Overcoming a 13-point, first-quarter deficit, Todd Beamer rallied to secure a 54-45 girls basketball victory over Kentwood on Friday night in their Class 4A West Central District quarterfinal at Rogers High School.
Beamer (19-4), which was down 14-1 near the end of the first quarter, gained its first lead at 19-18 with 1 minute, 51 seconds remaining in the second.
Overcoming the loss of starting freshman point guard Bria Rice, who was injured in the previous game, the Titans adjusted quickly under the guidance of coach Corey Alexander, who said there is no timetable for Rice’s return.
“I think we were a little down because we lost our starting point guard,” Alexander said. “So everything was kind of rattled a little bit, but once we settled down, it was OK.”
Kentwood (16-7) never gave up, however, taking the lead late in the fourth quarter as the advantage went back and forth. But Beamer pushed ahead for good in the final four minutes.
Key contributors to the turnaround throughout the contest were low-post players Nia Alexander and Megan Huff.
Beamer freshman Quinessa Caylao-Do led all scorers with 26 points, including several clutch free throws down the stretch.
For Kentwood, Sarah Toeaina finished with a team-high 20 points, carrying the Conquerors on her shoulders nearly every offensive possession.
Her constant defensive pressure and penetration on offense created difficulties for Beamer, which at times appeared to have no answer for the Kentwood star.
Yelm 77, Federal Way 70: In the second game of the quarterfinals double header, the Tornados upset the Eagles.
Federal Way star Raven Benton was hamstrung with foul trouble in the second half and played limited minutes but still finished with 21 points.
Union 54, Puyallup 46: Junior post Marissa Miller scored 25 points and had eight rebounds for the Vikings, but it wasn’t enough to upend the Titans at Stadium High School.
Mount Rainier 54, Bellarmine Prep 37: Brittany McPhee scored 18 points to go along with eight rebounds to lead the Rams past the Lions.
Staff writer Todd Milles contributed to this report.
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