Kentwood divides, conquers Curtis

High school basketball stars will get plenty of attention when the 4A West Central/Southwest bi-district playoffs start Tuesday night.

The Kentwood Conquerors don’t have any big stars, and that’s just fine with them.

The Conks got contributions from players up and down the roster on the way to a 49-41 victory over Curtis in the South Puget Sound League tournament championship game at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

Senior guard Isaiah Malvar came off the bench to score 11 points, including four key free throws in the fourth quarter.

Malvar went to the line and nailed both shots with 1 minute, 7 seconds to play, giving Kentwood a 47-41 lead.

“You just have to stay calm and make those,” Malvar said. “Those are really critical.”

The SPSL North-champion Conquerors (15-6) have won nine of their last 10 games, and the victory over the South-champion Vikings gives them the league’s No. 1 seed to district. Curtis (16-6) will be the No. 2 seed.

Malvar was the only Conqueror to reach double-digits in scoring. Instead, it was a variety of Kentwood players getting key baskets.

Joe Kramer scored down low and also hit a 10-foot baseline jumper late in the fourth quarter.

Senior guard Austin Benson had perhaps the game’s biggest shot, a 3-pointer from the right corner to give Kentwood a 39-35 lead with 4 minutes, 48 seconds remaining.

“Benson’s 3 – that was just nails, just tremendous,” said Kentwood coach Brian Davis.

All told, six players scored for Kentwood after Curtis tied the score in the fourth quarter on a 15-footer by Dominique Robinson.

“Everybody on our team contributes,” Malvar said. “The second team, we push the starting people to do better, and that makes us better.”

Ten different players saw action for the Conquerors.

“When they play like this we have a lot of fun, and we can do a lot of things together,” Davis said. “There are just so many guys stepping up and making big plays.”

Now Kentwood will host a first-round district game as a No. 1 seed – but Davis is taking nothing for granted.

“District is another animal,” said Davis. “I’ve seen number-one seeds lose at their own places.”

Robinson scored 17 points off the bench to lead Curtis. Junior forward Jaurence Chisholm scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Kent-Meridian 46, Federal Way 39: The Royals played stingy defense, picking up their sixth win in a row to earn the SPSL No. 3 seed to the bi-district.

Kent-Meridian (15-7) limited Federal Way to 30 percent field-goal shooting while forcing 13 turnovers.

Senior guard Gary Bailey led the Royals with 16 points.

Federal Way (13-7), which got 11 points each from D’londo Tucker and Brayon Blake, will be the league’s fourth seed.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Federal Way 58, No. 1 Mount Rainier 50: The previously undefeated Rams were no match for Eagles star Darah Huertas-Vining, who scorched the nets for 25 points in an upset victory.

Huertas-Vining sank six 3-pointers in the third quarter as Federal Way turned a seven-point halftime deficit into a 12-point lead. And she swished a 25-foot trey at the buzzer to cap the Eagles’ 30-point third quarter.

Federal Way (18-3) will be the SPSL No. 1 bi-district seed, and Mount Rainier (20-1) will go as No. 2. The Rams were led by sophomore forward Brittany McPhee’s 25 points and nine rebounds.

Kentwood 57, Emerald Ridge 44: The Conquerors withstood a 32-point barrage from Jaguars senior Taylor Buie, and secured the SPSL’s No. 3 seed to district.

Maddison Rankin scored 18 points to lead Kentwood (18-4) to its sixth straight win.

Emerald Ridge (16-4) has lost three of its last four games but will claim the league’s No. 4 seed to the bi-district.

Buie was 12-for-30 shooting, including 3 of 9 from behind the 3-point arc.

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