Warriors slip by Moose

March 8, 2005

GENE JANSEN/For the Frontiersman

WASILLA - There are two ways to react to losing a previous basketball matchup by 30 points - the underdog can either show up again for more of the same, or use the loss to fuel an upset.

The latter is exactly how the Palmer Moose approached Friday's Region III boys' contest against the Wasilla Warriors, who escaped with a 48-44 win after trailing most of the game. Wasilla trounced Palmer earlier in the season.

Control the tempo of the game and slow down the hard-charging Warriors - that was Palmer coach Greg Fullmer's strategy and it almost worked. But Palmer eventually paid the price of playing a physical game in the trenches against a team with size and built on finesse.

From the outset, Palmer worked its perimeter and inside game. David Doerr nailed two threes from beyond the arc and worked the ball inside to forwards Trenton Berberich and Willie Ratcliff while five Moose scored points in the first quarter. Palmer went up 16-11 after the first frame.

"We had a game plan going in, and 98 percent of the time they got it," Fullmer said. "We have great defensive games."

Both teams executed a crisp passing game, working the ball around the horn to the open man. It made for long possessions and a low scoring game, just the way Fullmer wanted it.

"Our goal was to start the game off with a couple of long possessions," Fullmer said. "Our whole problem all year has been putting the ball in the basket."

Palmer established its physical presence when Ratcliff leveled Wasilla's Luke Schafer going after a rebound after a 60-second Palmer possession ended in futility. The Moose led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Wasilla closed the gap to 24-21 after a 6-0 run, including Matt Crane's buzzer-beater to close out the half. Both he and Palmer's Doerr were the game's high scorers with17 points each.

"We didn't play scared," Fullmer said. "We played tough."

The Warriors closed to within 35-32 after the third quarter. Palmer's power game began to take its toll in the last quarter when Berberich took a jolt in the face from Wasilla center Schafer's elbow, forcing him off the court for a few minutes of mending.

"I ripped him good early and we battled for the rest of the game," Berberich said. "It was sweet. We held our own."

By the time he returned, Palmer forwards Kohring, who scored 12 points in the game, and Jared Berberich had already fouled out. While the Moose adjusted to playing without two of their power forwards down the stretch, Wasilla nipped at Palmer's lead until Crane tied the game 44-44 with 2:22 to go.

With just over a minute left, Jesse Bean, who added 16 points in the contest, snagged a loose ball at half court and drove for an easy layup to put the Warriors up by two for the first time since the first quarter.

Wasilla eventually ran the clock while going 2-5 on free throws for a 48-44 win.

PALMER (44) - Jeremy Weber 0 0-0 0; Tanner Fullmer 0 0-4 0; Levi Kincaid 0 1-2 1; Jared Berberich 0 0-0 0; David Doerr 6 2-3 17; Willie Ratcliff 3 1-2 7; Cole Jacobson 0 0-0 0; Kenny Jenkins 1 1-2 3; Aaron Kohring; Trenton Berberich 2 0-0 4. Totals - 16 9-17 44.

WASILLA (48) - Jesse Bean 4 5-7 16; Brad Hobbs 1 1-2 3; Robbie Champion 0 0-0 0; Jeremiah Collins 0 0-0 0; Sam Schafer 1 0-0 2; Matt Crane 7 3-6 17; Luke Schafer 4 2-10 10; Dustin Bragg 0 0-0 0. Totals - 17 11-25 48.

Three-point field goals - Palmer 3 ( Doerr), Wasilla 3 (Bean); Technical fouls - None; Team fouls - Palmer 22, Wasilla 16.

PALMER - 16 08 11 09 - 44

WASILLA - 11 10 11 16 - 48