Kentwood’s boys team led the Bears after every quarter except the one that mattered.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It was a culmination of what we have been building for the last year and a half and it bore out for three and a half quarters… We’re still learning how to win at that level,” Head Coach Blake Solomon said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I feel like we controlled the game and I think (Tahoma) wasn’t ready for what we brought… If anyone sees this game, they’ll know we are for real,” said Senior Blake Stempniak.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The matchup with Tahoma was a game that meant a lot to players in green and black, especially after the last few results going the way of the Bears.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Corey Tita goes up for a layup against Tahoma. Ben Ray \/ The Reporter<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
“Sophomore year, they beat us with a half-court buzzer beater. Last year they knocked us out of the playoffs. I had this one circled for sure,” Stempniak said<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
This time around it was another competitive game, coming down to the wire: “I had a great a great shot to win the game and I missed it. Games aren’t defined by one shot,” Stempniak said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
After one failed attempt to draw up a play out of a timeout, it took a second play to set up Blake Stempniak with the game winning shot.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“He’s one of the best three-point shooters in the state and got a wide-open corner three and it didn’t go in. It’s a make or miss league,” Solomon said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Stempniak had the look the Conquerors wanted in the corner for three with four seconds left and down two points. But the shot hit the back of the rim and found the outstretched arms of Tahoma.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We will live 100 out of 100 times with him getting that look in the end,” Solomon said. <\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “It was a perfect play call. Coach is super smart. I had the open shot and I just missed,” Stempniak said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Even with that missed three, with the game on the line, Solomon liked how his lone senior played.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I think it was his best all-around game I’ve seen him play. He defended and rebounded really well. He was physical and had two or three takes to the rim. He’s becoming a more complete player offensively and if he plays like that defensively, it makes it really tough,” Solomon said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t From the start of the game, Kentwood battled. Tahoma scored the first nine points of the game. But by the end of the quarter, thanks to a buzzer beater from sophomore point guard Brandon Tagle, the Conks took a 20-17 lead.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Free throw shooting was something of note for the Conks as they shot 14 of 14 from the free-throw line in the loss. Junior Mason St. Louis and the sophomore Tagle were the only two Kentwood players to go to the free-throw line, but made every shot.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “We have been really struggling at the line. Today though, the right guys got to the line and shot them with confidence,” Solomon said. <\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The largest lead after a quarter was going into the fourth with Kentwood up 49-42. But Tahoma, which made the state tournament the last two seasons, was going to put up a fight — and they did. Along with scoring a game high 22 in the fourth quarter, the Bears stifled the Conk offense.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Over the last 2:46 in the game, Kentwood scored just three points — a three from St. Louis.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Then from the 1:51 mark, leading 60-58, Kentwood wouldn’t score for the rest of the game.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “They did pick up the pressure in the fourth quarter, which slowed us down and tired us out. But we still had three or four looks that I really liked,” Solomon said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t