Warriors edge Moose to advance to NLC title game, Knights upset

WASILLA — Daniel Headdings supplied the bulk of Wasilla offense Friday afternoon, including the bucket pushed that Warriors into the conference title game.

Headdings grabbed a steal and went to the rim with 1 minute and 4 seconds left in the fourth quarter to provide the go-ahead basket in Wasilla’s 35-34 win over rival Palmer in the Northern Lights Conference semifinals at Kodiak High School.

“Daniel came up huge offensively when we couldn’t get any shots to fall,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said via text message Friday evening.

Headdings scored 20 of Wasilla’s 35 points in the win. He scored six of Wasilla’s seven fourth-quarter points, and was responsible for four of Wasilla’s six field goals in the second half. Reilly Devine added seven in the win.

Engebretsen also praised his defense, which didn’t allow Palmer to answer the late basket by Headdings.

“It was a great team win on the defensive end,” Engebretsen said.

Clayton Southwick led Palmer with 18 points in the loss. Payton Martin hit a trio of three-pointers and added nine.

Martin hit a pair of threes to spark the Moose early, and Palmer led 11-6 after the first quarter. The Moose carried a 17-15 advantage into halftime.

With the win, Wasilla moved forward into the NLC final and will play Kodiak Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The host Bears upset Colony 49-44 in the other semifinal.

Kodiak led by 10 in the third quarter, but needed a late effort to knock of the second-seeded Knights and move into the finals on its home floor. Louis Rocheleau hit two big shots late for the Bears. With the game tied at 42, Rocheleau went to the rim to give Kodiak the 44-42 advantage. Moments later, Rocheleau buried his third three of the game to ended his team’s lead to five points.

Wyatt Baker scored all seven of his points in the third quarter to help the Knights bounce back from the double-digit deficit and end the third quarter on a 9-0 run. Sullivan Menard led the Knights with 10 in the loss. Isaiah Neuner added nine.

Rocheleau scored a game-best 18 for the Bears.

With the Warriors and Bears moving forward, the Moose and Knights drop into the third-place game, slated for Saturday at 1 p.m. in Kodiak. Wasilla and Kodiak earned the NLC’s automatic bids to the 4A state tournament. There are two wild card bids awarded based on ASAA’s Winning Percentage Index, but entering the NLC tournament, Palmer and Colony stood at 10th and 11th according to the 4A boys WPI.

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

Wasilla boys 35, Palmer 34

NLC semifinals

Friday, Kodiak High

Palmer 11-6-5-12—34

Wasilla 6-9-13-7—35

Palmer (34) — Osiensky 1 0-0 3, Martin 3 0-0 9, Hawkins 1 0-0 2, Southwick 6 6-7 18, Eiman 1 0-0 2; Totals: 12 6-7 34.

Wasilla (35) — L. Houck 1 0-0 2, Brown 0 2-5 2, Headdings 8 3-6 20, R. Devine 3 1-4 7, Fife 1 0-0 2, Milliron 1 0-0 2; Totals: 14 6-15 35.

3-point field goals: Wasilla 1 (Headdings 1), Palmer 4 (Martin 3); Total fouls: Wasilla 11, Palmer 15.

Kodiak boys 49, Colony 44

NLC semifinals

Friday, Kodiak High

Colony 5-15-14-10—44

Kodiak 14-9-13-14—49

Colony (44) — Kizer 1 0-0 2, N. Pead 1 1-1 3, Neuner 3 3-4 9, Menard 3 3-4 10, Spencer 1 2-2 5, Martin 1 3-4 5, Oathout 0 3, Baker 3 1-2 7; Totals: 13 16-21 44.

Kodiak (49) — Rocheleau 7 1-2 18, Morzo 3 1-4 5, Cauging 4 0-0 9, Walker 2 2-4 6, Osowski 3 5-6 11; Totals: 19 9-16 49.

3-point field goals: Colony 2 (Menard, Spencer 1); Kodiak 4 (Rocheleau 3); Totals: Colony, 17, Kodiak 18.