High school basketball roundup: Omarion Boston, Lincoln on fire heading into playoffs
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (FEB. 2)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
Kentwood 59, Kentridge 33
Conquerors point guard Brandon Tagle delivered a game-high 19 points in Friday’s regular-season finale, and Kentwood cruised at home behind a trio of double-digit scoring performances.
Tagle dropped 19 points, Mason St. Louis scored 15, and senior forward Blake Stempniak added 10 in Kentwood’s 59-33 win – the program’s fifth straight.
Conquerors shooting guard Corey Tita added nine points.
Kentwood (9-3, 17-5) clinched third-place honors in the 4A NPSL, and with a first-round win in the district tournament Feb. 10, would punch a ticket to the state’s regional round.
Tahoma 84, Mount Rainier 59
The Bears are 4A NPSL champions for the first time since 2013.
Dalton Brown’s 25-point, eight-rebound game guided Tahoma to a home win over Mount Rainier in an NPSL season-finale, and senior forward Adam Davis added a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double that helped clinch the outright league title.
Tahoma (11-1, 16-5) completed the regular season on a three-game win streak and grabbed the league’s top seed as the district tournament nears.
The Bears won every quarter by five-plus points Friday night. Senior guard Carter Stonerock delivered 16 points and six assists, and senior forward Jayden Stephens added 12 points and nine rebounds.
Mount Rainier guard Zach Luz dropped a team-high 24 points in the loss.
BOX SCORE
MR: 14-11-15-19–59
T: 21-17-21-15–84
3A
Auburn 74, Auburn Mountainview 52
Undefeated against in-state programs and now with five straight league titles in tow, Auburn (12-0, 21-1) enters the postseason on the ultimate hot streak.
Thanks to star guard Jaylen Petty’s game-high 20 points and four total Trojans in double-digits, Auburn won its 10th consecutive contest and handled rival-Auburn Mountainview in an NPSL regular-season finale, 74-52. It completed an undefeated run through the league and captured Auburn additional hardware Friday night at Auburn Mountainview High School.
Trojans guard Carter Hansen scored 17 points, two-sport standout Luvens Valcin dropped 16, and Michael Reed added 10 in the win.
Auburn dominated crosstown rivals Auburn Mountainview and Auburn Riverside in four combined regular-season games. The Trojans won all four by a combined score of 349-188.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
3A
Bonney Lake 58, Silas 19
A 40-point margin of victory isn’t unfamiliar territory for Bonney Lake – and the Panthers nearly notched that mark again, settling for a 39-point rout of Silas on senior night.
Bonney Lake (12-0, 18-2) captured a league title Friday night on the heels of an undefeated run through the 3A PCL. The Panthers toppled every 3A program in their path and went 6-2 against 4A programs in non-league affairs.
“Super proud of our players,” Bonney Lake head coach Kim Peters said.
Nine Panthers sank at least one field goal Friday night, and senior center Ava Rice delivered a game-high 12 points in a 58-19 victory.
Bonney Lake erupted for 21 points in the third quarter, when Rice scored six points and senior guard Evin Elias hit a pair of treys.
Panthers forward Azy Jackson, a 6-foot-3 freshman, widened Bonney Lake’s second-quarter lead with a three-pointer and finished with 10 points. Elias finished with nine.
Silas sophomore Emerie Kennedy led the Rams with eight points.
BOX SCORE
S: 5-8-2-4–19
BL: 13-12-21-12–58
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (FEB. 1)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
Rogers 58, Bellarmine Prep 55
Rams guard Treyshawn Weatherspoon delivered 5-of-5 clutch free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter, powering a comeback win over rival-Bellarmine Prep on Thursday night.
Rogers trailed by double-digits at halftime and by six points after three quarters. But Weatherspoon guided the late rally with seven points in the fourth quarter and a game-high 18.
The win pits Rogers against Curtis in the 4A SPSL tournament’s fifth-place game. Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m Saturday at Tacoma Community College.
Rogers guard Dylan Gilderhus dropped 12 points, all part of the second-half surge. Senior guard Amanna Anusiem and junior Ryan Avary added eight points apiece.
Lions forward Dylan Wiggins dropped 17 points on eight field goals, a game-high. Bellarmine Prep’s J.J. Bordeaux drained four treys (12 points) and Gabe Gomez added 11 points.
