The Kentwood High girls basketball team has been searching for an additional scorer all season long.
Tuesday night at third-ranked Auburn Riverside, the Conquerors found what they were looking for. Courtney Johnson scored a team-high 20 points and Kylie Huerta added 19, yet it was the season-high 14 from Megan Wynne that ultimately paved the way to Kentwood’s 55-50 win over the Ravens in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
Wynne, who entered the starting rotation three games ago, drilled three 3-pointers and proved to be the outside threat the Conquerors lost when Sanda Milovic graduated last spring.
“Megan was the ‘X’ factor,” said Kentwood coach Dean Montzingo. “She kind of stepped up as another scorer.”
Wynne was well aware of how big the game against the defending Class 4A state champions was.
“It was definitely a big game, so I chose to be a big part of it,” said Wynne, a 5-foot-6 senior guard.
With the win, the Conquerors (8-0 in league, 8-3 overall) completed the first half of SPSL North play in first place. Auburn Riverside (7-1, 9-2) entered the game on multiple streaks. The loss snaps Auburn Riverside’s 28-game SPSL North winning streak and an unbeaten run of 39 straight games against in-state opponents. Kentwood was the last SPSL North team to knock off AR in league play, doing so on Jan. 20, 2009 (61-45).
In a tight game throughout, Kentwood took a 13-10 advantage after the first eight minutes. As anticipated, however, Auburn Riverside stormed back, tying things 23-23 at halftime.
Kentwood, which has now won three in a row, was able to manage just enough breathing room in the third quarter, outscoring the Ravens 17-13 in the frame, to take a 40-36 lead into the final period.
“It was slow and methodical,” Montzingo said. “We’d go up by five, then cough it up. Overall, the girls played a really solid game.”
Auburn Riverside entered the game averaging 63 points per contest.
And while Auburn Riverside’s Big Three – Brook Hinkens (13), Kat Cooper (17) and Makenna Clark (13) – managed its usual share of points, the Ravens received little offense elsewhere.
Without Wynne, however, the end result may have been different for Kentwood.
“(Defenses) are going to go after our top three scorers (Huerta, Johnson and Liz Mills) and Megan is the one who can stretch them out,” Montzingo said. “When everyone was collapsing on Liz and Courtney, she hit three pointers.”
Johnson also proved vital to Kentwood’s success. The senior forward entered the night averaging 8.4 points per game. The 20 points was a season-high for Johnson.
“I haven’t been shooting a lot lately. I’ve been looking to pass more,” she said. “We finally got our triangle offense working, we worked as a team, and I was looking for my shot.”
Mills was kept in check offensively, scoring two points, but did grab six rebounds, dish out five assists and block two shots. The senior entered the night averaging 14.8 points per game.
Kentwood will play host to Auburn Riverside at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 in the season finale. Barring an upset, the game likely will decide the SPSL North champion. Auburn Riverside won the North and the state title a year ago. Kentwood won the North and the state title two years ago.
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