1/20/2025
(Kent, WA) The annual Martin Luther King Jr Basketball Showcase was held once again in the Kent ShoWare Center. 8 games with 5 boys match-ups and 3 girls games. Below is our coverage of each game with game stories, pictures and video highlights.
Game 1 Seattle Academy vs Kent Meridian (boys)
Kent Meridian 39, Seattle Academy 34
The Royals of Kent Meridian battled the Seattle Academy Cardinals in the 9am opener. As usual these early games are usually not offensive showcases but better defense and those who can get themselves into the game faster than the other with such an early start time.
Kent Meridian’s Muhammad Secca hit 6 and that’s all the Royals could get but the Cardinals had just 5 with Malachi Dickey hitting a 3 and Miles Struss with 2 and K-M led after 1 6-5.
The Royals matched that with another 6 in the 2nd while S-A answered with a 10 point quarter taking the lead late in the half and leading 15-12 after 16 minutes. The Royals came up big with 19 in the 3rd quarter and holding the Cardinalas to 7. Alijah Townsel had missed his 1st 6 free throws and had 0 points in the 1st half but came out red hot hitting for 6 of his final 10, Secca had 5 and reserve Keelan Dollente had 4. For the Cards Struss had 4.
In the 4th S-A made a big run behind Jalani Clemmons who had 10 of his 15 points including a bucket and free throw late in the game to give the Cardinals a 34-33 lead. It looked like the Cards would pull away especially when Secca fouled out for K-M.
But Townsel would step up with Dollente each with 4 points in the 4th scoring 6 of those in the last 2 minutes to pull out the win. Christian Mortimer grabbed 8 boards in the game anbd helped the Royals with strong inside play.
Kent Meridian improves to 4-9 on the year and travels to Decatur Tuesday. Seattle Academy played all their players in this one and drops to 6-9 on the season and hosts Chief Sealth on Tuesday.
Our Thorbeckes MVP goes to the winning team and the discussion was between Alijah Townsel, Keelan Dollente, Muhammad Secca and JB Boquilon. We ended up with the full game effort of Secca as our choice. Secca was the high scorer with 13 and had 3 rebounds and was 3-4 from the line. Had S-A pulled out the win it would have been Jalani Clemmons with 15 points to lead all scorers and a double-double with 14 boards.
Scoring
Kent Meridian: Muhammad Secca 13, Alijah Townsel 10, Keelan Dollente 8, JB Boquilon 4, Christian Mortimer 2, Raymond Wong 2
Seattle Academy: Jalani Clemmons 15, Miles Strussn9, Tate Lonergon 3, Malachi Dickey 3, Losel Choegyal 2, Charlie Constable 2
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Video Highlights
K-M’s Muhammad Secca scores early to pace the Royals
Seattle Academy takes a late lead from Jalani Clemmons
The Royals Christian Mortimer with the clincher
Game 2 King’s vs Lynden (girls)
Lynden 54, King’s 27
The Lynden Lions led start to finish and just kept pulling away from the King’s Knights for the comfortable win. The Knights kept it close in the 1st trailing 14-9 with a big 3 ball as time expired from Kaitlin Cramer. But shooting was an issue for the Knights as they went 8 for 33 for the game or 24%.
The Lions had 3 in double figures led by the 19 of Finley Parcher. Parcher had a huge 2nd half with 13 points. Payton Mills sunk 17 going 2 for 3 from deep and Lexi Hermanutz had a dozen and led with 5 rebounds.
In the 2nd half the Knights simply couldn’t keep pace with the undefeated Lions who shot 46% from the floor and 43% from behind the arc.
Lynden’s Finely Parcher was the game’s Thorbeckes MVP winner with the 19 points and 4 rebounds. Mills and Hermnutz were considered but Parcher’s domoinance in the 2nd half gave her the edge. For the Knights we would have likely gone with Kaleo Anderson who led King’s with 9 points and 8 boards.
Lynden is now 16-0 for the season and will host Meridian on Tuesday night. King’s drops to 9-6 on the season and will be at home on Thursday against Shorewood.
