• MLK Holiday Hoopfest photo gallery
Two down, one to go for the Kentwood Conquerors. It’s not March and it’s not the state tournament, but Kentwood girls basketball coach Keith Hennig scheduled his team this week as if it was.
Monday, the Conquerors played the second of three games in four days against three of The News Tribune’s Class 4A Top 10.
The result?
No. 1 Kentwood destroyed No. 8 Bellarmine, 75-48, at the King Holiday Hoopfest at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
“Last year, we got to state and only won one game,” diminutive Kentwood guard Kylie Huerta said. “It was very disappointing. Coach scheduled these games so it would be like state, with three big games in a row.”
The Conquerors (13-0 overall, 9-0 SPSL) beat No. 10 Federal Way on Saturday. They get No. 5 Auburn Riverside on the road tonight in their return to SPSL North action.
Against the Lions (11-3, 8-0 Narrows), Huerta and Lindsay Moore chewed up Bellarmine’s defense with constant slashes to the basket. Kentwood got out to a 23-14 lead after one quarter and took a 40-24 lead at the half.
“They put us to a test right away and we didn’t answer the bell,” Bellarmine coach Kevin Meines said. “You have to protect the lane. And that was our focus.”
The Lions just didn’t do it.
Meanwhile, Huerta was busy racking up a game-high 21 points, while Moore added 18. Huerta, listed at 5-foot, also dished out a game-high nine assists and had five steals. Moore had seven assists.
“If you look at our last five games or so, Kylie has been our leading scorer,” Hennig said. “When teams really try to key in on Jessie (Genger) and Lindsay, Kylie is that X-factor.”
For her efforts, Huerta was named the game’s most valuable player. The award was given out by Seattle Storm star Sheryl Swoopes, who posed for a picture with Huerta. At 6-foot, Swoopes towers over Huerta, and after standing tall next to the Kentwood guard briefly the WNBA veteran laughed and bent low for the picture.
“That was very fun,” Huerta said. “It was awesome to meet her.”
In addition to the tough scheduling, the Conquerors liked getting the chance to play on the UW floor.
“The court is a little bigger,” said Huerta of the 94-foot UW court, which is about 10 feet longer than most high school gym floors. “And we love the fastbreak. Even I was getting a little winded out there.”
The environment seemed to have the opposite effect on Bellarmine.
“We were probably a little intimidated,” Meines said. “But I know we can play with them. We have played with them. That’s the most frustrating thing as a coach. That was embarrassing out there.”
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