High school basketball roundup: Rogers’ Weatherspoon drops 39 in triple-OT thriller
Results, recaps and more from high school basketball contests played Jan. 22-27 around the South Sound will be posted on this page throughout the week.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 27)
GIRLS BASKETBALL
4A
Sumner 60, Bellarmine Prep 45
A runaway third quarter lifted Sumner (9-0, 19-1) over rival-Bellarmine Prep and completed an undefeated run through the 4A SPSL in convincing fashion Saturday night.
Spartans guard Kessa Nohr jump-started the scoring frenzy with three treys (nine total points) in the third quarter, and Sumner clinched a regular-season title on senior night at Sumner High School.
Senior co-captain Lainee Houillon dropped a Sumner-best 24 points and tallied four steals. Co-captain Olivia Collins, a sophomore guard, added seven points and 14 rebounds.
BOX SCORE
BP: 13-13-8-11–45
S: 9-18-24-9–60
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 26)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
Rogers 83, Emerald Ridge 75 (3OT)
Rams guard Treyshawn Weatherspoon dropped 39 points and Rogers rallied to defeat Emerald Ridge in a triple-overtime thriller Friday night.
Facing a six-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, Weatherspoon scored 26 points thereafter and was automatic from the free-throw line in crunch time (14-for-14). He sank 18-of-19 total free throws and was a one-man wrecking crew in a back-and-forth rivalry game at Rogers High School.
Weatherspoon’s final line: 39 points on 60 percent field-goal shooting, six assists, five rebounds, and a single turnover.
Emerald Ridge first erased an early, double-digit deficit with 20-plus points in the second and third quarters. Jaguars forward Jamaize McGriff led the charge with a team-high 19 points, including 10 points in the third.
The difference in Friday’s contest: Rogers went 29-for-34 from the free-throw line, and Emerald Ridge was 14-for-33.
Rogers guards Kyree Grays (sr.) and Dylan Gilderhus (jr.) dropped 10 points apiece and were a combined 8-for-8 from the foul line. Grays paced the Rams with eight rebounds and three steals.
Jaguars senior Tony Harste delivered 15 points (seven points in three overtime periods); sophomores Jordan Bennett and Mychal Turner added 13 points apiece.
BOX SCORE
ER: 7-22-20-12-8-6-0–75
R: 17-11-15-18-8-6-8–83
GIRLS BASKETBALL
2B
Adna 68, Rainier 57
Revenge claimed: Adna’s 11-0 run in the third quarter powered a double-digit win over Rainier and lifted the Pirates (11-1, 18-1) into first place of the 2B Central.
On Dec. 8, 2023, Rainier handed the Pirates their lone loss of the season, 52-49. Adna’s response since? 15 wins in a row.
In the penultimate week of the regular season, the Pirates now control a path to the 2B Central title and could guarantee the trophy with wins over Montesano (Jan. 29) and at Onalaska (Jan. 31).
Junior guard Gaby Guard drained a pair of three-pointers and Adna sank four total treys in the first quarter that fueled an early 18-6 run, per Dylan Wilhelm of The Chronicle.
Adna’s ensuing third-quarter scoring barrage pushed the lead to 16 at Rainier High School.
BOX SCORE
A: 18-11-20-19–68
R: 6-18-9-24–57
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 25)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
Federal Way 70, Tahoma 56
Federal Way’s defense jumped on Tahoma from the tip, holding the Bears to their lowest scoring output of the season in a 70-56 win at Federal Way on Thursday night. At least for now, it denied Tahoma a share of the 4A NPSL title, which the Bears were in position to claim with a win.
“I just thought they competed,” Federal Way coach Yattah Reed said of his team’s effort. “I thought they responded to the challenges at practices and watching film. They defended, they rebounded. Tahoma’s a tough team. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
Tahoma was sloppy with the ball, committing around 20 turnovers in the loss. Bears’ coach Rick Tripp felt the team was flat from the start.
“I just felt we were timid from the get-go,” he said. “We knew coming in what the scenario was and we didn’t do what we needed to do. I think the kids honestly were looking at the last three rather than finishing it here.”
Offensively, senior guard Mason Thomas, a Franklin Pierce transfer, led the Eagles with 20 points. Senior Kofi Peyton added 13 for Federal Way. Senior Jayden Stephens scored a game-high 22 points in the loss.
The win snapped a two-game home losing streak, with losses coming this week to Tahoma and on Jan. 15 to North Kitsap. Federal Way had a lot to replace from last year’s Class 4A state tournament semifinal group, notably trio Vaughn Weems, Dace Pleasant and Isaiah Afework, who had been Federal Way’s nucleus since they were sophomores.
The puzzle pieces look to be fitting together just in time for the postseason.
“Just beating a good team, a well respected team,” Thomas said. “We knew Tahoma was good, we knew they had guys that can play, so I think just winning this game gives us a lot of momentum because we know we can beat playoff teams. We know we can beat teams that can make it far.”
