Wasilla girls settle for fifth

April 3, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman sports editor

Wasilla captain Jamie Brown said after the Warriors' gritty first-round state tournament win over Dimond, the team's success depends on the defensive game, and on any given night, someone different always seems to step up and spark the Warriors on offense.

Wasilla played its style of tenacious defense in the final two rounds of the 4A Alaska Schools Activities Association state tournament, but ultimately could not find that spark offensively and had to settle for fifth place in the 2005 tourney.

Chugiak senior Kelsey Griffin forced her way through a pair of Warrior defenders and scored with just 12 seconds left in regulation to give the Mustangs a 37-35 win over Wasilla in the third-place game Saturday morning at the Sullivan Arena.

Wasilla forced 27 turnovers, held Griffin - arguably the state's top player - to just 4-of-16 shooting, and allowed the Mustangs to hit just 34 percent of their shots from the floor, but could not capitalize on offense.

The Warriors, held to just four points in the first quarter and six in the second, shot just 16 percent from the field in the first two frames.

Wasilla did find a little success offensively in the second half, as junior point guard Ashley Semler sparked a Warrior comeback. Semler scored 10 of her game-high 12 points in the second half, hitting a pair of jumpers ,during a Warrior 10-1 run early in the third quarter as Wasilla clawed its way back into the contest. Megan Stearman added four points in the during the run.

Fans saw eight lead changes and four ties in the fourth quarter alone. Chugiak and Wasilla played back and forth until Semler and Anne Wesser hit consecutive jumpers to give the Warriors a 35-31 with 2:24 left in regulation.

Chugiak guard Lis DuCharme hit a three-pointer from the corner to bring the Mustangs within one, and center Sarah Neuschwander drained a free throw with 1:27 left to tie the game.

The Mustangs entered the tournament as the top seed. After defeating Colony in the first round, Chugiak was upended by Juneau-Douglas.

Wasilla, the tournament's No. 2 seed, also fell in the semifinals. With a story similar to its loss to Chugiak, Wasilla struggled offensively, shooting just 25 percent and committing 35 turnovers, and ultimately suffered a 48-35 loss to third-seeded Service.

Trailing by three to the Cougars with less than 30 seconds left in regulation, Ayla Brown hit a deep off-balance three-pointer to tie the game at 35-35. But on the following possession, while guarding Service's Lillian Bullock, Brown was whistled for a foul as time expired.

Bullock was given three shots at the foul line to win the game outright. Her first shot fell short, her second was to the right and the third hit the back of the rim.

The Warriors were given new life, but again struggled offensively in the overtime frame and were held scoreless in the extra period by the Cougars.

Wasilla finishes the season with a 26-4 overall record. Three senior starters - Brown, Stearman and Lindsey Wesser - and senior reserve Allie Johnson played their final game in a Wasilla uniform.

The fifth-place finish marks Wasilla's fourth top-five finish in as many years. The Warriors finished second in both 2002 and 2003, and third last year.