The Kentridge High boys basketball team needed a lift Friday night against Kentwood.
Craig Rasmussen was more than happy to deliver.
The Kentridge guard scored a season-high 20 points, including six 3-pointers, leading the Chargers past the Conquerors 65-57 in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
“He has always been a streaky shooter,” Kentridge coach Dave Jamison said. “When he’s on, he’s on.”
Indeed. Rasmussen showed that same scoring ability Dec. 8 against Auburn, draining six 3-pointers in a win over the Trojans. Since that big outburst, however, Rasmussen had only scored 16 points in his previous three games.
Friday night against Kentwood (2-3, 2-3) proved to be a different story, especially in the final minutes, when Rasmussen was particularly hot. The senior dropped four 3-pointers in the final eight minutes alone.
“When he’s on, he’s on,” Jamison said. “He’s had three games when he’s shot pretty well and three others when he hasn’t.”
Kentridge’s Gary Bell, who was coming off scoring an SPSL-record 55 points three days earlier against Auburn Riverside, finished with a game-high 23 points. Bell currently leads the SPSL in scoring with a 26.5 point-per-game average.
Kentwood was playing its third game without 6-foot-10, UCLA-bound center Josh Smith, who injured his right knee on Dec. 8 in a loss to Federal Way. It was reported earlier this week that Smith will not play in the T-Mobile Invitational, slated for Dec. 29-30 in Birmingham, Ala. Smith is expected to miss at least another week with what is being listed as a partial tear in his right patellar tendon.
The loss was Kentwood’s second in a row.
The Conquerors, however, took a 13-11 first-quarter lead and led at the half, 29-28. In fact, the Conquerors led 43-42 in the fourth quarter. Rasmussen proceeded to hit four of his six 3-points, leading the Chargers on a 20-6 run en route to the win. Rasmussen connected on 7 of 9 shots from the field.
“(Rasmussen’s play) is a surprise for some people, but I expected it,” Jamison noted.
As a team, Kentridge hit 10 of 16 from 3-point land.
The win helped Kentridge end a two-game slide.
“It was really important for us to win, especially going into the break,” Jamison said. “Going 0-3 in league our last three league games would not have been good.”
Kentwood’s Tre Tyler scored a season-high 18 points in the loss while Jason Boyce added 15.
ELSEWHERE (BOYS):
• Kentlake 81, Kent-Meridian 72: Daniel Landram led a balanced Falcon scoring attack, delivering a season-high 22 points in lifting Kentlake (3-2, 3-3) past Kent-Meridian (1-4, 2-5).
Tyler Wright (13 points), Eric Smith (12), Jaron Heck (10), and Mike Salazar (10) also reached double-figures scoring for Kentlake, which won for the third time in four games.
Kent-Meridian’s Barenton Ahmed, who ranks eighth in the SPSL North in scoring, served up a team-high 22 points in the loss while Jordan Thompson-Walker (12 points) and D’juan Miller (10) also reached double-figures scoring.
Kentlake got off to a blistering start, rolling to a 24-10 first-quarter. Kent-Meridian, however, responded with a 27-16 second quarter, cutting the halftime deficit to 40-37. The Royals went into the fourth quarter with a 62-59 advantage, but were unable to hold on.
Kentlake continues league play on Jan. 5, when it plays host to top-ranked Federal Way (7-0). Kent-Meridian will be at Tahoma (2-4) on Jan. 5.
