The Kent-Meridian girls basketball team ended an emotionally rugged week Friday night in the best possible manner – with a win.
Behind another standout performance from senior Briana Shannon, who scored a game-high 29 points, the Royals held off Kentridge 58-45 in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
The win not only helped the Royals (1-6 in league, 1-9 overall) remain in the hunt for the fifth-and-final playoff berth from the North, but helped them end a painful week on a high note.
Three Kent-Meridian players – Jordan Bell, 17, Molly Kirk, 14, and Malaika Henry, 14 – were passengers in the car driven by Dorian Tursic, who was killed in a fatal accident on the morning of Jan. 3. Like the boys team, for which Tursic was member, the girls team at K-M has been impacted tremendously by the incident.
“I think a lot of people wanted to be at the boys game because it was their first home game since the accident,” Shannon said. “Before the game, we huddled up on the side of the gym and chanted the (jersey numbers) of Molly, Malaika, Jordan and Dorian. That made us all feel good. Once we did that, I knew we were ready to play.”
Indeed. The Royals bolted out to a 20-13 first-quarter lead over the Chargers. Kentridge (0-7, 1-10), however, stormed back, outscoring the Royals 10-2 in the second quarter to take a 23-22 advantage into halftime.
Shannon, however, would not be denied on this particular night.
“Briana took us home at the end of it. She was on fire,” said Kent-Meridian coach Brett Drewery. “We played good defense and, for the first time, we played as team.”
The Royals pulled ahead in the third quarter, 35-32, but took command in the fourth.
“We told her when the game began that she needed to take us home and she did,” Drewery said of Shannon. “She took over the game. She was in that zone.”
Kent-Meridian put Kentridge away in the final eight minutes, outscoring the Chargers 23-13 in the period.
Shannon connected for seven 3-pointers in the win. It’s the fourth time this season she has eclipsed the 25-point barrier.
“I don’t know what happened, but I was just making all these shots,” Shannon said. “It was crazy.”
None of the three players injured in the car accident will be back with the Royals this season.
“We didn’t just need the win for Dorian, the girls and everything we’re going through, but if we want to have any chance of getting to the postseason, we absolutely had to win that game,” Shannon said. “It was such a boost for us. We needed one win to get us going.”
The top five teams in the North advance to the postseason. Entering the week, Auburn Riverside (7-0), Kentwood (6-1), Federal Way (5-2) and Kentlake (5-2) all had strong footholds on playoff berths. The No. 5 slot, however, remains very much up from grabs. Tahoma entered the week in the fifth spot with three wins.
“They’re playing with heavy hearts right now. Last night they played for the young man (Dorian) and they played for their teammates,” Drewery said. “(But) I think we’re coming back. We’re starting to get back to normal.”
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