If Federal Way keeps playing defense like it did Thursday, the Eagles could sneak up on some teams in the playoffs.
“It’s going to take us far,” Thomas said. “ I think defense wins championships, I am a believer in that. And I think that tonight we won by being physical.”
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 24)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
Curtis 78, Rogers 71
Vikings guard Devin Whitten dropped a game-high 20 points, and Curtis roared back in the fourth quarter (27 points) to upend Rogers on Wednesday night.
Whitten drained four three-pointers (three in the second quarter), and junior forward Xavier Ahrens delivered nine points in the fourth quarter to push Curtis (8-0, 14-5) to a fifth consecutive win.
Ahrens finished with 18 points, and five Vikings tallied double-digits. Freshman point guard Keaundre Morris scored 14 points and went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line in a pivotal fourth quarter. Freshman guard Noah Kaylor posted 12 points and sophomore forward Will Torrone added 10.
Curtis, the two-time defending state champion, has rolled through the 4A SPSL nearly unscathed despite graduating key seniors and the transfer of 2023 TNT All-Area Player of the Year Zoom Diallo. The Vikings have locked up the regular-season title -- and could complete an undefeated league slate Thursday at South Kitsap.
Rogers guards Dylan Gilderhus and Treyshawn Witherspoon, both juniors, co-led the Rams with 16 points. The duo posted identical stat lines – five two-pointers, one trey, and 3-of-4 free throws.
Rogers’ Amanna Anusiem, Ryan Avary, and Kyree Grays scored 10 points apiece.
BOX SCORE
R: 18-15-22-16–71
C: 14-24-13-27–78
Sumner 53, Puyallup 48
Sumner (6-2, 15-4) seized an early lead and outlasted Puyallup to bolster playoff positioning Wednesday night.
Spartans guard and senior captain Karl Liedtke sparked Sumner with seven points in the first quarter, and Kane Wood paced the program with 19 points in a narrow win at Sumner High School.
Sumner forward Cooper Hartley delivered 10 points and senior forward Cooper Miller added seven.
Puyallup’s Isaiah Sonntag, a senior guard, dropped a game-high 24 points. Junior guard Drew Jones poured in 18.
BOX SCORE
P: 11-13-13-11–48
S: 16-11-15-11–53
GIRLS BASKETBALL
4A
Emerald Ridge 58, Olympia 51
Jaguars guard Naomi Senato dropped a game-high 25 points – an early-and-often scoring machine that pushed Emerald Ridge over Olympia on Wednesday night.
Senato jump started Emerald Ridge’s offense with 11 points in the opening period, and the Jaguars (9-0, 12-4) denied a pair of Olympia rallies to notch five straight wins and continue an unbeaten stretch through the 4A SPSL South.
Olympia narrowed its halftime deficit to three points before Emerald Ridge forward Divina Williams erupted for 11 points in the third quarter and finished with 14.
Jaguars guard Semaj Williams added eight points.
Olympia guards Sawyer Schaff and Lauren Wolin directed a late push that fell short in the closing minutes at Olympia High School. Wolin paced the Bears with 14 points and Schaff poured in 13; junior center Emma Hankins added 11.
Emerald Ridge would complete an undefeated league slate with a home victory Thursday over Rogers. The Jaguars handled the Rams decisively in their first meeting on Jan. 6, 76-36.
BOX SCORE
ER: 14-12-19-13–58
O: 8-15-10-18–51
3A
Timberline 62, Gig Harbor 55
Blazers guard Shayla Cordis erupted for 30 points, and Timberline clawed back from an early deficit for a 62-55 win over rival-Gig Harbor on Wednesday night.
The Tides rolled to an early six-point lead, but Cordis’ 30-point, six-steal performance erased the deficit and Timberline regained the defining lead in the third quarter at Gig Harbor High School.
“(Shayla’s) hustle plays… She’s just aggressive,” Timberline head coach Liz Canright said of her sophomore point guard. “She’s just a competitor to the end. That fire, that grit, that determination to come out on top is really what carries her through.”
Timberline guard Brandi Stanford tallied 17 points, nine rebounds, and five steals.
Freshman wing Sierra Cordis added five points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
North Thurston 53, Peninsula 42
Its win streak now at 14 games, North Thurston’s momentous season continues.
Junior guard Soraya Ogaldez sank four three-pointers in the second half, and the undefeated Rams (11-0, 14-0) handled Peninsula to remain atop the 3A SSC with three contests to play.
Second-place Timberline (10-1, 16-1), North Thurston’s final opponent Feb. 1, lurks one game back.
Ogaldez dropped a game-high 17 points, using four clutch treys and 5-of-6 free throws. Rams guard Grace Lee scored 13 points with three triples and senior forward Alexis Meyer added 12 points.
Peninsula guard Kaylia Heidelberg’s 17 points and four triples co-led the game with North Thurston’s Ogaldez.
