Warriors second, Knights third in 4A girls state basketball tourney

The machine known as the Anchorage Christian Schools girls basketball program kept on rolling.

ACS scored a 57-38 win over Wasilla during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Girls Championships title game Saturday evening at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

The win marks the sixth straight state title for ACS and the second at the 4A level. The Lions had won four straight as a 3A team. Saturday’s game was also a rematch of the 2022 4A title game.

Wasilla kept the game close early, trailing 15-14 at the end of the first, but the Lions closed the game on a 42-24 run. Layla Hays scored 10 of her 19 points in the first half, and six of her team’s first eight points in the first quarter. Hays finished with a double-double, also pulling down 19 rebounds.

Mylee Anderson added nine points.

The Wasilla Warriors advanced to their 14th trip to the 4A girls state championship game in school history. Wasilla is in its 12th title game (2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) with the guidance of longtime head coach Hebert-Truax, who has won six state titles as a mentor. The Warriors were also 1-2 in three title games during the 1980's.

Wasilla punched its ticket with a 48-40 win over rival Colony during the semifinals Friday.

Wasilla led Colony by only a possession with less than two minutes in the game. Lalaine Suaava scored to cut Wasilla’s lead to 43-40 with 56 seconds left. A pair of Wasilla underclassmen added to their lead. Freshman Mielee Merchant hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 45-40. Sophomore Mylee Anderson added three from the stripe down the stretch. Livia Breshears also had a key steal for the Warriors in the final moments.

With the win, Wasilla rebounds from a loss to Colony in the NLC semifinals earlier this month. Wasilla is now 3-2 against Colony this season.

“Coach Kelly over there is doing a great job with those kids.They’re only going to lose about three seniors. We’ve always got to be on our “A” game when we play them, both defensively and offensively. Every possession,” Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax told the NFHS Network after the win.

Chandice Kelly is a former Wasilla girls basketball standout and played for Hebert-Truax.

Anderson led Wasilla with a game-high 22 points. Layla Hays finished with 10 points and a game-best 15 rebounds.

Hallie Clark led Colony with 17 points.

Colony was in search of its 10th trip to the 4A state girls title game and first since 2014.

The Knights capped their tourney with a 64-34 win over West Anchorage in the third-place game. Clark led the Knights with 23. Alycia Shelley added a dozen and Lalaine Suaava chipped in 10.

In other 4A action, Juneau-Douglas eliminated Colony 73-64 in the 4A boys consolation semifinals. Jayce Underwood led Colony with 23.

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