The youth of the Todd Beamer girls basketball team is becoming an old story. Despite starting four freshmen, the Titans have proven that inexperience matters very little at this point in the season.
Beamer earned a berth into the championship game of the Class 4A West Central/Southwest District Tournament with a pair of big-time wins over Kentwood and Yelm over the weekend. The Titans (20-4) downed Kentwood Friday night in the quarterfinals, 54-45, and came back Saturday and beat a talented Yelm team, 63-49.
The victories set up a rematch with the No. 1-ranked Mount Rainier Rams at 6 p.m. inside Kent’s ShoWare Center Monday night with the district title on the line. The two teams played a memorable game at the ShoWare Center back on Feb. 7 for the South Puget Sound League championship. The Rams won 57-56 in a battle between the SPSL North and South winners. It was the last loss for Beamer.
Saturday freshman Nia Alexander scored 23 points and fellow ninth-grader Quinessa Caylao-Do added 16 to help the Titans knock off the Narrows League champion Tornadoes (19-4) at Auburn High School.
Beamer used an impressive second quarter to take a 35-25 lead at halftime. The Titans extended the lead to 50-34 after three quarters and hung on during the fourth to get the win.
Against Kentwood Friday night, the Titans clinched a berth into the 4A Regional Tournament at Rogers.
Caylao-Do tallied a career-high 24 points and Alexander finished with 13 to lead a second-half comeback.
Kentwood (16-6) jumped out to a quick 16-6 lead after the first quarter, but the Titans rallied in the second quarter to lead 23-19 at halftime.
But the Conquerors fought back to take a 39-37 lead halfway through the fourth quarter before Beamer went on a 17-5 run to end the game.
Junior Megan Huff also had a huge game for the Titans. The 6-foot-3 forward finished with 12 points and 22 rebounds.
Federal Way
The Eagles were only able to score seven points during the first half Saturday night against the Kentridge Chargers and were beaten 41-30 in a loser-out, winner-to-regionals district contest at Rogers High.
The loss ends Federal Way’s season with a 17-7 overall record. The Eagles were dropped into the loser’s bracket Friday night with a 77-70 loss to Yelm in the district quarterfinals.
Against Kentridge, Federal Way really couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end. The Chargers (14-10) jumped out to a 9-2 lead after the first quarter and led 18-7 at halftime.
Kayla Smith and Raven Benton combined to score 24 of the Eagles’ 30 points during the game. Both finished with 12 points a piece. Benton came into the game averaging more than 26 points a game.
Against Yelm, the Tornadoes outscored the Eagles, 26-17, during the fourth quarter to steal the 77-70 victory at Rogers. Federal Way led by two entering the final eight minutes.
Benton finished with 21 points, Smith had 14 and Zaedrea Robinson chipped in 12 points for Federal Way.
This will be the first year the Eagles haven’t played at the Class 4A state tournament since 2008.
