Warrior girls finish third

ANCHORAGE -- It may not be how the Warriors thought they would end the season, but Wasilla ended the season with a win.

Wasilla defeated Lathrop 45-43 to claim third place in the 4A girls' state basketball tournament at the Sullivan Arena on Saturday.

The Warriors, who kept the top ranking in the 4A girls' state basketball poll for the entire second half of the season and earned the first seed in the 4A state bracket, were thought by many as favorites to advance to the state title game, but a Juneau-Douglas upset prevented Wasilla from making its third straight trip to the state finals. Juneau defeated Wasilla 53-43 in the semifinals.

The Warriors rebounded after the loss to end the season on a winning note.

"Not too many can say they ended their season on a win," Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said.

Normally a threat from the outside, Wasilla's use of its inside game was key in the win.

"We had a lot more opportunities inside tonight," Hebert-Truax said. "We did a good job of posting up."

With many of its shots coming from inside the paint, Wasilla shot nearly 50 percent in the game and featured a balanced scoring attack. Senior Abbey Bulawa led the Warriors with 10 points, Chandice Cronk and Laurel Creel each added nine points and Lindsey Wesser scored eight on 4-of-5 shooting.

"We needed to play hard inside," Bulawa said.

Bulawa and the Warriors held the advantage inside, despite lacking size compared to the bigger-than average Lathrop team.

The Malemutes featured five forwards over 5-foot-10, while Wasilla has only one player, Megan Stearman, over 5-9. Stearman, who put in eight key points, stands at 6-0.

After holding just a two-point lead at the half, Wasilla used several small runs in the second half to build a cushion over the Malemutes. Though the two clubs each scored 13 points in the final quarter, Wasilla success early in the fourth quarter helped seal the victory. Bulawa and Creel, both seniors, each scored four points early in the fourth quarter to help Wasilla build a nine-point lead.

"It was their last game," Hebert said. "I told them to go out with a bang."