Warriors make West earn 4A title

ANCHORAGE — Throughout the 2009-10 regular season, West Anchorage suffered just a single loss to another Alaska team and during the first two days of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Basketball Championships, the Eagles soared into the 4A state title game with a pair of 31-point victories.

Many were ready to just hand the Eagles their fourth state title since 2004.

But the Warriors were going to make West Anchorage earn it.

And Wasilla did exactly that.

Despite a valiant Warrior effort against the high-octane West Anchorage attack, the Eagles scored an 80-58 win over the Warriors during the 4A state title game Wednesday night at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

“I’m really proud of them,” Engebretsen said. “This group works harder than any kids I’ve ever seen.”

Engebretsen’s squad worked its way to a 13-12 first-quarter lead, and after a West mid-game rush, Wasilla cut the Eagles’ advantage to as few as three points, but West used a 19-point fourth-quarter run to earn the opportunity to cut down the nets for the fourth time in seven years.

“They fought hard,” said West senior Tom Feeney, who supplied the Eagles with a game-high 31 points in the win.

Engebretsen said West’s relentless defensive pressure, and ability to finish its fast breaks, proved to be a difference in the win, especially in the fourth quarter.

“They do a great job of capitalizing on every turnover,” Engebretsen said.

The Eagles forced 36 turnovers in the game, and nearly half of their points came directly off turnovers. West finished with 22 steals in the game. Senior Justin Kauffman, the Cook Inlet Conference Player of the Year, finished with a game-high six.

West Anchorage shot 49 percent from the floor, thanks in part to those fast-break baskets. But the Eagles’ performance at the free-throw line also proved to be pivotal in the win. West finished 26-for-28 from the line, good enough for 93 percent.

“Free throws win games,” said Feeney, who nailed 14-of-15 freebies in the game.

Even though West coasted into the title game as the overwhelming favorite, Wasilla quickly proved why the Warriors finished the season as one of the top two teams in the state.

Wasilla took an early lead with a Braydon Kuiper three-pointer and the sophomore followed with a pair of free throws to give the Warriors the 7-2 advantage.

Junior Joel Quenga was fouled on a three-point attempt at the three-minute mark of the first period and hit 2-of-3 attempts to give the Warriors the 13-12 lead.

But that was the final lead of the game for the Warriors.

West closed the first with a 14-2 run and took a 27-15 advantage into the second quarter.

The Warriors cut West’s advantage to single digits in the third quarter and used five straight points by senior Drew Ford to bring themselves within three.

Kuiper hit one of his game-high three, three-pointers at the 5:28 mark of the third to slice West’s lead to 49-42, and helped make it 49-44 when he found senior Cody Pfeifer cutting to the backside of the basket.

Ford made an aggressive move to the basket and scored to bring Wasilla within six, and the senior cut West’s lead to 52-49 with a three-pointer at the 3:08 mark of the third.

That’s as close as Wasilla would get in the second half. The Eagles capped the third quarter with a 7-2 run, and opened up for 19 points in the fourth.

Kuiper was one of four Warriors to score in double digits, posting a team-high 17. Ford scored 14 points and Pfeifer added 12.

Sophomore Connor Devine supplied 11 points and team-high seven rebounds.

With 1:21 left in the game, Engebretsen sent in senior reserves Stephen Pine, Chris Bydlon and Lathen Breshears to join classmates Ford and Pfeifer on the floor for the final time.

“It was really important to give my seniors an opportunity to get on the floor,” Engebretsen said. “They earned it.

“We sent the seniors off well. They got to play in the last 4A boys game of the season,” Engebretsen said. “Now it’s about going to work tomorrow.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Freelance reporter Matt Tunseth contributed to this story.

West Anchorage 80, Wasilla 58

4A boys’ title game

Wednesday, Sullivan Arena

Wasilla 15-18-18-7—58

West 27-15-19-19—80

Wasilla (58) — Quenga 0 2-3 2, Mock 1 0-0 2, Kuiper 6 2-2 17, Pfeifer 3 0-0 12, Devine 3 5-6 11, Ford 5 3-3 14; Totals: 18 18-22 58.

West (80) — Garrett-Queen 0 2-2 2, Bookert 4 3-4 14, Kauffman 4 5-5 16, Abdul-Bassitt 5 0-0 13, Wyche 0 2-2 2, Rus 1 0-0 2, Feeney 7 14-15 31; Totals: 25 26-28 80.

3-point field goals: Wasilla 4 (Kuiper 3), West 4 (Bookert, Kauffman, Abdul-Bassit, Feeney); Rebounds: Wasilla 28 (Devine 7), West 23 (Kauffman 7); Assists: Wasilla 12 (Pfeifer 3), West 12 Kauffman 4); Total fouls: Wasilla 22, West 18; Fouled out: Wasilla- Mock.