Warrior girls sweep local foes

WASILLA -- The Wasilla girls' basketball team is approaching the 2003 season in a three-phase set.

The Warriors passed their final two test of the first phase with wins over Palmer and Colony over the weekend and are ready to head into phase two, the Region III tournament. A strong performance in phase two will earn them the right to enter phase three, the state tourney.

Wasilla capped off a 21-0 record against Alaska competition with a 51-39 over the visiting Palmer Moose Saturday. The Warriors finished 10-0 in conference play.

The stingy Moose defense combined with the performance of Palmer's Emily Bolling on the offensive end of the floor, kept the Moose with the potent Wasilla squad for much of the contest.

Bolling hit a jumper to cut the Wasilla lead to 35-34 late in the third quarter, but Wasilla closed out the third frame with a 7-0 run.

Wasilla led 42-34 after three quarters and Bolling hit a three-pointer in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to cut the Wasilla lead to five.

Palmer held Wasilla to just nine points in the fourth quarter, but was unable to capitalize on the offensive end to take the lead.

"We had a chance but we missed all of our free throws and some shots inside," Palmer head coach Lyle Busbey said of his team's performance in the fourth quarter.

"I am proud of them, we gave them a game-plan and they ran it," Busbey added. "We were not going to get into a sprinting contest with them."

Chandice Cronk led the Warriors with 20 points in the contest. Cronk scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half. In her final game at Wasilla High, Marsha Schirack added 11 points.

Schirack, a senior forward, will be taking her talents north to play with the Division II Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks next season.

Wasilla 75 Colony 41

The Warriors overcame a slow start and ran past the Colony Knights 75-41 at Colony High School Friday.

Schirack helped ruin the Knights' hope for a win on senior night as she poured in a game-high 24 points.

Cronk scored 20 points for Wasilla.

Warrior point guard Trista White chipped in 14 points and led Wasilla with a 6-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.

Sienna Locke led the Knights with 14 points. Kristina Klapperich added 12 for Colony.