Wasilla boys use OT to beat rival

WASILLA — The Wasilla High School gymnasium was filled late Tuesday evening with the sound of fans chanting, “Kobe. Kobe. Kobe.”

And they weren’t talking about that guy who plays for the Lakers.

Wasilla junior Kobe Brown hit a pair of free throws with 33 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and scored seven points during the tiebreaker to help lift the Warriors to a 76-66 overtime victory over the Colony Knights at Wasilla High School.

The Warriors outscored Colony 12-2 during the four-minute overtime to grab the win, improve to 9-1 in Northern Lights Conference and clinch the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NLC Championships, which start March 10 at Palmer High School.

All of that would have not been possible if Brown had not come through at the free throw line at the end of the fourth quarter.

“I’ve gotta make these,” Brown said of what he thought as he approached the free throw line late in regulation.

Browns efforts were part of a Wasilla rally that included a combined 49 in the third and fourth quarters, and overtime. Colony led by double digits for a chunk of the first half, and took a 10-point advantage into the break.

“We’re resilient. We just fought and gave it our best,” Brown said. “We never let the score get us down.”

Brown was held to just an early three-pointer in the first half, but erupted for 26 points in the second half and the four-minute overtime.

“I got on a little roll, got our team going,” Brown said.

The guard had nine field goals in the final 20 minutes of play, and was 10 of 14 from the free throw line. Daniel Headdings added 19 points for the Warriors, and Isaac Houck kicked in 15.

Overall, Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen praised his team for its resiliency.

“They just keep playing,” Engebretsen said. “I challenged them at halftime. You can’t get caught. You can’t get caught in the moment. You can’t get caught with your head down.”

Wasilla, celebrating its senior night, jumped out to a quick lead with a Brown three-pointer and four quick points from Headdings. But the Knights took over.

Colony hit four three-pointers in the first period and scored 22 points during the opening eight minutes of play. Anton Chamblee scored 15 of his team-high 24 points in the first half. Tyler Boyer scored 12 of his 20 during the first two quarters.

Wasilla locked up the No. 1 seed in the NLC tourney, which starts Thursday at Palmer High School. The Warriors also have a first-round bye, and will play either Kenai or Soldotna on March 11. The No. 2 seed and the second first-round bye is still up for grabs. Colony and Palmer are now tied at 6-3 in the conference. The winner of Friday’s clash at CHS will earn the No. 2 seed and the bye. The loser will be the No. 3 seed, and play sixth-seeded Kodiak on the first day of the tournament.

Friday’s tip is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Wasilla girls top Colony

Wasilla clinched the No. 1 seed in the NLC girls bracket with a 56-32 victory over Colony Tuesday at Wasilla High School.

Wasilla forced 23 Colony turnovers and held the Knights to single digits in scoring in three of the game’s four quarters.

After Colony played Wasilla tight in both the second and the third quarters, the Warriors closed the game on a 20-7 run.

Leya DePriest led the Warriors with 12 points and four rebounds. McKenna Dinkel finished with 11 points, and Azlynn Brandenburg and Olivia Davies chipped in eight each.

Wasilla improved to 10-0 in NLC play with the win, and will have a first-round bye in the tournament. The Warriors will face either Kenai or Soldotna in the semifinals March 11 at Palmer High. Colony is the No. 2 seed and also has a first-round bye. The Knights face either third-seeded Palmer or sixth-seed Kodiak March 11.

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