Scoring
Lynden: Finley Parcher 19, Payton Mills 17, Lexi Hermanutz 12, Kiki York 3, Jules Slayton 2, Reese Nyhoff 1
King’s: Kaleo Anderson 9, Kaitlin Cramer 8, Cat Ellard 6, Adeline Cox 4
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Video Highlights
A scoring surge at the end of the 1st quarter
Lynden’s Finley Parcher gets started on a big 2nd half
Game 3 King’s vs Lynden (boys)
Lynden 52, King’s 41
The King’s Knights came out in the 1st quarter and went toe-to-toe with the Lions of Lynden and in fact led 15-9 holding the potent Lion offense to single digits. Dozie Asinobi and Colton Adams each had 5 to lead the King’s offense and each with a 3-ball.
But then came the 2nd quarter with a combination of cold shooting and a suffocating Lynden defense to hold the Knights to just 2 2nd quarter points. Lynden also found their offense knocking down 16, their highest scoring quarter and went into the break with a 25-17 lead. A lead the Knights could never overcome. The Lions Brant Heppner and Spencer Adams each scored 7 in what turned out to be the game winning run.
In the 2nd half Lynden outscored King’s 14-13 and 13-11. However, King’s outscored Lynden 39-36 in the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters but the catestrophic 2nd quarter was their undoing.
Heppner led the Lions with 24 points and 6 rebounds and the team shot 49% from the field. Malachi Koenen led the defense with 4 steals. Lynden shot 5 for 15 from behind the arc and 7 of 10 from the line. For his efforts Heppner was named our Thorbeckes MVP.
King’s had 3 in double figures, Asinobo, Adams and Andrew Gerberg. Asinobi led the rebounding with 5 while Adams and Zaphie Cooper each had 3 assists.
Lynden is now 15-0 on the season and they play at Meridian on Tuesday. King’s falls to 10-4 for the year and travels to Eastside Prep on Wednesday.
Scoring
Lynden: Brant Heppner 24, Spencer Adams 9, Malachi Bowman 6, Ty Jorgenson 6, Malachin Koenen 5, Gordy Bedlington 2
King’s: Dozie Asinobi, Andrew Gerberg 11, Colton Adams 10, Zaphie Cooper 3, Max McGowan 3
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Video Highlights
King’s hits a long ball early to stretch their lead
Lynden takes the lead for good on this 3 shot
Game 4 Bellarmine Prep vs Clackamas (Ore) (girls)
Clackamas 74, Bellarmine Prep 32
The Clackamas Cavaliers were supposed to be in this showcase last year but ice and snow made it impossible for them to make the trip and they had to cancel late. No such issues this year and they showed why they are the #2 ranked 6A school in Oregon with a wire-to-wire win over Bellarmine Prep.
The Lions were missing 2 starters but the Cav’s shot 62% from behind the arc in the 1st half and 67% from the floor while racking up 53 points. So regardless the Lions were facing an uphill battle to begin with. Clackamas finished shooting from the floor at 57% and 48% from the 3 point line and oddly were 100% from the line but they only shot 1 free throw.
It was the Jazzy Davidson show for Clackamas as she dropped 36 points and was 5 of 7 from behind the arc and 10 of 13 from the floor. She filled up the stat line with 8 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocked shots and 2 steals. Sara Barhoum had 19 and Reyce Mogel grabbed 8 boards to lead the Cavalier attack. Our Thorbeckes MVP went to Jazzy Davidson.
The Lions despite the big deficit never gave in and played hard. Kyla Frazier led B-Prep with 11 with a pair of rebounds and assists and 5 steals. Melina Petramalo added 9 and was the Lions leading rebounder with 5.
Clackamas improves to 11-2 for the season and faces Gresham on Tuesday. Bellarmine Prep drops to 12-4 and travels to Central Kitsap Tuesday night.
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Video Highlights
Clackamas goes up by 7 but B Prep answers
Clackamas with a pair of fast breaks
Game 5 Mount Si vs Tualatin (Ore) (boys)
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Game 6 Puyallup vs Lake Washington (boys)
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Game 7 Glacier Peak vs Kentwood (boys)
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
Game 8 Auburn vs Woodinville (girls)
Link to watch the full game replay on the NFHS Network (Subscription required)
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