With an ear-to-ear grin, Kentwood\u2019s Alec Wilson happily gave out his autograph to a youngster Friday night at Kentlake High.<\/p>\n
This was a first for Kentwood High\u2019s Wilson, a 6-foot junior guard. Generally, the honor of signing autographs has gone to teammate Joshua Smith.<\/p>\n
Friday night, however, belonged to Wilson.<\/p>\n
Kentwood\u2019s sharp-shooting guard torched Kentlake for a season-and-career-high 36 points, leading the Conquerors to a blowout 88-54 victory over the Falcons in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.<\/p>\n
Wilson\u2019s 36 points came in style, too. He connected on 8 of 14 from 3-point land, which tied a school record for 3-pointers in a game established by Jeff McBroom (1993 vs. Federal Way) and Steve Meyer (1994 vs. Auburn).<\/p>\n
Wilson wasn\u2019t far off the league mark as well. Auburn Riverside\u2019s Brandon Smith (2003) and Enumclaw\u2019s Tanner Saylor (2006) hold the SPSL mark with nine.<\/p>\n
The Kentwood junior had a pretty good idea early on that this was going to be his night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn warmups, I was feeling really good,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThe basket was just huge for me. We got in a good rhythm early, they got me the ball and I was able to knock some down. From there, it was just lights out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lights out, indeed.<\/p>\n
Wilson converted on 4 of 4 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, including two straight in a 20-second span, that helped Kentwood (11-5 in league, 11-9 overall) take a 27-17 lead. Wilson, whose previous season high for points in a game was 17 a week earlier against Auburn, poured in 16 in the first eight minutes against the Falcons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlec is a really great shooter who got in a really great rhythm,\u201d said Kentwood coach Michael Angelidis. \u201cWhen he gets in a great rhythm, he can be deadly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson was certainly in a rhythm Friday night.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t let up in the second quarter, either, serving up two more 3-pointers and finishing the half with 26 points. Wilson\u2019s hot hand helped Kentwood go into the break with a 54-28 lead.<\/p>\n
Wilson\u2019s hot hand, however, came at the expense of a Kentlake team that came into the night with an outside chance of making the SPSL playoffs. Kentlake (7-9, 8-12) needed to beat the Conquerors and have Auburn knock off Auburn Riverside to advance to the postseason. Instead, Auburn Riverside held on to beat Auburn, 67-65, thus sealing the fourth-and-fifth playoff seeds. Advancing to the SPSL playoffs will be Federal Way, Kentwood, Kentridge, Auburn and Auburn Riverside.<\/p>\n
Being so close to a playoff berth and failing to put up much of a challenge against Kentwood was a tough way to end the season, Kentlake coach Ron Charrier lamented.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guys just didn\u2019t come to compete. We had a really bad practice (Thursday) and it just carried over to today,\u201d the coach said. \u201cIt\u2019s very frustrating. I don\u2019t understand not competing when you\u2019ve got something like this on the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kentlake junior Daniel Landram, however, showed some urgency throughout, scoring a team-high 20 points. Landram ended the season having scored 20 or more points in four of his final six games.<\/p>\n
Landram, however, couldn\u2019t match Wilson.<\/p>\n
Wilson was held scoreless in the third quarter. With the game essentially over entering the final eight minutes, the only thing that remained undecided was whether Wilson could tie or even break the school record for 3-point buckets in a single game.<\/p>\n
Wilson hit his seventh 3-pointer moments into the fourth quarter, but was pulled by Angelidis with five minutes remaining. As the final minutes ticked down and several players on the KW bench urging for Wilson\u2019s return to the court, Angelidis pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n
Wilson returned to the game with just two minutes remaining.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew the kid was close to something. He played well,\u201d Charrier said. \u201cHe shot the lights out.\u201d<\/p>\n
With 6.9 seconds remaining, Wilson finished the night the same way he began it \u2013 with a 3-pointer. A 3-pointer that helped him tie the school mark.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was a little left, but luckily it rolled in,\u201d Wilson said as he signed that first autograph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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