Things didn’t start out well for the Todd Beamer Titans Tuesday night in their first-round West Central District matchup with cross-town rival Federal Way.
They didn’t end well, either.
Even before the game even started, the Titans trailed 1-0 after they were assessed a technical foul for dunking during warmups. The Eagles used the momentum to run out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, racking up a 71-59 win over the Titans at Federal Way High School.
The Eagles (14-7 overall) were led, like they have been all season, by sophomores Brayon Blake and DeeShawn Tucker. The 6-foot-5 Blake controlled the paint and finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds for Federal Way. Tucker, a 6-foot point guard, chipped in 17 points and dictated the pace of the game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court.
The win moves the Eagles into the quarterfinals of the double-elimination, 16-team West Central District Tournament where they will take on second-ranked Bellarmine Prep at 8 p.m. at Mount Tahoma High School Friday, Feb. 17. The winner of the game automatically qualifies for Class 4A State Basketball Tournament.
Bellarmine, the top seed from the Narrows League, squeaked by Kentridge Tuesday in their district opener, 45-43. The Lions (20-2) feature a balanced attack, led by Isaiah Flynn, Lucas Meikle and David Smith.
Beamer (13-8) falls into the loser’s bracket and will take on the Kentridge Chargers in a loser-out game at 8 p.m. at Curtis High School on Friday, Feb. 17. The Titans will have to win three games in a row to qualify for the state tournament.
Tuesday night, the Eagles led 19-7 after the first quarter. Beamer fought back in the second quarter to cut the Federal Way lead to seven at halftime.
But Blake and Tucker came out after the break and jumped the lead back to 11 after the third quarter. Senior guard Roosevelt Jones led Beamer with 24 points and Juwan Flowers chipped in 14.
Decatur
The seventh-ranked Gators (17-4) will kickoff the 3A West Central District Tournament against the Prairie Falcons at 6:15 p.m. at Franklin Pierce High School Friday, Feb. 17 in the quarterfinals.
The Falcons, the third seed from the Greater St. Helen’s League, beat Auburn Mountainview Tuesday in the opening round of the district tournament, 56-54. Prairie made 11 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter in the loser-out game.
The Falcons are led by Nathan Cherzan, who finished with 24 points and eight rebounds during the win over Auburn Mountainview.
Decatur, the champions of the SPSL 3A and the winner of 14 games in a row, could earn its sixth-straight trip to the state tournament with a win over Prairie Friday. The winner of the game will play the winner of another quarterfinal game between Mountainview and Wilson at 6:15 p.m. at Franklin Pierce Saturday, Feb. 18 in a semifinal. The loser will play the Mountainview/Wilson loser at 4:15 p.m. at Franklin Pierce Saturday in a loser-out contest.
