Kentwood’s late rally not enough against Auburn

In their first home game of the season Dec. 5, the Kentwood Conquerors didn’t just push the mighty Auburn Trojans — they nearly took them down.

In a game that featured seven lead changes, 16 total three-pointers, and nearly 100 combined points, the Conquerors fell just short, losing 55-53 on a blocked three-pointer in the final seconds.

“They won our league six years in a row, and we showed a lot of toughness,” Conquerors head coach Blake Solomon said. “We’re a really young group, so for us to battle back, especially when it kind of got down on us, was good for us to see.”

The Conquerors, who entered the game 1-0 after a solid win against Todd Beamer the week prior, knew they had their hands full with this matchup. It was their first league game of the season and one that had a lot at stake.

“We knew what we were up against. Auburn is a great team,” senior Brandon Tagle said. “But we know that we’re one of the best teams in the state as well.”

Kentwood opened the game with high physicality and strong defense in the paint. After forcing a couple of early turnovers, the Conquerors jumped ahead to an early 13-8 lead. Auburn then gained traction and closed the first quarter with a small run, cutting their deficit to one. It was 13-12 Kentwood at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter became a chess match. Neither team led by more than three until Auburn’s Rainier Denoso drilled a deep three at the buzzer, giving the Trojans a 33-27 lead going into the half.

Solomon, now in his 14th season, says he knew the game was going to be a grind.

“Just stay with it,” Solomon said. “We were stringing stops together. We knew eventually shots were gonna fall. We missed some free throws, missed a couple layups, but we were playing the right way.”

The third quarter was a period of stout defense. The Conquerors managed just eight points in the frame and entered the fourth down 44-35.

“It was neck and neck that whole game, Tagle said. They hit a couple threes going in the halftime. So, we were kind of like let’s stay composed. We’ve been here before, let’s get this done.”

Tagle, who has played varsity since his freshman year, is one of the best point guards in the state. He isn’t just skilled on the hardwood; he quarterbacked Kentwood to their first winning record since 2021 on the football field.

The fourth quarter was a different story. With three minutes left in the game, Kentwood was down 50-42. When Kentwood thought all was lost, the Conquerors offense started to click.

Thanks to some key defensive plays and shots falling in, Kentwood was right back in the game. A pair of threes cut the deficit, and then a key turnover helped get Kentwood even closer.

With 15 seconds to go, Tagle pulled up from the top of the key and made a huge three-pointer to make it a one-point game, 54-53.

“We were able to inch our way back from being down,” Tagle said. “That’s really all you can ask for. So, hats off to Auburn, they played great.”

After Auburn hit one of two free throws to make it 55-53, Kentwood had one opportunity to win it all. With 11 seconds remaining, Tagle got the ball and ran it up the court. He passed it to teammate Jacob Bail and as Bail went up to take the shot, Denoso flew out to the corner and blocked the attempt to seal the game for the Trojans.

“We felt good in transition there,” Solomon said. “Brandon came off the screen, and Jacob is our second-best shooter. He was going to get an open three. We’d live with that look any day.”

Tagle finished with a game-high 30 points, followed by junior Caleb Ross who had 10. “I think it motivates us by just being more hungry, because we play them again this season,” Tagle said. “Using that chip on our shoulder of winning the game to another team and so on helps us keep that competitive drive.”

Last season was the first year that both schools shared the same league. In their two matchups, the Trojans won both their games and one by more than 15 points. “It’s one of those games where you wish we could close it out,” Solomon said. “It’s going to be the best team in our league, and it’s our job to knock them off. And so, we just got to regroup and do it next time.”

The Conquerors had to regroup quickly after the Dec. 5 game. Kentwood went on to beat the Seattle Christian Warriors in a non-league game 57-40 the next day.

Kentwood’s next league game is on Dec. 9 at home against the Tahoma Bears.