Wasilla boys rebound, place 3rd

ANCHORAGE — Ryan Engebretsen sees his team’s season as a journey. When the Wasilla Warriors set out, there was a specific destination in mind — a state championship. Even though the Warriors were knocked off course, the Wasilla head coach can’t help but reflect on the special journey.

“You don’t want it to end,” Engebretesen said after watching his team rebound from a difficult semifinal loss to Service and score a convincing 71-53 win over 2010-11 state champion Bartlett in the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships third-place game at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage Saturday morning. “It’s been tremendous. (This is a) really special group. My tears are for a couple reasons. It’s not about me. I wanted something special for them. As much work and time they’ve put in, I wanted something for them.”

Wasilla senior and Alaska 4A Player of the Year Connor Devine scored 27 points and pulled down 20 rebounds, and senior Braydon Kuiper scored 23 points to help the Warriors post the lopsided win in the third-place game.

“They stepped up this morning in a game where it’s not for anything, but I guess pride a little bit,” Engebretsen said. “It showed a ton of what we tried to build, and that’s character. The program we try to build is based on character.”

Even though the Warriors, the tournament’s top seed and four-time defending Northern Lights Conference champions, didn’t have the chance to play for a state title, Devine said it was nice to rebound Saturday morning.

“We wanted that state championship, but even though we fell short, we came back today, worked hard and stuck it to Bartlett,” Devine said. “You know you’re not playing for that state championship anymore, but it was a pride thing. We wanted to go out there and show we can get knocked down, but we’re still going to get right back up.”

Kuiper helped that cause, knocking down shot after shot in the first quarter. Kuiper owned the baseline, scoring Wasilla’s first six points of the game and eight in the first quarter.

“That first quarter he was amazing,” Devine said of his fellow senior. “He stepped it up. He was the big senior tonight.”

Devine, Wasilla’s 6-foot-10 Division I recruit, wasn’t too shabby either, nearly outrebounding Bartlett by himself. Bartlett finished with 29 rebounds in the game, compared to Wasilla’s 53. Devine had 20, with 15 coming on the defensive end.

Senior Dillon Ferro played his typically unselfish game, dishing a game-high five assists. Senior reserves Tyler Hunt and Chris Capo also logged quality minutes.

“Having those other two seniors in there was great. They played very well. Tyler and Chris stepped up big time,” Devine said.

Freshman Dane Kuiper added 11 in the win.

Wasilla led 34-26 at the break and built its lead to as much as 20 in the second half. The Warriors shot 46 percent and held Bartlett’s potent attack to 35 percent shooting.

Engrebretsen said he was proud to see the way his players reacted when faced with disappointment and adversity.

“For them to get knocked down as hard as they got knocked down last night and step back up today and do what they did today says great things for what they’re going to accomplish as men,” Engebretsen said.

Wasilla 71, Bartlett 53

4A boys third-place game

Saturday, Sullivan Arena

Bartlett 16-10-17-10—53

Wasilla 18-16-17-20—71

Bartlett (53) — Anthony 5 0-0 12, King-Dunbar 4 3-4 11, Honoroe 2 0-0 6, Gibson 2 0-0 5, Maduro 3 0-0 7, Rial 2 0-2 4, Sherman-Newsome 2 2-2 6, Brunson 1 0-1 1; Totals: 21 5-10 53

Wasilla (71) — Ferro 1 0-0 2, B. Kuiper 10 2-3 23, D. Kuiper 3 4-8 11, Devine 11 5-11 27, Roberts 4 0-2 8; Totals: 29 11-25 71.

Three-point field goals: Bartlett 6 (Anthony, Honoroe 2), Wasilla 2 (B. Kuiper, D. Kuiper 1); Total fouls: Bartlett 16, Wasilla 10.