Warriors run to win over CHS

PALMER — It proved to be a learning experience for the Wasilla Warriors on Tuesday night.

Wasilla learned how to jump out to a big lead against a tough rival, and the Warriors also learned how to withstand a rally and hold on to get a win.

Despite Colony’s 20-point fourth-quarter effort, the Warriors posted a 64-59 win over the Knights at Colony High School on Tuesday.

“It was a great battle for my young kids,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said after the win. “Eight of them who suited up for me have never set foot on this floor in a varsity game before. They found out what it’s like to play in this kind of heated battle, and they’re loving it.”

Wasilla used an 18-3 second-quarter run to erase Colony’s early eight-point lead. Later in the game the Warriors were able to survive Colony’s 30-point second half.

Engebretsen said he saw many of his young players grow on the basketball court during the win.

“They got experience,” Engebretsen said. “(Experience that) as much as you want to talk about and as much as you want to explain, until you are physically there and a part of, you’re never going to grasp.”

Sophomore Connor Devine led the Warriors with 18 points. Fourteen of his 18 points came in the second half.

“The guards got (the ball) to him, but a lot of credit has to go to Connor,” Engebretsen said. “He doesn’t stop working on the block. He doesn’t stop working on the post.”

Senior Drew Ford added 13 for the Warriors.

Senior John Palmer supplied a game-high 21 for Colony.

Senior Scott Herman, who scored 15 points in the Colony loss, hit one of his trio of three-pointers early in the second quarter to give the Knights the 20-12 lead.

Wasilla junior Wade Stahle immediately answered with a three-pointer of his own. That Stahle shot was the first of 16 straight points by the Warriors and the start of that 18-3 run.

“That 18-3 run, we knew we could do that,” Engebretsen said. “It was just a matter of you have to weather theirs and battle through theirs.”

Ford capped the run with a steal and a layup, but after that shot, Colony used an 11-2 run to jump right back into the game.

Palmer sank a pair of free throws to give the Knights the 33-32 advantage, and junior Chris Ray used his lone bucket of the game to push Colony’s lead to 37-32.

But once again, the Warriors went on another run.

Junior Cole Schierman, who scored seven of his nine points in the third, hit a three-pointer that sparked a 14-2 WHS run.

Palmer scored eight points in the fourth quarter and 18 of his game-high 21 in the second half to pull Colony back into the game.

The reigning NLC Player of the Year hit a three-pointer midway through the fourth to cut Wasilla’s advantage to single digits. Palmer hit another trey with 45 seconds left to bring the Knights within one possession of the Warriors.

Junior Cory Mock, who was 4-for-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth, hit a pair of late free throws to help preserve the win for the Warriors.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Wasilla 64, Colony 59

Tuesday, Colony High School

Wasilla 10-20-18-16—64

Colony 17-12-10-20—59

Wasilla (64) — Schierman 4 0-0 9, Quenga 2 0-0 5, Mock 0 6-8 6, Kuiper 1 0-0 2, Stahle 2 3-4 8, Devine 8 2-5 18, Ford 6 0-2 13, Green 1 1-2 3; Totals: 24 12-21 64.

Colony (59) — Eisenhower 1 0-0 2, Lanners 2 1-4 6, Turner 1 0-0 2, Palmer 8 2-2 21, Herman 5 1-3 14, Niver 1 3-5 5, Ray 1 3-4 5, Summers 2 0-3 4; Totals: 21 10-21 59.

3-point field goals: Wasilla (4 (Schierman, Quenga, Stahle, Ford), Colony 7 (Palmer, Herman 3); Total fouls: Wasilla 20, Colony 23; Fouled out: Colony- Summers.