Kentwood Girls Conquer the Viks in Third Place SPSL Showdown

Kentwood Girls Conquer the Viks in Third Place SPSL Showdown
By Steven Dion

The first of four matchups at the ShoWare Center on Tuesday night was the battle for third place in the SPSL between Kentwood and Puyallup. The Conks are led by University of Hawaii commit Sarah Toeaina, a 12-letter varsity earner. Puyallup features a dynamic guard/post duo of Braylie Jeffers and Addie Picha. This north versus south battle would provide an admirable third place finish in a competitive South Puget Sound League.

Kentwood took an early grip of this contest by grabbing a double digit lead in the first half. The physicality of this game was prominent as there were Vikings and Conquerors strewn along the hardwood fighting for loose balls. The Lady Viks were able to pull themselves out of a big deficit before the conclusion of the first half, primarily through a pair of triples by Jeffers and Sarah Steimle. The Conks took a 30-24 lead into the locker room.

As if the intensity in the first half was not enough for those in the grandstands, the second half jumped up another notch in the final sixteen minutes. Coach Ainslie put Christina Holland on the floor in the third quarter for PHS and picked up a noticeable return in energy and momentum for the Viks. The Conks countered with strong play by Alycea DeLong, a primarily contributor of offensive rebounds and second chances at the offensive end of the floor. Puyallup clawed back in the contest and were within one to two possessions during the fourth quarter, but the intentional foul game started. Toeaina demonstrated the senior leadership by knocking downs shots from the charity stripe and effectively sealed the deal for the Conquerors. Final score: Kentwood 57 Puyallup 46.

Top Performers:
Kentwood
Sarah Toeaina – 16 points (10/14 FT’s)

Puyallup
Addie Picha – 14 points