Kentwood High assistant coach John Rolsma’s phone alarm went off at the stroke of midnight Saturday inside the Tacoma Dome. It was set last year the minute the Conks lost the Class 4A boys basketball state title game. This year the chime tolled for Kentwood.
The Conks beat Union 81-61 Saturday night for the state championship. It was the program’s third title for the Conquerors (27-3),
“We said yesterday it was 365 days we’ve been waiting for this; waiting to cut down the net,” Kentwood coach Blake Solomon said.
Last year, Kentwood lost the title game to Federal Way 66-54.
Kentwood’s senior point guard Darius LuBom said he thought of the loss everyday over the past year.
“Last year we had to learn,” LuBom said. “This year we put it to the test, how much we learned and we got the job done. We didn’t come all this way to lose. Our parents put too much time in; we went through too much to lose this one.”
Solomon said, “As soon as the game ended last year our goal was to win this game. We tried to do everything we could during the offseason and during the regular season to make sure we finished the job.”
Solomon said this is the best boys basketball season Kentwood has ever had, including in 2004 when the Conks won the title with Solomon playing along with the Stuckey brothers, Ronnie and Rodney, an NBA guard with the Indiana Pacers. Kentwood also won the crown in 2010 behind the play of Joshua Smith.
“To win a league title, district title and cap it off with a state title, it hasn’t been done,” Solomon said. “We set a wins record with 27 tonight. We got the trifecta this year and set a wins record.”
Most of the game was tighter than the final score. Union, of Camas near Vancouver, led 39-37 at the half.
That storyline turned around in the third when LuBom came out and led his team on a scorching run of scoring inside and out and smothering defense.
“We locked down on (Cameron) Cranston (in the second half),” LuBom said. “He had 20 in first half and finished with 22. They just got easy buckets and in locker room we said we had to buckle down and stick to our game plan. We had to step up our defense. Defense wins championships.”
LuBom saved his best for the title game scoring 18 with five rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
“Darius ran the point and kind of steadied the ship for us,” Solomon said. “He was able to take advantage and pick his spots.”
Koby Huerta sliced and diced Union for 16 points, three boards, added two assists and a steal. He opened the fourth quarter by hitting nothing but net on a three and the game was all but over except for the ticks on the clock.
“Once I hit that (three-point) shot it set the tempo for the quarter,” Huerta said. “But how we won it was with defense. We really clamped down and got stop after stop. What set us apart from them was our defense and getting stops.”
Senior Rayvaughn Bolton scored a team high 19 from the guard position with six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“It’s just amazing,” Bolton said after the game. “I can’t even think about it right now. I’m going to enjoy our time right now. Every moment.”
While the Kentwood guards Bolton, Huerta and LuBom kept Union off balance, forward Eli’sha Sheppard added 13 points and Beau Roggenbach put in seven with seven rebounds at the post.
The fourth quarter bell tolled the end of Union’s hopes for a title.
“We told them to stay in the moment and to value every possession,” Solomon said. “The guys bought in and did this.”
Semifinal victory
The Conks beat Gonzaga Prep 56-53 last Friday in the semifinal to earn a shot at the title.
Leading the scoring for the Conks was Roggenbach with 18, Huerta added 16 and LuBom 12.
LuBom also added five assists, four rebounds and one steal.
“I came into this game focused,” LuBom said. “Been slacking last couple games. Coming into this game I knew I had to play my A game and help my team get through this one.”
Solomon said Gonzaga was as tough as he expected.
“We knew Gonzaga Prep was going to be a load,” Solomon said. “They were all of that and more. We had a couple of chances to go up and put it away and they just would not go away. They are very well coached and great players.”
Kentwood was down 25-23 at the half. When the Conks came out in the third the boys dug in and outscored Prep 18-15. Going into the fourth it was anyone’s game.
The Conks outscored Gonzaga 15-13 to squeeze out a three-point win, but the team had to watch a last-gasp three point try by the Bullpups bounce off the rim.
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