Much of the talk about the Kentridge High boys basketball team this season has circled around star guard Gary Bell.
The league’s leading scorer, however, has some help. As much was evident Thursday night as four different Chargers reached double-figures in scoring in a 78-60 South Puget Sound League North Division win over Kentlake.
Bell, who came into the night averaging a North Division-best 25.9 points per game, was held to 16 points, though he took only 13 shots and added four assists, three steals and three rebounds.
“Our team is starting to gel together,” said Bell, who is being recruited by multiple Division I schools, including the entire Pac-10 and Gonzaga. “We’re coming together and the players are starting to really know their roles.”
With Kentlake tightening up their defense on Bell, who scored 30 on the Falcons in the season opener on Dec. 4, the rest of the Chargers stepped up. Senior guard Craig Rasmussen delivered a season-high 21 points, including three 3-pointers, while Dylan Zylstra (12 points) and Brendan Westendorf (11) both reached double figures. Meanwhile, Devin Topps did much of the dirty work underneath the hoop, scoring 9 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.
Balance proved to be the key to the victory for the Chargers (7-2 in league, 10-3 overall).
“We had balance in our rebounding, we had balance in our scoring, everybody had assists, guys had steals … everybody played about the same,” said Kentridge coach Dave Jamison.
Kentlake, which gave Kentridge a stiff challenge in the first meeting between the teams, simply didn’t have an answer for all of the Chargers’ weapons. The undersized Falcons also struggled in the paint against Kentridge’s Topps (6-3, 225) and Zylstra (6-5, 225).
“We need to rebound and block out. That was the difference in this game,” said Kentlake coach Ron Charrier. “We didn’t block out and we gave them a lot of opportunities. They’re thicker and stronger than we are.”
Kentridge outrebounded Kentlake 39-30 for the game.
Despite the loss, Kentlake (4-5, 5-8) remains very much alive for one of the five playoff berths from the North Division. The Falcons entered Thursday night tied with Auburn (4-5, 8-5) and Auburn Riverside (4-5, 7-6) for the fourth and fifth slots while Thomas Jefferson (3-5, 6-6) remains a game back. Both Auburn and Auburn Riverside lost, leaving the three teams tied entering the weekend.
What’s it going to take for the Falcons to get into the playoffs?
“If we block out and rebound, in this league this year, we have a chance to beat anybody,” Charrier said. “But we can lose to anybody, too.”
For Kentridge, the win proved to be the perfect way to open the second half of the season. At 7-2 in league, the Chargers remain a few wins away from clinching a playoff berth. If Kentridge plays as it did Thursday, that postseason berth shouldn’t be too far away.
Kentlake took a quick 2-0 lead in the opening seconds when Mike Salazar split the lane and kissed a short runner off glass. Kentridge proceeded to rip off a quick 6-2 run, getting a pair of buckets from Rasmussen and another from Zylstra, all of which came in the paint.
Kentlake cut the deficit to 6-4 with an offensive putback by Salazar, but didn’t get any closer the rest of the night.
As good as the Chargers were offensively, they proved to be just as effective on defense. Salazar, who entered the night averaging 14.5 points per game, was held to 8 points, but just 2 after the first quarter. Kentridge held Kentlake’s Daniel Landram, who was averaging 12.3 points per game, to just 6.
Eric Nelson led the Falcons with 12 points followed by nine points from Jaron Heck.
Kentlake hung with Kentridge until midway through the third quarter, when the Chargers turned a 51-41 lead into a 70-45 advantage. The 19-4 run spanned the final three minutes of the third period and the first two of the fourth before Jamison unloaded the bench.
During the spurt, six different Chargers scored, led by six from Topps. Bell collected two assists during the game-changing run, but did not score.
“Last time we were up a little too close and it allowed (Bell) to drive more and he beat us,” Charrier said. “This time we wanted to make the other guys beat us and they did.”
ELSEWHERE:
Kentwood 62, Kent-Meridian 47: The Conquerors (6-4, 6-6) used a balanced attack en route to beating the Royals in an SPSL North game. Jason Boyce and Tre Tyler each scored team-high 15 points while Taylor Jones added 14 in the win.
It was Kentwood’s fourth win in their last five games.
Kentwood center Josh Smith, who played his first game in more than a month on Tuesday, did not play.
Martel Taylor Barone and Jordan Thompson Walker scored 10 points apiece to lead the Royals.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Kentlake 46, Kentridge 26: The Falcons (6-3, 9-4) outscored the Chargers (0-9, 1-12) 15-0 in the first quarter en route to the SPSL North win. The win helped Kentlake end a three-game slide. Kentlake’s Morganne Comstock, who scored 15 points, was the only player from either team to reach double figures in scoring.
Kentwood 73, Kent-Meridian 51: Kylie Huerta scored a team-high 20 points while three other Conquerors (8-1, 10-2) reached double figures in a win over the Royals (1-8. 1-11).
Kentwood’s Courtney Johnson added 17 while Sanda Milovic (14) and Liz Mills (13) also enjoyed big games.
Kent-Meridian’s Briana Shannon scored a game-high 31 points. It’s the third time this season Shannon has eclipsed the 30-point barrier.
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