Tag Archives: East Kentwood girls basketball

East Kentwood girls open state tournament with semifinal win over Hudsonville Wednesday; get 20th win

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East Kentwood senior Kanyla Tyler (2) passes the ball to a teammate during district action. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

Defense has been the trademark of the East Kentwood girls basketball team this season and that defense was on display in the district semifinal game against Hudsonville. Playing aggressive, intense defense from the opening tip, the Falcons earned a 50-33 win to advance to the district championship game Friday against Byron Center.

“Defense is what we are about,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “Our team is built on playing tough defense. We are gritty and very tenacious on defense. We work hard on defense and our defense produces baskets on the offensive end of the floor.”

The game was a low-scoring, defensive struggle right from the opening tip. Baskets were difficult to come by in the opening quarter as both teams managed just six points apiece. Senior Santana Eubanks led the way for the Falcons in the opening quarter as she scored all six of Kentwood’s points.

EK led 19-12 at halftime

Kentwood continued to apply strong defensive pressure in the second quarter. Again, the Falcon defense limited Hudsonville to six points in the quarter. The pressure defense also began to produce more turnovers that led to fast-break points on the offensive end for the Falcons. Led by senior Makayla Porter, who scored six points in the second quarter, East Kentwood totaled 13 points in the quarter to take a 19-12 lead into halftime.

The Falcons continued to play stingy defense in the second half. East Kentwood held Hudsonville without a point for almost half of the third. During that span the Falcons’ offense strung together seven straight points to build the lead to 26-12 and take control of the game.

Along with playing strong defense, East Kentwood did a strong job on the defensive boards. The Falcons routinely limited Hudsonville to just one shot on each possession as they dominated the defensive glass with their strong rebounding.

“I thought we did a really good job of rebounding,” Large said. “That is very important. We want to limit teams to just one shot per possession. I thought we rebounded the ball well.”

The Falcons’ offense also picked up the pace as the game went on. After scoring 13 points in the second quarter, they added 14 points in the third and led 33-19 going into the final quarter. A three-point shot from Sophia Wozniak got the Falcons going in the fourth quarter as they opened with a 7-2 scoring run to take a 40-21 lead and all but put the game on ice. The Falcons later went on a 5-0 scoring run to up the lead to 20 points at 45-25.

“Our defense got us going on offense,” Large said. “Once we were able to come down and make some layups, we got things going on offense. We just had to stay focused.”

East Kentwood featured a balanced attack on offense. Porter led the Falcons in scoring with 14 points, while Eubanks added 12. Wozniak added nine points, followed by Harmonie Belton with six.



East Kentwood senior Harmonie Belton (1) drives the lane during the Division 1 district semifinal against Hudsonville. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)


East Kentwood gets 20th win of season

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 20-3 for the season. The 20-win mark is special for the Falcons and Coach Large.

“It is really special,” Large said. “The five seniors on the team, I’ve had them for three or four years on the varsity. They know exactly what I’m going to say every time. They’ve been with me all this time and they know what to expect.

“This team also has great leadership. Kanyla Tyler is our point guard and she does a great job of settling us down on offense.”

Ranked fifth in the state in Division 1, the Falcons next have the opportunity to claim the district title. East Kentwood faces a major hurdle in the district title game in a Byron Center squad that comes into the game with a 19-4 record. East Kentwood faced the Bulldogs in the season-opener in December and came away with a 58-52 win. Byron Center brings a nine-game winning streak into the contest, while East Kentwood is riding a five-game winning streak. 

East Kentwood girls perched atop OK Red after beating No. 1 Rockford Friday; cruising along at 10-1 overall

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Check out the East Kentwood girls 60-54 win over Rockford last Friday in the WKTV Truck Game.



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

It was a showdown between No. 1 and No. 5 in the state at the East Kentwood fieldhouse Friday and the host Falcons came away with a statement win by turning back Rockford, the top-ranked team in the state in Division 1, 60-54.

In a game that went back and forth almost the entire way, Kentwood, the fifth-ranked team in the state, pulled away at the end to secure the win and improve to 10-1 overall for the season and remain unbeaten atop the rugged OK Red Conference.

“A very big win for us”

“It was a very big win for us,” said East Kentwood coach Eric Large. “I tell everyone that the OK Red is one of the toughest basketball leagues in the state every year.”

Rams were D1 state champs last season

Rockford proved that last year as it won the Division 1 state title while another OK Red team, Hudsonville, won the Division 1 state title three years ago giving OK Red teams two out of the last three Division 1 championships.

The key for the Falcons in the win against Rockford was playing with a high level of intensity the entire game.

“The key for us was our intensity,” Large said. “We were tenacious on the defensive end of the floor. Rockford is so skilled and shoots the ball so well, we had to make sure that we contested every shot.”

