Decatur High School senior guard Jerron Smith continued his ridiculous start to the season Wednesday by pouring in a career high 44 points during an 86-58 blowout of Wenatchee in a non-league game at the Toyota Center in Wenatchee.
The win improved the 10th-ranked Gators to 5-2 on the season. Decatur will kick off its South Puget Sound League 3A schedule after the Christmas break. But first, the Gators will host Bill Riley Communities Holiday Classic Wednesday and Thursday. Decatur will take on Jefferson at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday and Rogers will play Lincoln in the tournament opener at 6 p.m. The two winners will play for the title at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, while the losers will play at 6 p.m.
Smith was just too much for Wenatchee Wednesday night. The 6-foot-3 senior finished 7 of 12 from 3-point range and also added six rebounds and three assists to his 44 points.
Smith is averaging a robust 28.6 points a game for the Gators and has scored 25 or more points in six of Decatur’s seven games this season. Smith has already signed to play next season at Portland State University.
Senior Dom Hunter also finished with a career-high 26 points against Wenatchee.
Federal Way 61, Prairie 59 — The Eagles got back on the winning track after losing three of their last four games. Federal Way slipped by Prairie Wednesday in a consolation game at the South Sound Classic at Saint Martin’s University. Both teams lost their opening-round games Tuesday.
The Eagles (4-3) jumped out to a 19-7 lead after the first quarter before Prairie came back in the second quarter to tighten the game to 30-27 at halftime. But Federal Way outscored the Falcons 22-16 in the third to take a commanding 52-43 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Eagles were led by the 28 points of senior guard Jerry Duckworth. Fellow senior Napa Mefi chipped in 17. Prairie got 28 points from Keaton Jackson.
Girls basketball
The Decatur Gators couldn’t overcome a sluggish second quarter Wednesday and lost a non-leaguer to the Hazen Highlanders, 51-46. After jumping out to a 14-7 lead after the first quarter, Decatur was outscored by Hazen 23-4 during the second quarter in Renton.
The Gators (2-5) got 17 points from senior Kayla Lipston and 15 from Takiya Flowers.
