Warriors sweep Moose

WASILLA — As opposing coaches prepare to face the Palmer Moose, a team led by all-state standout Clayton Southwick this season, most will probably have a fairly similar conversation with their players.

“Try to make sure they understand that you’ve got to stop a really good player like that from beating you, but at the same time, respect the other guys on the floor,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said after his team’s 46-28 victory over the Moose Tuesday night at Wasilla High School.

Southwick scored 24 of team’s 28 total points, but was only one of two Moose in the scoring column. Fellow senior Jared Hawkins added four points.

“We’ve got to do a great job of matching up and knowing the other individual tendencies, so we can guard each individual the right way, so we can focus on Clayton, who did a marvelous job putting the ball in the basket,” Engebretsen said.

Palmer trailed early, but used a Southwick-led run to tie the game before the half. Southwick hit a trio of threes and scored 11 in the second quarter. The teams were tied at 17 at the break.

Southwick hit another three-pointer with five minutes left in the third to give Palmer the 22-21 lead, its first lead since the opening minute of the game. Senior Jordan Knight sparked the Wasilla offense late in the third quarter, with seven of his 10 points in the period. Engrebretsen said Knight is the type of player who consistently competes on the floor, but has the ability to go on those offensive runs.

“I’ll take those spurts anytime,” Engebretsen said.

The Warriors capped the game with an 18-4 fourth-quarter run. Knight and Milliron hit big three-pointers as the Warriors separated themselves, and Daniel Headdings and Reilly Devine were a combined 7 of 7 from the free throw line in the fourth.

Overall, Engebretsen praised the work of Devine, particularly on the glass.

“Reilly Devine was a man-child,” Engebretsen said. “He gets us going. When our team sees him rebounding like that, harder than everyone else on the floor, everyone follows. He’s one of those kids who is easy to follow.”

Wasilla improved to 3-0 in Northern Lights Conference play. Palmer dropped to 1-1.

Wasilla girls use big second quarter to bury Moose

With six points in the first quarter, Palmer senior Kassidy Bowman pulled the Moose within two possessions of rival Wasilla.

But after Bowman used her third field goal to cut Wasilla’s lead to 12-8, the Wasilla Warriors went on a run.

Wasilla used a 28-point second quarter score a 66-33 victory over the Moose Tuesday at Wasilla High.

Senior Azlynn Brandenburg scored 10 of her game-high 22 in the quarter, and helped turn a small lead into a 21-point halftime advantage. Brandenburg, who burned East Anchorage for 31 points during a win over the Thunderbirds last Saturday, shot 8 of 13 from the floor, and grabbed four steals.

Olivia Davies added a dozen points, seven rebounds and six assists. Cheyenne Green and Desirae Titus added eight points each in the paint. Green led the Warriors with seven rebounds.

Wasilla held the Moose to single digits in scoring in three of the four quarters, and Palmer without a field goal for large chunks of time in the final three quarters. Palmer didn’t get its first basket of the second, a Julia Benshetler bucket, until the 5:25 mark of the quarter. In the third, Bekkah Alley gave Palmer its first basket, a three-pointer, with 3:53 left in the third. In the final quarter, Kelsey Giese gave Palmer its first field goal with a layup at the 2:23 mark of the fourth.

Wasilla also forced 23 Palmer turnovers.

Bowman led Palmer with 10 points.

Wasilla improved to 3-0 in Northern Lights Conference play. Palmer dropped to 1-1.

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

Wasilla boys 46, Palmer 28

Tuesday, Wasilla High School

Palmer 4-13-7-4—28

Wasilla 10-7-10-18—46

Palmer (28) — Hawkins 2 0-0 4, Southwick 9 2-3 24; Totals: 11 2-3 28.

Wasilla (46) — Knight 4 0-0 10, Houck 2 0-0 4, Headdings 1 3-3 5, R. Devine 3 6-8 12, Milliron 3 1-2 8, L. Devine 2 2-2 5; Totals: 15 12-15 46.

Wasilla girls 66, Palmer 33

Tuesday, Wasilla High School

Palmer 9-10-7-7—33

Wasilla 12-28-10-16—66

Palmer (33) — Busbey 0 1-2 1, Uschmann 0 3-4 3, S. Benshetler 1 2-6 4, Bowman 3 4-4 10, Giese 1 0-1 2, J. Benshetler 3 1-2 7, Alley 2 0-0 6; Totals: 10 11-19 33.

Wasilla (66) — Brandenburg 8 5-8 22, Davies 2 7-10 12, Vasquez 0 1-4 1, Obremski 2 2-2 6, T. Anderson 2 1-2 7, Green 4 0-0 8, Cox 1 0-0 2, Titus 3 2-2 8; Totals: 22 18-28 66.