BOX SCORE
BP: 16-12-18-9–55
R: 10-7-23-18–58
3A
Timberline 57, North Thurston 56
Blazers guard Kadyn Ward posted a 17-point, seven-assist performance in Thursday night’s regular-season finale, and Timberline survived a one-point rivalry win at North Thurston High School.
Timberline avenged a Jan. 10 loss to the Rams, 70-57, and evened the season series at one.
Junior forward Kenyon Simmons delivered 15 points and four rebounds in the win. Senior wing Darrell Gipson added 12 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
3A
Peninsula 36, Gig Harbor 33
Seahawks guard Grace Richardson poured in a game-high 19 points – including a pair of field goals in the closing minutes – that secured a crosstown Fish Bowl win over the Tides at Gig Harbor High School.
Richardson (9-22 FG) guided a steady Seahawks scoring attack, and Peninsula surrendered just two points in the third quarter to grab a commanding hold of Thursday’s rivalry road game and regular-season finale.
More so, it was revenge. On Jan. 10, Gig Harbor entered Peninsula’s gym and stole a one-point overtime win for the first round of bragging rights.
But Richardson’s efforts evened the rivalry Thursday.
Now in a virtual tie for third place in the 3A SSC, Peninsula (9-5, 11-7) and Gig Harbor (9-5, 12-7) require a Saturday tiebreaker game to determine seeding for the upcoming District 3/4 3A tournament, which begins Feb. 9.
The rematch is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Gig Harbor High School. The Tides earned home-court advantage via coin toss.
Peninsula guard Kaylia Heidelberg (senior) scored eight points and junior guard Maci Miller added seven. Both drained a pair of treys.
Tides guard Kaliyah Miller led Gig Harbor with nine points. Senior guard Alex Ferrier delivered eight points and sophomore forward Beverly Dover scored seven.
BOX SCORE
PHS: 6-14-7-9–36
GHHS: 13-10-2-8–33
North Thurston 68, Timberline 51
The Rams rumbled to 27 points in the first quarter, star guard Soraya Ogaldez dropped a game-high 28, and the newest 3A SSC champions are atop the league untouched.
North Thurston’s (14-0, 17-0) runaway win secured an undefeated regular season and league title Thursday at North Thurston High School. The Rams, a year removed from a runner-up finish one game back, hoist their trophy.
Ogaldez delivered 14 points in the opening period, and North Thurston led by 23 at halftime.
The Rams are the lone remaining unbeaten 3A girls basketball program in the state, per Scorebook Live.
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 31)
BOYS BASKETBALL
3A
LINCOLN 62, LAKES 51
Lakes pulled to within two points in the fourth quarter in Wednesday night’s 3A PCL matchup in Tacoma, but Lincoln pulled away to secure its seventh straight win.
“We’ve gotta keep executing,” Lincoln forward Omarion Boston said of the team’s messaging in the fourth quarter. “We run our plays, we play defense, rebound, box out and just do what we do.”
Lincoln (16-3) has played in a number of close games this season and more often than not, has found itself on the winning side at the final buzzer.
“We just try to really preach to our kids about eliminating the noise and just staying next play,” said Abes’ coach Ryan Rogers. “We know that teams are going to go on runs so we’re just trying to shorten those runs and keep moving on, not getting too high or too low, going out there ready to defend and execute on offense.”
Boston led Lincoln with a game-high 18 points, while senior guard LaVhanta Sandling-Green added 15. Exavier McChristian and Bryce McCray scored 15 apiece for Lakes; Jalen Boone added 13.
Lakes was the last team to hand Lincoln a loss on Jan. 9 in Lakewood. Since then, Lincoln has been on a tear.
“We’re moving the ball around, doing our plays, and just executing,” Boston said.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
3A
LINCOLN 72, LAKES 35
Floor general Ciona Wells dropped 22 points and dished five assists — and the Abes point guard directed Lincoln to a runaway road win at Lakes High School.
Wells added two steals, and Lincoln (9-2, 10-6) cemented a second-place finish in the 3A PCL in the regular season’s penultimate game.
Lincoln senior Jaleigha Robinson (eight) and junior Savannah So (seven) combined for 15 steals. Both dropped 10 points.
Lincoln’s DeAndrea Woods-Singleton tallied 11 points and seven rebounds.
