After hitting a small bump in the road, urgency has returned to the Kentwood High boys basketball team.
With star guard Gary Bell and Kentridge on the horizon in the featured game of Friday night’s third-annual Les Schwab Shootout in Kent at the ShoWare Center, the Conquerors could not have picked a better time to right the ship.
“We weren’t playing well,” admitted first-year coach Brian Davis, pointing to a stretch of games in which Kentwood dropped 3 of 5 contests. “We hit a little lull. Guys weren’t playing with urgency, weren’t playing with passion, weren’t playing with joy.”
Suffice to say, the Conquerors (8-3 in league, 11-4 overall) are playing with joy again.
All it took was a particularly pivotal overtime victory over fifth-ranked Auburn Jan. 19 followed by a decisive victory over Thomas Jefferson days later. They turning point for the Conquerors came in the 73-69 victory over the Trojans. Mikell Everette (18 points) and Jeremy Smith (14) both tallied season highs in the win.
Smith, who comes off the bench, was especially important, Davis said.
“He’s been putting in extra time to fix his form and played tremendously,” the coach said. “He’s been working on his shot on his own, and it has really paid off.”
The two wins not only helped the Conquerors get back on track, but helped them remain in contention for the South Puget Sound League North Division championship.
The road to that championship, however, will go through Kentridge (10-2, 12-4), which will play host to Kentwood at 8:30 p.m. Friday night in the showcase game of the Kent Shootout. The Kent Shootout features all eight — boys and girls — Kent School District basketball programs. Class 1A Cascade Christian will tipoff against the Emerald Ridge boys in the 2 p.m. opener and will be followed by Kentlake vs. Kent-Meridian girls (3:30 p.m.); Kent-Meridian boys vs. Kentlake (5 p.m.); Kentridge girls vs. Kentwood (7 p.m.) before the game of the night.
Kentridge upended Kentwood 52-51 on Dec. 14 thanks to a layup by Bell in the final seconds.
The key this time around for the Conquerors?
“Not let Gary make the last-second shot,” Davis deadpanned.
Bell, who will play at Gonzaga University next season on a full-ride scholarship, delivered a team-high 18 points in the win. If Bell can do it again, the Chargers would be in the driver’s seat for the SPSL North crown, something they have not won since the 2007-2008 season, when Kentridge tied Decatur and Kentwood for the top honor.
Yet, in a league that has been filled with parity all season long, the Kentlake vs. Kent-Meridian boys game likely will be just as pivotal in regards to playoff positioning. Kent-Meridian hasn’t made the postseason since the 2004-2005 season and Kentlake has qualified just once during that same timeframe (2008). Both teams need win to improve their respective chances.
“You got to love the SPSL North. Anybody can beat anybody else on any given night,” said tournament promoter Steve Turcotte. “The Kentridge-Kentwood game is the highlight of the event, but K-M against Kentlake are both good, too.”
Things are a bit more cut and dry on the girls side. Kentwood (11-0, 12-3) already has sealed up a playoff berth and can take a step closer to its second league title in three years with a victory over Kentridge (2-10, 2-13) in the 7 p.m. game. However, Kentlake (3-8, 4-11) remains in a battle for one of the final playoff berths and desperately needs a win over Kent-Meridian (0-12, 1-15).
“We’re definitely a team capable of being in the playoffs,” said Kentlake coach Scott Simmons. “It will be a really interesting race to the end for that fifth playoff spot.”
A race to the end that continues Friday night at the ShoWare Center.
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