Todd Beamer basketball ends 10-year losing streak to Kentridge

The Todd Beamer High School boys basketball players were underdogs in the state tournament last year, and this year with the departure of Will Tellis and Caleb Berry, seem even more so like underdogs.

But if one person was going to get this team on track, there were no other choices than one Terrence Whiting.

The 6’0” senior guard is the one player from last year’s Titan squad that really received any real playing time. For this season, he’s been the leader and it showed in an early afternoon game against Kentridge in the opening round of the Cloud 9 Christmas Classic on Dec. 26 at Auburn Riverside.

Whiting finished with 19 points, leading all scorers in the win over Kentridge.

“He’s been great … In our nine games, he has sat a total of four minutes. He’s a great kid and a great leader and teammate. We are asking a lot from him. He’s gotta be locked in the entire time,” Head Coach Brent Brilhante said.

The Titans managed to keep Kentridge at bay and won 55-49 over the Chargers for the first time since 2014, ending a five-game losing streak to Kentridge. Defense has been a big factor for the Titans so far, but the ability to finish off teams is a learned behavior that Todd Beamer is still working on.

“We have eight to nine guys that can defend really well. We just have to learn how to finish down the stretch,” Brilhante said.

At the start of the game, it was clear both teams were not used to the 2:30 p.m. tip-off. After the first three minutes of play, the score was just 4-2. It might have been the day-after Christmas hangover, but both teams struggled to get off the bus.

Todd Beamer led 7-5 after the first quarter.

Whiting went to work in the second quarter scoring nine points, and if it weren’t for Kentridge’s Gio Moimoi scoring seven of his own, the game would have been out of reach for the Chargers. But at halftime, Todd Beamer was on top, 25-18.

A big reason for the lead were fast break opportunities, created by aggressive defense. There were a handful of run-out baskets created by getting in passing lanes and trapping Kentridge ball handlers.

“We have to defend to create our own offense,” Brilhante said.

The third quarter was the best frame for the Titans. Whiting only had five points, but Jaylin Wells had six, De’Tre Walker had six and sophomore Michael Edwards contributed with a three.

At the end of the third, the Titans worked their biggest lead of the game at 12 points, leading 45-33.

Early in the fourth quarter, Moimoi injured his forearm and never came back in to the game with 5:26 left in the game. But incidentally, that was when the Chargers found their way back in the game. With under three minutes remaining, the lead was cut to three and eventually one point late in the fourth quarter.

From Dec. 9-14, the Titans lost their only three games of the season (Auburn Mountainview, White River, Mountlake Terrace). The combined margin of victory for those three games was just 11 points.

All close games, all losses. But in the Titans’ most recent win, they won a one-point contest against Lindbergh.

“Our games are going to be close because we defend really well. That keeps us in games,” Brilhante said.

As the margin got closer and closer against Kentridge, it seemed that this was going to be another nail-biter. But Wells and Timaje’ Johnson went four for four from the charity stripe to put the game out of immediate danger under pressure.

“They’re really tough kids. They are really good students who get good grades and are tough-minded kids. They aren’t going to back down from anything,” Brilhante said.

Todd Beamer will now take on Issaquah – which defeated Emerald Ridge – in the semi-finals of the Cloud 9 Classic.