Thomas Jefferson holds off Todd Beamer rally in league tiebreaker

Published 6:02 pm Thursday, February 4, 2016

Thomas Jefferson High School’s boys basketball team looks like it’s finding its groove at the right time.

The Raiders took down the Todd Beamer High School Titans on Jan. 29 for the second time in two weeks with a 51-45 win on Tuesday. The game was a tiebreaker to determine seeding for the South Puget Sound League tournament being held this Thursday and Saturday.

Jefferson and Beamer finished tied in the league standings with 5-3 records.

Beamer took the first game between the two schools 58-54 on Dec. 18. The Raiders defeated Beamer 62-57 in their second matchup on Jan. 26.

Tuesday’s game was another tightly contested battle between the two schools.

The Raiders faced a familiar scenario against Beamer as they struggled in the third quarter. They built a 30-21 lead at the half, but saw it evaporate immediately once the second half began. Beamer started the third quarter with a 15-0 run, taking a six-point lead, and the Titans spread the ball around to allow four players to score during the run, led by Abraham Murray’s six points.

The Titans outscored the Raiders 17-5 in the third quarter and took a three-point lead into the fourth.

The third has been the worst quarter for Jefferson in their last three games, and Friday’s matchup was no different. Beamer opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run, taking the lead and conjuring up memories of Jefferson’s previous rough third quarters against West Seattle, Kentlake and Puyallup in their season opener.

“We need to come out with more energy in the third quarter,” Jefferson head coach Kyle Templeton said. “I don’t know if that means I need to keep them in [the locker room] shorter for halftime and let them go out and shoot layups and free throws or whatever, but we need to find more energy.”

Jefferson made up for their third quarter shortcomings with a strong fourth quarter. Beamer opened with the first four points, but the Raiders defense clamped down after that.

The next 12 points were scored by the Raiders. With the game tied at 42, Kobee Mendoza zipped a pass through a crowded lane to find Kendell Harris, who put the Raiders up for good with a layup with just over 2:30 to go.

“I’ve got to give a huge shoutout to Kendell who struggled in the third quarter, but he came up with some big plays,” Templeton said. “I am so pleased with how he bounced back.”

Both teams traded turnovers and missed shots for the next minute. With under a minute to go, Jefferson’s Darius Anderson came up with the biggest shot of the night when he nailed a 3-pointer, giving the Raiders a five-point lead.

“Their kids did not panic,” said Beamer coach Brent Brilhante. “When we went on that 17-2 run, I saw the body language of our kids was great, but those TJ kids did not panic. They were digging in. Darius’ 3 that put them up five was a dagger. For a senior to knock that shot down in that kind of game is huge, and I’m happy for him.”

Beamer’s Gio Jackson was fouled moments after Anderson’s 3-pointer, but he converted only one of his free throws to keep the Raiders’ lead at 47-43. Beamer grabbed the rebound on the free throw, but a lane violation gave Jefferson the ball.

Harris knocked down two free throws bringing the lead to 49-43.

Patrick Kennedy would drive into the lane for a basket to cut the lead back to four, but Anderson responded with two free throws to close out the game.

Anderson led the Raiders with 14 points. Alex Sommerfield had 12.

Kennedy’s 16 points and Murray’s 11 paced the Titans.

The win for the Raiders means they will do something they have not done for at least three decades when they host a game in the West Central District tournament. They claimed the SPSL North’s fourth seed for the SPSL tournament and are guaranteed to be the SPSL’s fifth or sixth seed in the district tournament.

“Before I got the job, the school hadn’t made districts since ‘85,” Templeton said. “This is the third time we’ve made it in four years. So three out of four years, this senior class had made it to the West Central District tournament. Making districts without having to play in is a new experience for the school. I don’t even know if TJ has ever hosted a playoff game before.”

Even with the loss, Beamer still has a guaranteed spot in the district tournament. They finished as the SPSL’s fifth seed and will be either the eighth or tenth seed to the district tournament.

“Seeing our guys playing with such effort, I’m surprised that we didn’t come out on top tonight,” said Brilhante. “We get a few days of rest before our next game, and that game is not do-or-die.

“We’re either gonna go to a really good Narrows team or another really good Narrows team in the first round [of districts]. We don’t get a huge crowd out to our school, so it could be a blessing in disguise. Hopefully those schools pack the gym and our kids play hard.”

Jefferson and Beamer are both off until Saturday.

The Raiders will play the loser of Kentridge (11-9) and Puyallup (16-5) at noon on Feb. 6 at Auburn Mountainview High School. The Titans will play the winner of Kentlake (11-9) and Spanaway Lake (12-8) at 2 p.m. on Feb. 6 at Todd Beamer High School.