The game was billed as the early version of the Class 4A girls state basketball championship.
But the only team on the floor Thursday night that appeared poised to win a title was Kentwood. Lindsey Moore scored a game-high 23 points while Jessie Genger and Kylie Huerta poured in 11 apiece as the top-ranked Conquerors ripped No. 2 Pasco, 59-44, in a state quarterfinal game at the Tacoma Dome.
Kentwood (26-1) will play the Federal Way/Issaquah winner at 8:30 p.m. Friday night in the semifinals. Kentwood, making its fourth straight state appearance, last played in the semifinals in 2007, when the Conquerors fell to Lewis & Clark, 60-57, and finished third overall. Kentwood has never played in the state finals.
It was the first loss of the season for Pasco (26-1), a team that often has been compared to Kentwood this year for its up-tempo play and stifling defense. But the Bulldogs couldn’t slow the high-powered Kentwood machine.
The Conquerors held a 13-10 lead early in the first quarter, then shifted into overdrive, going on a 14-2 run and never looking back. Genger capped the run with a 3-pointer, giving the Conks a commanding 27-12 lead.