1 0-0 2, Naczi 0 1-2 1, Brown 1 0-2 2, Colegrove 1 5-8 7, Cottle 3 2-9 8. Totals 12 11-34 35.

COLONY (30) – M. Klapperich 3 5-10 11, Hutchins 2 7-16 11, K. Klapperich 0 1-2 1, Brumbaugh 0 1-3 1, Bowker 0 4-4 4, Forstner 0 2-4 2. Totals – 5 20-39 30.

3-point field goals – none. Fouled out – K. Klapperich, Forstner, Nuss, Naczi. Total fouls – Wasilla 27, Colony 25.

Warriors place three on first team

SOLDOTNA — Kelsey Cottle, Alexis Imoe and Celeste Colegrove were each named first-team All-NLC on Saturday. Alyssa Hutchins and Kaitlyn Klapperich were named first-team for Colony, while Shawna Thein was a first-team selection for Palmer.

2010 All-Northern Lights Conference

Girls’ player of the year: Karen Senette, Soldotna

Girls’ coach of the year: Stacia Rustad, Kenai

Girls’ first-team:

Casee Penrod- Skyview; Shawna Thein- Palmer; Alexis Imoe- Wasilla; Joanna Garica- Kodiak; Alyssa Hutchins- Colony; Kelsey Cottle- Wasilla; Raquel Young- Kenai; Kaitlyn Klapperich- Colony; Celeste Colegrove- Wasilla; Karen Senette- Sohi.

Girls’ second team:

Rhonda Yamat- Kodiak; Megan Grupp- Kodiak; Samantha Hull- Kenai; Kailee Skjold- Sohi; Megan Bowker- Colony; Mary Klapperich- Colony; Kendal Venske- Palmer.

Girls’ honorable Mention

Julienne Gregory- Kodiak; Melissa Wood- Homer; Jessica Stewart- Skyview; Jaxon Hill- Skyview; Carlee Naczi- Wasilla; Skyler Nuss- Wasilla; Tess Forstner- Colony.