By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman
ANCHORAGE - A young Palmer girls team made a big splash at the ASAA First National Bank 4A state basketball tournament, winning 49-46 over Chugiak Saturday afternoon to claim fourth place.
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“We wanted to go home on a win,” Campbell said following the game.
Chugiak jumped out to an early 17-12 lead on a three-pointer by Kyla Jennings late in the second quarter. But the Moose finished the half on a 6-0 run, capped by a tough Campbell scoop shot and clutch Ratcliff blocked shot, to take the halftime lead.
The teams then jockeyed for position in the third quarter, trading the lead six times before Palmer took the lead for good on a Matti Cox bucket with 4:10 to play in the quarter.
Palmer entered the fourth on an 11-2 run, then held off a late Chugiak charge to seal the win.
The Moose had no answer for Chugiak junior guard Sarah Watzke, who finished with a game-high 25 points, but limited the rest of the Mustangs to just 17 percent shooting from the field.
“They are a tough match-up for us because they've got a lot of speed and a lot of shooters,” Moose head coach Paul Reid said following the game.
Reid said he chose to use a number of different line-ups to counter and frustrate the Mustang offense.
Outside shooting was key for Palmer, which made five of its 12 attempts from three-point range, including three from downtown by Campbell.
“All the clear looks we got from the perimeter went down,” Reid said.
Ratcliff was also big late in the game. Normally used more as a defensive stopper, she came on strong late, scoring all her points during a five-minute span in the fourth.
“She's such a strong player, and we tried to isolate her in the paint,” he said. “It's nice to have a player step up like that.”
Palmer has just one senior on its roster, forward Stephanie Houser, and Reid said it was nice to send her off on a win at state.
“It was something she was really hungry for,” Reid said of his senior leader, who finished with four points and three rebounds. “It's nice for her to go out on a winning note.”
As for the remaining Moose, Campbell said they plan on using this year's state tournament experience as a building block for the future.
“We'll be back,” she said.
Palmer girls 48, West Valley 44 (2 OT)
The Moose kept their season alive with a 48-44 double overtime win over West Valley Friday morning at Sullivan Arena to advance to the fourth-place game.
The Moose showed no ill effects from having to play in the 8 a.m. contest, exploiting the West Valley zone with four first-quarter three pointers - two each by Mikaela Bolling and Kelsey Campbell - to take a 14-7 lead after the first eight minutes.
Outside shooting would prove to be the difference for Palmer. The Moose shot just 32 percent overall from the floor, but finished 7-for-12 from behind the arc.
Palmer only trailed once in the game - at 2-0 - but found themselves in a tight affair throughout.
Palmer held a slim lead through most of the fourth quarter, but the Wolfpack tied things up with 30 seconds to play when Whitney Blackburn stole the ball at midcourt and was fouled on her way to the basket.
Blackburn calmly sank both free-throws to send the game into overtime.
Neither team scored in the first four-minutes of extra time.
But Blackburn was injured late in the first overtime, leaving the Wolfpack without one of their best players.
She did not return, and Palmer took advantage by outscoring West Valley 6-2 in the second overtime to pull out the win.
Campbell led the Moose with 12 points on four three-pointers. Swetzoff and Ratcliff each added nine while Bolling finished with eight. Ratcliff also had six rebounds, and Swetzoff finished with five.
Nicole Kenney had seven rebounds and four steals for Palmer, which forced 21 West Valley turnovers.
Mattson had 13 points for the Wolfpack.
Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@
frontiersman.com
Comments
2 comment(s)Mahruz Minhuz wrote on Mar 6, 2008 7:46 AM:
Chelsea McDonald wrote on Oct 20, 2007 2:44 PM: