The Kentridge girls are one game away for the 4A girls state basketball championship – 32 minutes of shooting, rebounding and playing defense.
The girls put Bellarmine away 54-41 in the semifinal Friday evening at the Tacoma Dome. The title game is 7 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, March 4, at the Tacoma Dome.
The leading scorer for the Chargers was Jordan Jenkins with 16 and JaQuaya Miller added 11 with 14 rebounds. Jenkins had 12 boards. Junior Morgan Gary also scored 16 with three boards and three steals.
After the game Jenkins said, “It was great. We had the intensity from the start and my team really helped me out and we got this win.”
The post dynamic duo of Miller and Jenkins presented and formidable scoring and rebounding problem Bellarmine Prep was not able to solve.
Coach Bob Sandall said the freshman Jenkins has, “really come along. She’s made great strides; she’s a competitor. I’m really proud of her. Really proud of how all our kids played today. She kind of sparked us. She is so strong and big and tough in there. Between her and JaQuaya we’re hard to guard in there.”
Sandall said the team has come a long way this season, “They are just an outstanding group of young kids. They really share the ball well and understand each other’s strengths and how to make each other better. And as a coach you can’t ask for anything more.”
Jenkins is not the only freshman contributing to the Chargers run at the title
Sandall said Daylani Ballena comes off the bench and gives the team an important spark.
Daylan, like all our kids, she has made great progress. She is playing with so much more confidence. She is so much more comfortable with what we do. She is just really gifted athlete. Great basketball kid, she studies the game and she loves the game. Being able to have a kid like that is a coach’s dream.”
Ballena scored five points and grabbed three steals and three rebounds.
Tresai McCarver, a junior guard, scored six with seven rebounds and three steals.
Kentridge outrebounded Bellarmine 52 to 34. The coach said rebounding is a critical part of the team’s game.
“That has been one of the things we have worked on in practice a lot,” Sandall said. “We’ve made great strides, but we can get much better.”
With the title game a few hours away, Sandall said, “I am really excited for these kids. They have been together all summer, they’ve spent all kinds of time off the court together. I’m so happy for them and happy for the school for all the kids that come up through the program. It’s great to be part of this.”
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