TUESDAY’S RESULTS (JAN. 30)
BOYS BASKETBALL
4A
No. 2 Sumner 79, No. 3 Rogers 51
Spartans guard Karl Liedtke dropped a game-high 18 points, and Sumner shooters caught fire in a fourth quarter that turned Tuesday’s rivalry with Rogers lopsided.
Liedtke sank two three-pointers in the closing minutes (four total), and the Spartans scored 28 points in the final period to run away with a first-round win in the 4A SPSL tournament at Sumner High School.
The league tournament determines seeding for the upcoming District ¾ 4A Tournament that begins Feb. 10. Once an SPSL champ is crowned, all eight tournament participants advance.
Sumner forward Kane Wood guided the late surge with 10 points in the fourth, and finished with 16. Junior guard Cooper Hartley added 14 points and four triples.
Rogers guard Dylan Gilderhus scored a team-high 16 points; Rams guard Treyshawn Weatherspoon and junior Ryan Avary added 10 points each.
BOX SCORE
R: 16-10-15-10–51
S: 15-17-19-28–79
No. 3 Puyallup 51, No. 2 Graham-Kapowsin 34
Puyallup’s early-and-often scoring duo of forward Will Nasinec and guard Drew Jones lifted the Vikings to a road win over Graham Kapowsin in the opening round of the 4A SPSL tournament.
The 6-foot-6 Nasinec bullied his way to eight free-throw attempts in the first quarter, and Jones proved a perimeter complement as Puyallup built an 18-point lead by halftime and cruised behind the team’s best defensive performance in weeks, said Puyallup head coach Kevin Olson.
“(That) led to several fast break opportunities,” Olson said. “ … but Isaiah (Sonntag) set the tone for us tonight. Took a charge early, and got us going.”
Nasinec and Jones co-led the game with 13 points each.
“Drew was being Drew tonight,” Olson said.
Sonntag, a senior guard, added nine points on three triples. Sophomore guard Mason Sonntag tallied 10 points.
Graham-Kapowsin guard Ciaosen Fuller-Harry scored 11 points (seven in the first quarter), a team-high. Eagles guard Elijah Gillespie added eight.
Later Tuesday night, No. 4 Emerald Ridge upset No. 1 Curtis in an adjacent first-round contest, 63-60, meaning Puyallup will host the Jaguars in the 4A SPSL semifinals Feb. 1.
BOX SCORE
P: 19-17-4-11–51
GK: 14-4-11-5–34
Tahoma 70, Kentridge 38
Bears guard Carter Stonerock dropped a game-high 15 points (seven assists), and Tahoma burst from the starting gates on a 22-4 run in Tuesday night’s win over Kentridge.
Tahoma has guaranteed (at least) a tie for the 4A NPSL crown, the program’s first since 2013.
The Bears could hoist the trophy outright as the league’s only one-loss team – Todd Beamer has two losses – with a win over Mount Rainier in Friday’s regular-season finale.
Tahoma’s Adam Davis posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double and dished five assists.
Bears forward Jayden Stephens tallied seven points, 11 rebounds, and four steals. Senior forward Dalton Brown added 12 points and eight rebounds.
BOX SCORE
KR: 4-11-9-14–38
T: 22-14-16-18–70
3A
North Thurston 71, Gig Harbor 36
In a heavyweight bout between two of the 3A SSC’s top squads, North Thurston issued a mammoth statement.
Not only did the Rams remain undefeated in league play Tuesday night, but North Thurston nearly doubled league-rival Gig Harbor, 71-36, in a contest with title ramifications between the league’s top contenders.
Senior forward Ray Adams posted a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double (9-18 FG), and North Thurston (13-0, 18-2) outscored the Tides, 41-19, in the second half. The Rams secured a regular-season SSC title in the rout, now winners of five straight and in possession of a two-game cushion over the SSC with one contest to play.
North Thurston’s Ahmari Steplight dropped 12 points (4-8 FG) and sank 4-of-5 free throws. Rams guard Liam Sheeran added 11 points, five assists, and three steals.
Rams guard Micah Gentry tallied five points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Gig Harbor guard Cole Browne paced the Tides with 10 points.
BOX SCORE
GH: 11-6-3-16–36
NT: 16-14-19-22
1A
Annie Wright 82, Life Christian 34
Martin Kaupanger (23 points) and Reggie Lester (21) combined for 44 points and powered Annie Wright’s big win over Life Christian on Tuesday night.
