Ron Charrier has believed in Eric Smith all season long, often praising his 5-foot-10 guard for bringing a calming influence to the Kentlake High boys basketball team.
Smith, a junior, put that calm demeanor on display Friday night at the ShoWare Center in Kent. And, in the process, lifted the Falcons past Kent-Meridian 66-63 in overtime in a key South Puget Sound League North Division game.
It was Kentlake’s fifth straight win.
With the Falcons trailing the Royals 56-53 with 13 seconds remaining in regulation, Smith nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, breathing life into a Kentlake team that had trailed all night.
Ignited by Smith’s 3-pointer, Kentlake proceeded to outscore Kent-Meridian 10-7 in overtime to seal the win.
How big was Smith’s shot?
Kentlake not only trailed the entire night up until his late shot, but also had to come back from a 46-37 deficit late in the third quarter.
“Eric’s the reason we got going because we came out really slow,” Charrier said. “Eric was our ballhandler. He was the reason they couldn’t press us.”
The win saved Kentlake (6-7 in league, 7-8 overall) from falling behind Auburn Riverside (6-7, 9-8) for the fifth-and-final playoff berth from the SPSL North. A loss would have dropped the Falcons behind the Ravens in the win column with top-ranked Federal Way slated for tonight. Auburn Riverside plays host to Jefferson (5-9, 6-11) tonight.
“This keeps our season alive,” Charrier said. “If we would’ve lost, our season would’ve likely been over.”
If Auburn Riverside falls to Jefferson, Kentlake could nab the final playoff berth with a win over the Ravens on Tuesday.
Smith finished with 14 points as did Tyler Wright. Jeff Budinich led Kentlake with a game-high 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Sid Verma paced Kent-Meridian (1-12, 1-14) with 14 points.
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