Todd Beamer’s boys basketball’s once-promising season came to an end on Friday as the team fell to the Emerald Ridge Jaguars 71-66 in a loser-out game at the West Central District tournament.
“We fought hard to the end, I just wish we’d have come out with some effort,” Beamer head coach Brent Brilhante said. “Patrick [Kennedy] said before the game that all things happen for a reason, and maybe this just wasn’t our time.”
Sharp shooting by Emerald Ridge in the second quarter put the Titans in a hole that they could not recover from.
After an even first quarter that ended with the game tied at 11, the Jaguars got hot in the second. They hit four 3-pointers in the quarter as they outscored Beamer 22-15.
They ended the quarter with an 8-2 run that featured two 3-pointers by Chase McGuire and a buzzer-beating layup by Daniel Gregory.
The Titans did not go down easy, however. Gio Jackson was consistent in both halves, scoring a game-high 23 points. He had 11 in the first half and 12 in the second.
Amari McLemore also helped lead the charge to get the Titans the lead with a stellar 15-point second half.
The third quarter was a bit more even, but the Jaguars were able to hold on to their lead. Raeshon Scales hit a couple of big 3-pointers late in the quarter to keep the Titans’ deficit at eight points.
Beamer’s Deonte Wilkinson left the game in the third quarter after taking an elbow to the face while defending Emerald Ridge’s Matthew Benjamin. He did not return to the game after it was confirmed that his nose was broken.
The Titans cut the lead down to a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. With under a minute to go, Jackson brought Beamer within two with a quick score after a turnover by the Jaguars.
Beamer had to intentionally foul to try to get more possessions, but Emerald Ridge’s Andrew Boston and Jason Cassens both came through at the free throw line.
Boston made his two free throws after being fouled following the Jackson basket that cut their lead to two points.
McLemore missed a 3-point attempt and was forced to foul Cassens, who also converted both of his chances from the line.
Jackson missed a 3-pointer the next time down the court, but it was his teammate Patrick Kennedy who came down with the rebound. He too would miss a 3-pointer, but the ball was knocked out of bounds by an Emerald Ridge defender.
McLemore quickly scored after the inbounds pass to bring the score to 68-63. McGuire made his two free throws to push the score back to 70-63.
Again, McLemore had the hot hand for the Titans and he knocked down a 3-pointer with around 15 seconds remaining.
It looked like the Titans were going to be able to force the turnover on the inbounds, but instead, Kennedy was called for a technical foul.
Boston missed both, but the Jaguars were able to get the ball to Raeshon Scales. He was fouled and only made one of his free throws, but by then it was too late for Beamer to mount a comeback.
Kennedy’s final 3-pointer bounced off the rim and the buzzer sounded.
“I’m proud of my kids,” Brilhante said. “We’ve got nine seniors that are graduating. Taking the job over with nine seniors, I knew it was going to be a struggle to get them to totally buy in to what I wanted to do and how I wanted them to play. They bought into us as coaches and they treated us with utmost respect. Fifteen wins in a high school season is really good.
“They all passed their classes and they’re taking the student-athlete thing serious. We didn’t have anybody ineligible, and I’m proud of that for our guys. That’s a hard thing for high school athletes. You just see the camaraderie of the Federal Way school district after TJ lost their game and our guys are hugging them and giving them handshakes. They’re good kids and I’m gonna miss them a lot.”
The Titans ended the season losing seven of their last 11 games. They finished with a record of 15-9.
