Wasilla boys use big second half to move into state semis

ANCHORAGE — East Anchorage. Last team in. First team out.

Second-seeded Wasilla used a 37-point second half to score a 62-45 win over the Thunderbirds during ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Basketball Championships boys’ quarterfinals Thursday morning at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

The Warriors, the 2017 runner-up are in search of a trip to the state final for the second time in as many years, but Wasilla senior Reilly Devine said the Warriors certainly could not overlook the T-Birds.

“This is a huge game,” Devine said after the win. “There’s no Saturday without this game.”

East, the No. 7 seed, earned the tournament’s final at-large bid. But that didn’t matter to the Warriors, Devine said.

“This tournament, there’s eight teams that could legitimately win the tournament,” Devine said. “You can’t take anyone for granted. Seeds don’t matter, so you’ve got to go in with the same mindset.”

After holding a slim 25-23 lead at the half, Wasilla broke away with a 17-9 third-quarter run.

“Huge adjustments at halftime,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said.

Engebretsen said the Warriors looked at how they were operating on both sides of the floor.

“Defensively, we weren’t true to ourselves in the first half,” Engebretsen said.

On the other end, Engebretsen said the Warriors looked at what East was brining on defense.

“We sat there and said, this is how they’re guarding us,” Engebretsen said.

And the mindset changed. Wasilla looked at where the openings were and how the Warriors should be moving the ball.

“In the first half we were attacking to pass. In the second half, we were attacking to score,” Devine said.

The Warriors also owned the glass, outrebounding East 37-16.

Devine posted a double-double, leading his team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Knight added 13 points, seven rebounds. Levi Houck finished with 12 points, and Aeron Milliron added eight points and eight boards.

With the win, Wasilla moves forward to play either Colony or West Anchorage Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the 4A boys semifinals.

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

Wasilla 62, East Anchorage 45

ASAA 4A boys quarterfinals

Thursday, Anchorage

East 11-13-9-12—45

Wasilla 15-10-17-20—62

East (45) — Herrington 3 2-2 10, Bearden 1 0-0 3, Johnson 3 0-0 7, Williams 4 0-2 8, Barranco 3 0-1 7 Esaw 4 0-0 8, A. Williams 0 2-2 2; Totals: 18 4-7 45.

Wasilla (62) — Knight 5 2-2 13, Houck 5 1-3 12, Headdings 3 0-0 8, R. Devine 6 4-4 16, Milliron 4 1-2 9, L. Devine 1 0-1 2, Campbell 0 2-2 2; Totals: 24 10-13 62.