The game flowed back and forth throughout with Rockford up by two points at the end of the first quarter and East Kentwood up by two points at halftime.

Rockford regained the lead in the second half and the game remained tight during the fourth quarter. East Kentwood was up by four late in the game before Rockford hit a three-point shot to cut the margin to one. East Kentwood then countered with a three-point shot by Harmonie Belton to regain the four-point cushion and then closed the game out by converting their free throws at the foul line.

“It was a back-and-forth game,” Large said. “It was a typical East Kentwood-Rockford game. It was like a heavyweight fight and it came down to who could withstand the other team’s big blow.”

Harmonie Belton led with 18 points (4 threes)

Belton led the way for the Falcon offense with 18 points, including four three-point shots. Makayla Porter added 17 points. Santana Eubanks led the Falcons in rebounds with seven, while Kanyla Tyler led with six assists.


East Kentwood’s Makayla Porter (21) scored 17 points in the win over Rockford. (Courtesy, Cristian Salas-Salinas)



The win was the 10th of the season in 11 games for the Falcons who are also 4-0 and in first place in the conference.

“We want to play teams that prepare us for March”

“We started the season by playing some of the best teams in the state,” Large said. “Our non-conference schedule was very tough. We want to play teams that prepare us for March and the state tournament. We know our conference schedule is very tough and we wanted to make our non-conference schedule as tough as it can be.”

Among the teams East Kentwood defeated in non-conference play were Byron Center and Lowell, who are both state-ranked in Division 1 and Grand Rapids Catholic Central who is state-ranked in Division 2.

 

The Falcons have a veteran team this season that features plenty of all-around talent and skill.

“A very speedy and athletic team”

“We play with a lot of grit,” Large said. “We’re also a very speedy and athletic team. We’re not that tall, but we play with a lot of intensity. I describe us as a team full of guards.”

Tyler is the Falcons point guard and runs the offense. Porter leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game. Belton is not only a solid outside shooter, but also is the best on-ball defender. Eubanks leads the team in rebounding.

“Eubanks a Dennis Rodman on the boards”

“Eubanks is like a Dennis Rodman on the boards,” Large said. “She is only 5-foot-6, but she does a phenomenal job of rebounding. She had 20 rebounds in our win against Muskegon and had another game with 18 rebounds.”   

The Falcons also have a deep team. Along with the veteran core of Belton, Porter, Eubanks and Tyler, the Falcons have several more players who are playing key roles.

Wozniak had 5 treys earlier against West Ottawa

“Sophia Wozniak is a phenomenal shooter,” Large said. “She hit five three-pointers in our win against West Ottawa. We also have two juniors who are doing really well. Landen Smith is a do it all type of player. She can rebound, shoot and defend. Jaslynn Ward is a great shooter as well.”

East Kentwood returns to action with a pair of OK Red Conference games this week. The Falcons host Caledonia on Tuesday and travel to state-ranked Grand Haven on Friday.

“We want to continue to play with a lot of energy and stay focused,” Large said. “We want to continue to improve throughout the season.”    

East Kentwood girls fall short against Byron Center in district final; Potter’s House and South Christian also runners-up

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East Kentwood’s Jaevym Montgomery (11) and Santana Eubanks (5) look to stop Byron Center’s McKenna Ferguson (23) during Friday’s Division 1 district title game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



Led by one of the top players in West Michigan, Byron Center put an end to the season for the East Kentwood girls basketball team Friday evening.



Byron Center junior Lillian Zeinstra poured in 33 points and led the Bulldogs to a 69-57 decision over East Kentwood in a Division 1 district championship game at Wyoming High School.



Zeinstra, who is committed to play her college basketball at Butler University, not only gave East Kentwood problems with her scoring skills, but the multi-dimensional guard also played havoc with Kentwood’s pressure defense with her ability to handle the basketball and took advantage of Kentwood’s lack of size on the defensive boards. Making Zeinstra’s effort even more impressive was the fact she overcame an ankle injury in the second quarter.

“I think Lily showed her grit tonight,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “You could see it when she got banged up. I think one of her greatest assets is her leadership. Her rebounding is also a big asset. We missed a lot of 50-50 shots and she was there to get the rebound. One of our strong points is our defensive pressure and she was also able to take that away from us with the way she handles the ball against our pressure.”



East Kentwood’s Harmonie Belton (1) looks over the Byron Center defense during action in their Division 1 district championship game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood stayed close in the game’s early going until Byron Center closed out the opening stanza with a 6-2 run to take an 18-13 lead into the second quarter. Zeinstra was at the heart of the run on offense for Byron Center as she scored 13 of the Bulldogs’ 18 first-quarter points.

Byron Center stretched the lead to 24-15 midway through the second quarter before Zeinstra fell to the floor with an ankle injury. After limping off the floor, Zeinstra came back into the game two minutes later and helped Byron Center take a 31-20 lead into halftime.

