Kentwood boys and girls basketball teams both win at 2nd Annual Valley Medical Center Showcase

Kentwood High’s basketball teams sure like to play at ShoWare Center. On Monday both the girls and the boys squads won in the 2nd Annual Valley Medical Center Showcase, which featured seven games, as the Conquerors positioned themselves for the playoffs.

By Kris Hill • January 17, 2012 6:01 pm
Kentwood’s Alycea DeLong with the ball as a Federal Way player defends her in a game at ShoWare Center on Monday.
Kentwood’s Alycea DeLong with the ball as a Federal Way player defends her in a game at ShoWare Center on Monday.

Kentwood High’s basketball teams sure like to play at ShoWare Center.

On Monday both the girls and the boys squads won in the 2nd Annual Valley Medical Center Showcase, which featured seven games, as the Conquerors positioned themselves for the playoffs.

In the afternoon, the Kentwood girls put away Federal Way, 57-42.

It was a close contest in the first half, with the Conks leading the Eagles by six at halftime, but Kentwood ran away with the game in the second half.

A 26 point fourth quarter for the Conks sealed the double digit victory against an Eagles team that came into the game near the top of the South Puget Sound League 4A South Division.

Balanced scoring, just what the young Kentwood squad has used to its advantage much of the season, made the victory all the easier.

Sophomore Jenny Johnson led the squad with 14, followed by senior point guard Maddison Rankin’s 13 points, along with Sarah Toeaina’s 11 while Alexis Berrysmith added 8, Kate Kramer chipped in 6 and Alycea DeLong put in 5 points.

Kentwood played again Tuesday night then will take on Kent-Meridian on Friday.

In the final match up of the evening, the Kentwood boys took on Thomas Jefferson, playing it close early, with the scored tied at 13-13 with 4:41 left in the second quarter after a Daryon James three for the Raiders.

Thanks to aggressive defense by the Conquerors, the Raiders turned the ball over a number of times on errant passes, double dribble calls and traveling.

Kentwood was able to convert a number of those turnovers into points in transition.

Jefferson closed a 21-13 Kentwood gap in the second quarter to 23-18 at halftime but the Conks scored seven points in the first 85 seconds of the third quarter to take a 30-18 lead.

At the point, Kentwood never looked back, extending the lead throughout the second half and winning the game 66-39.

Spreading the ball around on offense worked well for the boys, too.

Austin Benson, who made multiple trips to the free throw line, led the Conks with 21 points on 9-for-11 at the charity stripe. Jackson Huerta and Joe Kramer tallied 19 points apiece while Jeremy Smith and Taylor Jones added 18 each.

The win, coupled with Kent-Meridian’s loss to Kentridge earlier in the evening, sets up a key contest on Friday between the Royals and the Conquerors.

Both teams are at 8-3 in SPSL North play and are at the top of the division with Kent-Meridian having won the first match up between the two teams earlier in the season.