Mike Moll, WKTV Sports Director
sports@wktv.org
The high powered offense of the Wyoming Wolves boys basketball team took a half to get into the gear they are accustomed to, and when they did, they were able to expand a four point halftime lead into a 19 point victory over the East Kentwood Falcons, 77-58 at Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg Wednesday night.
East Kentwood concludes their season with a 12-10 record, while Wyoming ups its record to 20-2 and will face 10-11 Ottawa Hills Friday night in the championship game, after Ottawa Hills upset East Grand Rapids 61-50 in the nightcap game.
East Kentwood’s Ja’moni Jones started the scoring with an early three pointer, but Wyoming proceeded to score 16 of the next 18 points before the Falcons scored 9 of the last 11 to close the first quarter out with Wyoming holding an 18-14 lead. EK was led by Jones and Jordan Jackson with 6 each, while the Wolves were paced by one of the areas highest scorers during the regular season, Menalito McGee, with 10 which included a pair of 3-pointers.
The Falcons scored the first four points of the second quarter to knot the game at 18, but Thom VanderKlay’s Wolves would go on an 8-0 run to take a lead they would never relinquish the remainder of the game. Jy’Air Harris tried to keep his team as close as possible by scoring 6 points in the second quarter to lead Jeff Anama’s team, but the combination of Marion and Monte Parks with 6 points each in the quarter, was enough to keep the lead at four at the break, 34-30.
The third quarter was more to the speed and liking of the Wolves, as they outscored East Kentwood 21-15 to expand the lead to double digits for the first time, 55-45 after Marion Parks hit a left handed 30-footer as the horn sounded to close the quarter. McGee and Diego Ledesma each had seven in the quarter and Jackson had five for the Falcons.
The final quarter continued the late game dominance for Wyoming as they outscored East Kentwood 22-13 in the final stanza, including a 10-0 run in the middle, before late game substitutions were brought in for both teams. In the case of the Falcons, it was a final thank you from its fans as the seniors closed out their high school basketball careers, but ironically enough, it may have been the final time for Wyoming seniors to play in front of a crowd as well, depending upon what the Michigan High School Athletic Association deems necessary to help fight against the coronavirus. Many of the upcoming weekend’s state finals will be played in front of no spectators.
EK was led on the night by Jones with 13, Jackson 11, and Eric Cohill with 8, while the Wolves were led by McGee with 25, Ledesma 19, Monte Parks 14, and Marion Parks with 13.
East Kentwood was 5-for-14 from three-point territory and 13-for-23 from the free throw line while Wyoming was 4-for-10 from outside the arc and were 11-for-15 from the line. The difference could be seen in the turnovers as EK had 14 which were turned into 18 points for Wyoming, while the Wolves committed just 8 on the night.