“Lily is one of our team leaders,” said Byron Center Coach Jen Slot. “She rolled her ankle in the second quarter, but was able to tough it out. She had a really nice game tonight and gave it everything she had. She does whatever it takes to win.”



Falcons cut lead in half

East Kentwood quickly cut the deficit in half in the early moments of the second half. Harmonie Belton came up with back-to-back steals that led to back-to-back three-pointers by Sophia Wozniak, cutting the margin to five points just a minute into the third quarter.

Byron Center, however, quickly regrouped and outscored Kentwood 8-2 to regain a double-digit lead at 39-28. The two teams then traded buckets the remainder of the third quarter with Byron Center up 48-36 going into the final quarter.

With Zeinstra and senior guard McKenna Ferguson handling East Kentwood’s defensive pressure in the final quarter, the Falcons were unable to get the margin under double figures the remainder of the game.



East Kentwood’s Jaevym Montgomery (11) and Tianna Daye (23) prepare to box out Byron Center’s Lillian Zeinstra (10). Zeinstra finished the game with 33 points for Byron Center. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“I think in the second half we came out and matched their intensity,” Large said. “I think we were a little tight in the first half. Our tallest players are 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-7 so we had a tough time matching up with them on the boards. Our kids fought to the end and I was proud of them.”

Makayla Porter led East Kentwood with 16 points and Tianna Daye added 13. Sophia Wozniak scored nine points, followed by Harmonie Belton and Santana Eubanks with six apiece.



East Kentwood closed out the season with a 16-8 overall record and finished third in the O-K Red at 9-5.

Large said girls should ‘hold their heads high’

“I’m not disappointed with the season at all,” Large said. “The girls should hold their heads high. They continued to get better all season. I saw a lot of improvement all throughout the season. The O-K Red is the toughest conference in the state and I’m proud of the way my girls battled the entire way.”



Large also is looking forward to next season.

“We had two seniors on the team, Jaevym Montgomery and Tianna Daye, and both of them were all-conference players,” Large said. “We will miss both of them. We will have five or six juniors returning and Landen Smith is a sophomore who really played well tonight. We will have some good players to build around next season.”

Byron Center improved to 21-3 win the win. The Bulldogs were champions of the O-K White Conference this season with a 14-0 record. Along with 33 points from Zeinstra, the Bulldogs received 13 points from Makenna Crandell and 12 from McKenna Ferguson. 

     

Division 2 District Championship at Kelloggsville:

Grand Rapids Christian defeated South Christian 49-41

South Christian ended the season with a 16-8 record and finished second place in the O-K Gold at 10-4.


Division 3 District Championship at Calvin Christian:

NorthPointe Christian beat Potter’s House 41-24

Potter’s House ended the season with an 18-7 record and won the Alliance League title at 7-0 for the second straight year.

WKTV prep playoff coverage: East Kentwood, South Christian in girls district finals

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The East Kentwood High School girls basketball team (shown here in an early season game) will be playing in a District final game this week. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After a hectic week of local teams battling in state girls basketball district tournaments, the East Kentwood Falcons are in the finals of the Division 1 tournament at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg High School, while the South Christian Sailors are in the finals of the Division 2 tournament in Wayland. Both finals will be Friday, March 26.

East Kentwood (13-3, with two wins in the tournament) will face off against East Grand Rapids (12-2) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 1 Region 3 tournament at Holland West Ottawa starting on Monday, March 29.

South Christian (11-4, with one win in the tournament) will take on host Wayland (9-2) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 2 Region 12 tournament at Edwardsburg, also starting on March 29.

In this week’s early district play, East Kentwood defeated host Middleville, 69-44, on Monday, March 22, and then defeated Byron Center, 41-34, in semifinal action Wednesday, March 24.

South Christian, also in early district play, had a bye and then defeated Kentwood Grand River Preparatory Academy, 71-15, in the semifinals March 24.

Other local district results

In the Division 1 tournament at Middleville, Wyoming high lost an opening round game to Byron Center, 63-41, as the Wolves ended their season at 10-7.

In the Division 2 tournament at Godwin Heights, Kelloggsville defeated the host Wolverines (5-6 overall) in opening round action by the score of 41-39. The Rockets then lost in the semifinals to Grand Rapids Catholic, 44-36, to finish their season with a 5-8 record.

In the Division 2 tournament at Wayland, West Michigan Aviation Academy defeated Hopkins, 53-42, before falling to Wayland, 57-22, in the semifinals to finish their season at 12-6.

In the Division 3 tournament at Covenant Christian High School, Wyoming Potter’s House lost to Grandville Calvin Christian, 49-39, in semifinal action and ended the season at 9-5 overall.

In the Division 4 tournament at Martin, Tri-unity Christian lost to host Martin, 49-41 in semifinal action and ended their season at 5-10.