Kamiak rallies in second half, ends Kentwood’s title defense

The Kentwood High School boys basketball team will not be defending their state championship after falling, 41-38, to Kamiak on Saturday.

For the Conquerors, things were going great in the first half as they forced turnovers and got into an early rhythm. In fact, they were up 24-10 at the half over the Knights.

“We were able to control the tempo and the game was played at our pace,” Kentwood coach Blake Solomon said. “It’s a lot to put on teenagers to win or their season is over. Early, we managed our emotions really well.”

The Conquerors held the Knights’ Carson Tuttle to just four points in the first two quarters. On their end, four players were leading Kentwood with six points each, including D’Angelo Minnis.

“We wanted to shut Carson down and focus on their other guys,” Minnis said. “Honestly, we were just trying to get the best shots possible. Whether that means I shoot the ball or my teammates, we just wanted the best ones possible.”

Minnis would finish the game as the Conquerors leading scorer with 12 points, including dropping three 3-.

However as the third quarter pressed on, the momentum shifted quickly. Kamiak went on a 17-4 run and Tuttle scored 10 of his game-high 23 points.

“It was kind of a tale of two halves. We didn’t score well in the first half but we defended,” Solomon said. “Second half, we didn’t defend as well as we wanted to and we didn’t rebound as well as we wanted to. That allowed them to set up their press.”

The quick turn of fortune left the Conquerors tightening up on the floor as shots were not falling. But despite the Knights dictating the tempo of the game, the Conquerors never reverted to desperation shots.

“The first half, we were playing defense very effectively. But in the second half, there was a lack of execution,” Kentwood’s Ryan Wilds said. “We have a few plays to get to the basket, but I usually look for gaps to get to the basket. You can’t control whether shots go in, but you can control your defense.”

Wilds finished his night with eight points.

The game was close until the end, when Daniel Sharpe scored with 42 seconds left to give the Knights their first lead. Tuttle would then be fouled and made both free throws.

Minnis would respond by making a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the game, but the Conquerors had to foul and the Knights put it away from there.

“Our kids just battled, they’re athletic, they’re real quick and they defend really well,” Solomon said. “We’ve been doing that all year and we hang our hat on that. Tonight, that didn’t let us down.”

The loss pushes the Conquerors out of the playoffs. The Knights advance to play the winner of Federal Way-Union at 3:45 p.m., Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.

This story was originally published February 24, 2018 at 9:17 PM with the headline "Kamiak rallies in second half, ends Kentwood’s title defense."