Wasilla girls finish 4th in 4A bracket

ANCHORAGE — Thursday, Wasilla was beaten at the buzzer. Friday, it was time for the Warriors to bounce back.

After suffering a heartbreaking 45-42 loss to rival Colony in the first round, the Wasilla girls basketball squad rebounded to score a 57-52 win over Thunder Mountain during the consolation semifinals of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Basketball Championships at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage Friday morning.

“It was tough, but I was actually happy with our kids’ reaction to it,” longtime Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said of the quarterfinal loss to the Knights. “They took it hard, but it just tells me they have competitive spirit. They want to win. They should take a loss like that hard, but I thought they did a good job of recuperating and getting ready to play again.”

With the win, Wasilla advanced to the fourth-place game of the 4A girls bracket. The Warriors carried the momentum from the Thunder Mountain into Saturday’s contest and scored a 46-35 victory over Chugiak.

Friday, Fourth-seeded Wasilla survived a late push by the Falcons to secure the win. Thunder Mountain scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, and held Wasilla to only two field goals during the final frame. Wasilla did score 14 in the fourth, but 10 of those points came at the free throw line.

“To face some adversity like that, overcome it and come out with a victory is good for us,” Hebert-Truax said.

Wasilla built a 29-21 halftime lead, and led 42-33 after three.

Thunder Mountain’s Siniva Tupou hit a pair of three-pointers midway through the fourth quarter to pull the Falcons back into the game. Alondra Echiveri scored all six of her fourth-quarter points during the final two minutes of regulation. Her first bucket cut Wasilla’s lead to 50-47. Her next two baskets cut the Warrior lead to just two points each time.

But while Maka and Echiveri helped pull the Falcons back into the game, Wasilla’s two seniors, Cassidy Edwards and Machia Toews, kept the Warriors in front. After Echiveri’s first bucket in the fourth quarter, Edwards hit a pair of free throws to push Wasilla’s lead back to four points. Toews hit a free throw with 45 seconds left to give the Warriors the 54-50 lead.

Echiveri’s last basket cut Wasilla’s advantage to 54-52 with 23.5 seconds left. Edwards hit two free throws with 15 seconds remaining to ice the game for the Warriors.

Freshman Azlynn Brandenburg scored a team-high 12 points to help push Wasilla into the fourth-place game. Junior Leya DePreist added 11, and Edwards chipped in 10.

Saturday, Wasilla used a 17-point third quarter to grab the 46-35 victory over Chugiak.

DePriest finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Edwards added nine points and Brandenburg chipped in eight.

Wasilla boys fall

The Wasilla Warriors rallied late, but suffered a 67-61 season-ending loss to the Ketchikan Kings during the 4A boys consolation semifinals at the Sullivan Arena Friday.

Seniors Cameron Brown and Alex Baham both had big shots down the stretch to keep the Warriors in the game. Brown drove to the basket, got the bucket and drew the foul with two minutes remaining in regulation. Brown hit free throw to cut Ketchikan’s lead to 60-56. After a pair of Ketchikan free throws, Brown brought the Warriors back within four points with 34 seconds left.

Baham hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds left to slice the Kings lead to 63-61, and bring the Warriors within a possession.

Ketchikan sealed the game with late free throws.

Brown sparked Wasilla early with a pair of three-pointers. Wasilla finished with six threes in the game.

Ketchikan also had success behind the arc. The Kings hit eight three-pointers in the game, including five by Matt Shandley.

Brown led the Warriors with a game-high 17 points. Isaac Houck had 15, and Baham finished with 14.

Shandley led Ketchikan with 17. Alex Pihl finished with 14.

Wasilla 46, Chugiak 35

4A girls fourth-place game

Saturday, Wells Fargo Center

Chugiak (14) — Pinckney 6 0-0 14, Russell 1 0-0 3, Sexton 1 0-0 2, Stone 1 0-0 2, McMullen 1 1-5 3, Burgess 4 3-5 11; Totals: 14 4-10 35.

Wasilla (46) — Drorbaugh 1 0-0 2, Baham 2 2-2 7, Brandenburg 3 2-2 8, Toews 2 1-2 6, Anderson 2 0-0 4, Edwards 4 1-2 9, DePriest 5 0-0 10; Totals: 19 6-8 46.

Wasilla 57, Thunder Mountain 52

4A girls consolation semifinals

Friday, Sullivan Arena

Wasilla 12-17-13-14—57

Th. Mtn 13-8-12-19—52

Wasilla (57) — Kelly 0 3-4 3, Heath 1 0-0 2, Baham 1 0-0 3, Lindeman 1 2-2 4, Brandenburg 5 2-2 12, Toews 1 2-4 5, Anderson 2 0-0 5, Edwards 3 4-6 10, DePriest 4 3-4 11; Totals: 18 15-22 57.

Th. Mtn (52) — Tompkins 4 3-7 11, Morris 1 1-2 3, Echiveri 6 2-2 14, Ekis 4 0-0 9, Maka 2 0-0 6, Young 3 3-4 9; Totals: 20 9-15 52.

Ketchikan 67, Wasilla 61

4A boys consolation semifinals

Friday, Sullivan Arena

Ketchikan 14-15-17-21—67

Wasilla 15-16-11-16—61

Ketchikan (67) — Smith 2 0-0 5, Day 5 2-2 12, Shandley 6 0-2 17, Bullock 3 1-3 8, Pihl 3 7-7 14, Bonk 3 0-0 6, James 1 3-6 5.

Wasilla (61) — C. Brown 7 1-2 17, Milliron 2 0-0 6, Baham 5 3-4 14, Garnett 1 3-4 5, Houck 5 4-5 15, K. Brown 0 1-2 1.