Warrior girls cruise to another title

SOLDOTNA — Just seconds into regulation Saturday, Kodiak junior standout Jerica Nelson knocked down a three-pointer to give the Bears an early lead.

But what could have been a spark for Kodiak actually preceded a Wasilla surge.

Wasilla senior Alysha Devine scored six straight points, Wasilla broke away on a 14-2 run and cruised to a 61-29 win over the Bears during the Northern Lights Conference Championships girls’ title game at Soldotna High School.

“That momentum rush was definitely a key component to our game,” Wasilla senior Savanna Burke said as her teammates began to cut down the net after the victory. “We got started, and once we got started, it was harder to stop us.”

Devine scored eight of her game-high 18 points during that first quarter, and Wasilla built a double-digit lead it never relinquished.

“The girls know if they fall behind they can still catch up. They just have to get stops defensively. After that one, that pretty much did it,” Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said.

Wasilla grabbed 15 steals and forced 26 turnovers in the win while holding the Bears to 31 percent shooting in the first half and 25 percent in the game.

The victory marked Wasilla’s 20th win of the season by 20 or more points and lifted the Warriors’ record to 27-0.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” Burke said. “If we come out as a team, we know if we play our game, we can take it one game at a time.”

Alexis Imoe added 17 points for Wasilla. Kyla Dinkel and Burke added eight points each. Dinkel grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds, while Jenna Ford collected a game-high seven steals. Imoe also had five steals for Wasilla.

The Warriors came into the season as the defending NLC and two-time defending state champions.

“We’re pretty elated,” Burke said. “We had two goals this season. Our first goal was to hopefully win regions, and now we’re hoping for the three-peat (at state).”

Dinkel said the focus is now on the next goal.

“We’re looking forward to state,” the senior said. “Hebert says the season’s over. This is postseason and we’re 0-0, so let’s get three more wins.”

After taking a 23-10 lead into the second quarter, Wasilla didn’t allow a Kodiak point until Hannah Wandersee hit a pair of free throws five minutes into the period. Kodiak’s first field goal of the second quarter didn’t come until a Wandersee layup with 1:20 left in the first half. The Warriors held Kodiak to only five total points in the third quarter and 13 in the second half. Wandersee led her team with eight points.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Wasilla 61, Kodiak 29

NLC Championship

Saturday, Soldotna

Kodiak 10-6-5-8—29

Wasilla 21-19-13-8—61

Kodiak (29) — Nelson 2 0-0 5, Ng 1 1-2 4, Cannon 3 1-2 7, Pyles 1 3-4 5, Wandersee 3 2-2 8; Totals: 10 7-10 29.

Wasilla (61) — Ford 1 2-2 4, Imoe 4 8-8 17, Devine 8 2-4 18, Toews 1 0-0 2, Hutchins 2 0-0 4, Dinkel 3 2-2 8, Burke 4 0-0 8; Totals: 23 14-16 61.

All-Northern Lights Conference

Player of Year: Alysha Devine, Wasilla

Coach of Year: Jeannie Hebert-Truax, Wasilla

First team:

Alexis Imoe, Wasilla; Leya DePriest, Palmer; Jerica Nelson, Kodiak; Julie Litchfield, Soldotna; Kyla Dinkel, Wasilla; Kaille Skjold, Soldotna; Mary Klapperich, Colony; Taylor Blake, Palmer; Hannah Wandersee, Kodiak, Alysha Devine, Wasilla.

Second team:

Carissa Cannon, Kodiak; Savanna Burke, Wasilla; Caitlin Scott, Palmer; Sidney Taylor, Kenai; Kelci Benson, Soldotna; Jenna Ford, Wasilla; Izzy Tweed, Colony.