Peninsula’s Grace Richardson poured in 14 points.
BOX SCORE
P: 10-9-17-6–42
NT: 11-14-15-13–53
TUESDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 23)
BOYS BASKETBALL
1A
Annie Wright 75, Cascade Christian 58
Annie Wright’s Martin Kaupanger dropped 21 points with five treys – both game highs – and the first-place Gators (10-0, 13-2) cruised over challenging Cascade Christian (10-2, 13-4) behind the junior guard’s sharpshooting clinic.
A plethora of scoring options makes this Annie Wright team so dangerous; Kaupanger was one of four Gators who posted double-digit scoring efforts, and Tuesday night’s win provides the program a commanding, two-game lead in the 1A Nisqually standings over Cascade Christian with four contests to play in the regular season.
Kaupanger spread his game-high 21 points across the first three quarters at Annie Wright High School. The rest, mainly, came in spurts. Junior guard Jeremiah Harshman tallied six points, all in the first quarter, and Gabe Walsh added nine points, all in the fourth.
Gators guard Reggie Lester scored 15 points, including five free-throws in the fourth quarter that slammed the door on a Cougars rally.
Annie Wright’s TJ Marshall added 13 points.
Cougars senior Andrew Lowe paced Cascade Christian with 15 points and three treys in the loss. Junior guard Josiah Gopaul scored a dozen points, and junior center Grant Johnson added 10.
Cascade Christian guard Mason Emmitt drilled two three-pointers in the third quarter to finish with six points.
BOX SCORE
CC: 10-14-25-9–58
AW: 23-20-16-16–75
MONDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 22)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
Kentwood 67, Federal Way 63
Kentwood’s Corey Tita dropped 22 points and lifted the Conquerors to a narrow victory over Federal Way on Monday night.
Tita ignited the Kentwood (6-3, 14-5) offense early, fueling an early run with 17 first-half points at Federal Way High School. One of four Conquerors in double digits, Tita’s team-high 22 ensured a crucial victory -- the program’s seventh win in eight games -- with NPSL playoff allocations still up for grabs.
Kentwood junior Mason St. Louis delivered 19 points and senior forward Blake Stempniak added 10.
Conquerors guard Brandon Tagle caught fire from beyond the arc in the third quarter and mitigated an Eagles rally with four three-pointers in the period, finishing with 15 points.
Federal Way’s Mason Thomas dropped a game-high 23 points and senior wing Kofi Peyton added 22.
Curtis 58, Puyallup 46
Curtis raced to a double-digit lead by halftime and maintained the pace for a rivalry win in Monday night’s meeting between Vikings.
Winners of four straight, Curtis (7-0, 13-5) remains undefeated in 4A SPSL competition and will soon return to the postseason to defend back-to-back state championships.
BOX SCORE
P: 10-11-14-11–46
C: 18-16-15-9-58
3A
Auburn 109, Kentlake 32
Trojans guard Jaylen Petty exploded for 37 points and reached an illustrious milestone – a mesmerizing scoring spree that bulldozed Auburn past Kentlake and closer to the 3A NPSL title on Monday night.
Petty, a junior already with offers from Pepperdine and Montana, eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark throughout a standout high-school career with another MVP-like performance at Auburn High School.
A dozen Trojans scored and Auburn secured its seventh consecutive victory to remain undefeated against NPSL opponents.
Auburn (9-0, 18-1) can clinch the 3A NPSL title with a home win Thursday vs. Auburn Riverside. The Trojans have yet to lose to any in-state opponent, falling only to 5A Ironwood High School (Glendale, AZ).
Trojans guard Carter Hansen dropped 22 points, and Michael Reed reached double-digits with 10. Auburn’s TJ Chagolla delivered nine points and sophomore Chase Mentink added eight.
MORE SCORES
4A SPSL
Olympia 69, Sumner 64 (3OT)
GIRLS BASKETBALL
4A
Kentridge 59, Decatur 48
Chargers forward Sophie Solomon delivered a game-high and season-high 16 points (seven field goals) in Kentridge’s double-digit win over Decatur on Monday night.
Solomon scored in every quarter of a victory that lifted Kentridge (7-2, 10-8) into sole possession of second place in the 4A NPSL.
Kentridge point guard Sydney Esperanza delivered 10 points, including six points as part of a first-quarter-long 16-7 run. Freshman guard Kalia Washington added 12 points (seven in the second quarter).
Jaya Brown scored seven points and drained a clutch three-pointer in the closing minutes that served as the dagger. Brown and Kentridge’s Andrea Pop added seven each.
Decatur forward Jeralynn Sevaaetasi (7-11 FT) and senior guard Kaira Creary co-led the Gators with 13 points. Decatur guard Jordan Anderson drilled three triples and finished with nine points.
BOX SCORE
KR: 16-15-19-9–59
D: 7-14-19-8–48
This story was originally published January 22, 2024 at 10:32 PM.
