Federal Way tops Todd Beamer in league opener

Published 3:04 pm Friday, December 11, 2015

Federal Way’s boys basketball team faced a little more adversity than they’ve been accustomed to in their 72-65 league win over rival Todd Beamer on Tuesday.

The Eagles started the game missing one starter, post player Malcolm Cola, due to a knee injury. Minutes into the game, starting freshman point guard Jalen Womack went out with an injury.

It did not slow down the Eagles too much, particularly senior guard Ferron Flavors, who scored the game’s first 11 points.

Flavors scored the opening point on a free throw for a Beamer pre-game technical foul. He nailed a 3-pointer on the first Eagles possession.

Kiere McCoy put an end to the Titans’ scoring drought with a 3-pointer to bring the score to 11-3.

“Federal Way came out and punched us in the mouth,” Beamer head coach Brent Brilhante said. “We told our guys that we had to be the one to come out and punch them in the mouth to start and we didn’t. We’re going to have to grow from it.”

Beamer cut the lead back down to 16-11 at the end of the first quarter and came within three points in the second.

The Eagles pushed their lead back to 11 points by halftime on D’Jimon Jones’s two 3-pointers and a Jalen McDaniels’s dunk. They led 31-20 at the half, holding Beamer to just nine points in the second quarter.

Along with keeping the Titans off the board, the Eagles also got them into early foul trouble. By the time Beamer had seven points in the game, Federal Way was already in the bonus.

Federal Way took even more control in the third quarter as McDaniels alone outscored Beamer 10-2 to start the quarter. He finished with a game-high 20 points.

The game looked to be all but over for Todd Beamer when the Eagles took a 55-35 lead late in the third. Beamer closed out the quarter with two free throws to trail 55-37 going into the fourth.

With the Eagles looking like sure victors leading 60-43 with just under six minutes remaining in the game, Beamer’s Amari McLemore swung momentum back Beamer’s way with one play.

He had just fouled Federal Way’s Christian Jones on the other side of the court. Jones made the basket and the free throw for a 3-point play.

McLemore redeemed himself immediately on the offensive side. After catching a pass near the free throw line, the 6-foot wing drove to his right and launched himself towards the basket over multiple Federal Way defenders to slam home a dunk.

The home crowd erupted. Fans leaped to their feet and some even left their seats at the top of the bleachers to celebrate behind the bench area.

Flavors made two free throws on the following posession, but McCoy came back down the court and hit a 3-pointer, keeping the crowd roaring.

With McLemore’s 11 fourth-quarter points leading the way, Beamer cut the lead down to eight with enough time remaining to think about a win. He would finish with a team-high 17 points. The surge came a little too late, however, as the Eagles regained some of their composure and held off the Titans. They were outscored 28-17 in the final quarter.

Eleven of their 17 points in the quarter came from free throws. They were 11-15 from the line in the final quarter.

“I love my guys,” Brilhante said. “I’m gonna stick with them this whole year. I’m not any less excited after this game, I’m actually more excited.”

Gio Jackson was second in scoring for Beamer with 11 points. Nine of his points also came during the fourth quarter run. Abraham Murray finished with 10 for the Titans as well.

Jones finished with 18 points for the Eagles. Flavors finished with 17 after the hot start.

Todd Beamer fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in league play with the loss. They take on Kennedy Catholic (1-1) at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at Highline College in their next game.

Federal Way improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in league play with the win. They will have a home game against Decatur (2-2, 0-1) tonight.