Wasilla girls empty bench in tourney win

WASILLA — Coaches don’t always have the chance to empty the bench, especially if there are more than a dozen players on the roster.

Friday night, 14 different Warriors saw action during a 66-27 win over Galena on Day 2 of the Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic at Wasilla High School.

After Wasilla’s win over Juneau-Douglas on Thursday during the opening day of the three-day round-robin tournament, Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax indicated the Warriors would like to go three or four deep on the bench.

“I think we’ll probably play eight, nine kids,” Hebert-Truax said of a team that features seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on the current version of the varsity roster.

But even the upperclassmen are inexperienced, Hebert-Truax said. Wasilla graduated five senior starters from a team that captured the program’s third straight 4A state title last season.

Amanda Hutchins, a senior captain this year, was the first player off the bench last season. Junior guard Machia Toews saw time, and junior forward Cassidy Edwards played sparingly. But other than that, everyone is new to the Warriors varsity squad.

The Wasilla coaching staff took advantage of the lopsided contest Friday, playing 14 players. Nine of the 14 saw at least five minutes of playing time. All seven freshmen hit the floor, and Wasilla sported an all-freshman lineup for several minutes of the fourth quarter.

Freshman McKenna Dinkel was among the top performers for the Warriors, finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Natalia Heath added seven in the win. A dozen of the 14 who played scored at least two points in the win.

The Warriors held a 16-12 lead after the first quarter, but senior Shayla Johnson helped open the game up for the Warriors in the second. Johnson, a transfer from Nome, burned her old 3A foe with 10 points in the second quarter. She had four field goals during the period, including a pair of threes.

Edwards led the Warriors with 14 points in the win. She scored eight of Wasilla’s 18 third-quarter points. The junior also collected six rebounds and four steals.

Hutchins led the Warriors with 10 rebounds.

Wasilla faced Soldotna for the Doc Larson’s title Saturday evening. Due to the new Frontiersman press deadlines, results were not available before the paper went to press Saturday.

Wasilla 66, Galena 27

Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic

Friday, Wasilla High School

Galena 12-7-6-2—27

Wasilla 16-14-18-18—66

Galena (27) — Burley 6 4-4 18, Buchanan 1 0-0 2, Reitan 1 0-0 2, Shayen 2 1-1 5; Totals: 10 8-9 27.

Wasilla (66) — Kelly 1 0-0 2, Drorbaugh 1 0-2 2, LaBuda 1 0-2 2, Heath 3 1-1 7, Johnson 5 0-2 12, Baham 1 0-0 2, Pickworth 1 0-0 2, Toews 3 0-0 6, Hutchins 2 2-4 6, Dinkel 5 1-2 11, Edwards 7 0-0 14; Totals: 30 4-11 66.

3-point field goals: Galena 2 (Burley 2), Wasilla 2 (Johnson 2); Total fouls: Galena 11, Wasilla 14.