Kaupanger drained three triples and the Gators continued a truly-untouched run through the 1A Nisqually.
Just how dominant are these Gators? Aside from an out-of-state loss in December, Annie Wright (12-0, 15-1) has defeated every league rival to date by double-digits. The closest call was to Cascade Christian on Jan. 23 – still a 17-point, 75-58 win.
Junior forward Rowan McEvilly scored 10 points and guard Gabe Walsh added eight.
BOX SCORE
LCA: 10-5-9-10–34
AWS: 19-27-23-13–82
GIRLS BASKETBALL
4A
Emerald Ridge 64, Puyallup 23
Emerald Ridge suffocated the Vikings from the opening tip, senior guard Naomi Senato dropped a game-high 17 points, and the Jaguars routed Puyallup to mark seven straight wins Tuesday night.
“Our defensive pressure is what we hang our hat on,” Emerald Ridge head coach Arvin Mosley Jr. said. “We take pride in being a great defensive team.”
The formula was simple – Emerald Ridge presses proved unnavigable, and ensuing steals led to smooth layups for Senato in transition. She led Tuesday’s contest in field goals (six) and free-throws (5-for-6).
“Her ability to hunt good shots… she’s really good at probing the defense and hunting for good looks,” Mosley Jr. said. “Our team is all about pressing and trying to find some easy buckets, and Naomi did a great job of that.”
Emerald Ridge forward Jaryah McGriff and freshman guard Saniya Fair scored eight points each; Naleila Cammack added seven.
BOX SCORE
P: 9-3-7-4–23
ER: 17-19-16-12–64
Bellarmine Prep 46, Olympia 32
Lions guard Jada Travis delivered a game-high 18 points that lifted Bellarmine Prep to a first-round win in the 4A SPSL tournament Tuesday night.
Travis dropped 10 points in the third quarter and drained a pair of three-pointers in a victory that pushed Bellarmine Prep (9-3, 14-6) to the league semifinals.
Lions forward Kyla Frazier, a freshman, jump started Bellarmine Prep with five points in the first quarter and finished with seven. Senior center Keira Leingang and freshman guard Jaylee Laxamana added six points each.
Lions guard Jaela Jones drained a three-pointer and added five points in the third quarter.
Olympia point guard Lauren Juergens scored a team-best eight points with two triples.
All league-tournament participants advance to the district round once a 4A SPSL champion is crowned, with seeding based on league results.
Bellarmine Prep visits Emerald Ridge in the 4A SPSL semifinals Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
BOX SCORE
O: 5-9-9-9–32
BP: 11-10-12-13–46
Tahoma 58, Kentridge 54
Gauntlet complete: Six Bears scored in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, part of a rally over Kentridge that finished Tahoma’s undefeated, regular-season run through the NPSL.
With contributions from 10 total scorers, Tahoma’s evenly-spread attack erased a six-point deficit after three quarters and pushed the Bears’ win streak to 12 games as the postseason arrives.
Tahoma’s Adalynn Busch led the Bears with 11 points; senior guards Brooke Deyak and Lily Cavanaugh dropped 10 points apiece.
Kentridge guard Sydney Esperanza, a senior, dropped a game-high 17 points in the loss.
BOX SCORE
KR: 17-12-16-9–54
T: 19-12-8-19–58
2A
Black Hills 42, Tumwater 40
Black Hills sparked a 22-13 run in the third quarter, and the Wolves outlasted Tumwater to notch the program’s eighth win in nine games.
Tumwater’s Kendall Gjurasic missed a game-tying jump shot at the buzzer, and Black Hills claimed a narrow, two-point rivalry win in a contest that was within single digits for the entirety of Tuesday night.
The victory cemented Black Hills a second-place regular-season finish in the 2A Evergreen Conference.
Tumwater’s Kamryn Wilson paced the T-Birds with 13 points in the loss. Junior guard Sydney Sumrok scored eight points and Gjurasic added seven.
Later Tuesday night, the Tumwater boys rolled in the fourth quarter (25 points) to win the second of a boys and girls doubleheader at Black Hills High School, 54-41, earning a program split.
BOX SCORE
T: 11-5-13-11–40
BH: 7-5-22-8–42
This story was originally published January 30, 2024 at 11:26 PM.
