Budinich’s hot hand can’t save KL in loss to Auburn Riverside

Jeff Budinich continued to post huge numbers Tuesday night for the Kentlake boys basketball team.

Problem was, Budinich ran into a pair of players from Auburn Riverside who proved to be just as hot as he’s been.

Auburn Riverside’s Mitch Hagerty scored a game-high 31 points while teammate Ryan Rogers wasn’t far behind, pouring in 27, leading the Ravens past the Falcons 90-81 in a pivotal South Puget Sound League North Division game.

Now half way through the SPSL North schedule, the win helped the Ravens (4-4, 6-5) further solidify its fifth-place standing in the league. The top five teams advance to the postseason. As of Wednesday night, the Ravens were two games behind rival Auburn (6-2, 8-2) for fourth, but a game up on Jefferson (3-5, 4-6) for fifth.

With nine league games left, Kentlake (1-6, 3-7) remains on the outside looking in.

But it isn’t due to any lack of production from Budinich, who has been downright torrid of late. The 6-foot-9 Montana State University-bound senior ripped off 26 points and 16 rebounds against the Ravens. He has averaged just more than 20 points per game in his last five contests and 16.6 for the season.

And Tuesday night, for a short while, it looked like Budinich’s hot hand might just be enough for the Falcons to get past the Ravens.

Down 39-32 at the half, the Falcons rode Budinich’s hot hand in the second half, capturing a 71-70 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

Budinich was deadly from the outside, hitting six 3-pointers in the game, including four straight at one point in the third quarter.

The Ravens, however, proceeded to go on a 20-10 run to end the game.

Budinich wasn’t alone on the offensive end for the Falcons. Mike Salazar added 15 points while Daniel Landram chipped in 12. Carson Crooks and Tyler Wright scored 11 apiece.

Along with his 31 points, Hagerty added 10 rebounds and three assists.

OTHER TUESDAY RESULTS

• Kentwood 60, Tahoma 29: The third-ranked Conquerors (6-1, 7-3) put away the Bears (0-8, 0-12) with a sizzling start, going on an 18-0 run to start the game en route to the SPSL North win. Joshua Smith (19 points) and point guard Tre Tyler (10) were the only Kentwood players to reach double figures. However, 11 different Kentwood players scored in the win. Despite the score, Tahoma’s Christian Behrens continued to post stellar numbers, scoring 22 of the Bears’ 29 points. Behrens is averaging 21.8 points per game, second in the league.

• Kentridge 63, Jefferson 54: The sixth-ranked Chargers (6-1, 7-4) used a balanced scoring attack to turn back the Raiders (3-5, 4-6), getting 14 points from Dylan Zylstra, 11 from Gary Bell and 10 from Shaquielle McKissic. Kentridge pulled away in the third quarter, when it outscored the Raiders 20-12.

• Federal Way 81, Kent-Meridian 47: Andre Barrington delivered a game-high 20 points while teammate Michael Hale added 19 as the second-ranked Eagles (7-1, 10-1) knocked off the Royals (1-6, 3-7). Federal Way blew the game open in the third quarter, when it outscored Kent-Meridian 29-13. Marlowe Brim paced the Royals with 11 points while Sid Verma chipped in 10.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

• Kentwood 74, Tahoma 43: Kentwood’s Big Three continued to post big numbers in a win over the Bears. Jessie Genger led the way for the Conquerors, scoring a game-high 21 points. Lindsey Moore added 14 points while point guard Kylie Huerta chipped in 13. The second-ranked Conquerors (8-0, 10-0) rolled to a 37-12 halftime lead and never looked back. Katie Buskey led the Bears (2-6, 4-8) with 10 points. Tahoma was playing without junior guard Erin McCaslin, who broke her left wrist last week against Kent-Meridian. McCaslin, who was averaging 11 points per game at the time of the injury, is expected to miss the rest of the season.

• Auburn Riverside 56, Kentlake 35: The fifth-ranked Ravens (7-1, 9-3) got a little bit of something out of everybody en route to knocking off the Falcons (3-4, 5-5). Auburn Riverside’s Nichole Jackson led all scorers with 12 points while Amanda Thomson added 11. Morganne Comstock led the Falcons with 11 points. It was Kentlake’s fourth-straight loss.

• Federal Way 68, Kent-Meridian 39: The Eagles (6-2, 9-3) were able to contain the Kent-Meridian’s Briana Shannon and put three players in double-figures scoring in a win over the Royals (1-6, 3-6). Shannon, who came into the game averaging 16 points per contest, was held to eight. K-M’s Desiree Guitian matched Shannon with a team-high eight points. Meanwhile, Jacquie Evenson (14 points), Tyshana Burgess (12) and Brittany Barrington (10) all reached double digits for the Eagles.

• Jefferson 46, Kentridge 36: Kelli Suguro delivered a team-high 13 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Chargers (1-6, 2-9), who dropped their seventh-straight game.