Kentlake Soars Past TJ in SPSL Battle

Kentlake Soars Past TJ in SPSL Battle
By Steven Dion

Kentlake Junior Dang Tran

Each of the three divisions in the South Puget Sound League feature a premier 4A team that have created separation between themselves and their opponents. Thomas Jefferson and Kentlake are currently chasing Federal Way and Kentwood respectively, so each contest is critical to keep pace with frontrunners. The Raiders from the Northwest would host the Falcons from the Northeast in this interdivision clash on Tuesday night.

The contest jumped out to a good start for the home squad when an early Raider bucket was followed up with a steal by Xavier Scott-Hollis and an emphatic dunk. However, this early burst was followed up with a scoring drought by TJ where they only scored once more the remainder of the quarter. Kentlake’s Dang Tran kicked off his big night by matching Jefferson’s first quarter scoring total with 6 points. The senior guard would notch a game-high 23 points and was the only player on either team to score in every quarter. Kentlake thrived on back-door cuts and three-quarter press on defense to build a double digit lead by halftime. The Raiders put together a rally midway through the second frame capped by a Preston Peters three-ball, but allowed the Falcons to finish the first half strong. At the break, the scoreboard read 26-15 in favor of the guests.

Thomas Jefferson returned with a renewed sense of urgency to climb back in the game. They did so by starting at the defensive end of the floor limiting KHS to six third-quarter points and forcing several turnovers. Tyson Sonnenfeld provided a boost from the bench by going 4/4 from the free throw line and grabbing some tough rebounds. Trailing by 7 heading into the fourth, did Jefferson have a comeback in store?

To start the final frame, it appeared they were on a crash course to victory as the lead was trimmed to a single point with 3:24 remaining after a Brian Kuria three-pointer. After Coach Drake called a timeout, his Falcons responded with a 6-0 run at the hands of Julion Mackey and Max Valerio. Similarly, Kyle Templeton was able to rally his Raiders to a 5-0 run in response with 28.7 seconds remaining. The Raiders had a chance to tie or take the lead, but they could not get the clinching shot to fall and some Larry Alar free throws helped Kentlake steal a road victory.

The Final Score: Kentlake 46 Thomas Jefferson 41

Top Performers:
Kentlake
Dang Tran-23 points

Thomas Jefferson
Will Osborn, Darius Anderson, Xavier Scott-Hollis-7 points