By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
SEATTLE, Wash. – In a showdown of No. 1-ranked teams from two classifications, 3A Franklin (11-0) defended its reputation as the city’s best program by hustling past 4A Garfield (8-2) 75-60 Monday night at the King Holiday Hoopfest on the campus of the University of Washington.
The Franklin-Garfield tilt was the seventh game of an all-day event honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Bank of America Arena. The Hoopfest annually draws the Puget Sound’s top teams and players.
This year was no exception with standouts like Franklin guard and future Louisville Cardinal Peyton Siva on display. Siva played just 21 minutes due to foul trouble, but the Quakers got big efforts from Chris Holmes and Freddy Wilson to down their Seattle rival for the 17th-straight time.
Siva, who finished with 15 points and four assists, sparked a 28-point second quarter that put Franklin in firm control after trailing by one after the opening stanza.
Garfield super sophomore Tony Wroten Jr. looked like he might carry the Bulldogs to victory early on with a pair of quick-trigger 3-pointers that had the crowd on Montlake buzzing.
But with Holmes (18 points) and Wilson (16) leading the way, Franklin overcame Siva’s foul problems and a huge Garfield height advantage to take the one and only meeting of the year between the schools.
Bellevue 52, Bellarmine Prep 43
Bellevue (12-1) bolstered its already impressive season resume by shutting down Bellarmine Prep (6-7) and star guard Abdul Gaddy in a 52-43 victory.
A showdown between highly-regarded point guards never materialized. Gaddy – a Washington signee – was hounded by Bellevue defenders and didn’t score a point until the 7:05 mark of the third quarter. He finished with 11 points and four assists.
Bellevue’s Aaron Bright, a 5-11 junior, had a cold shooting night hitting just 2-of-11 shots and was content to play the facilitator role in the Wolverine offense.
Six-foot-five senior Alex Schrempf stepped up and carried the offensive load for Bellevue, posting 25 points and 16 rebounds. Schrempf, the son of former Seattle Sonic Detlef Schrempf, provided one of the day’s signature moments with an authoritative dunk in the third quarter.
Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) 90, Rainier Beach 84 – 2OT
In a game “highlighted” by 88 free throw attempts – including 40 misses – Dominguez (14-4) of Compton, Calif., outlasted Seattle’s Rainier Beach (7-1) in double overtime, 90-84.
Dominguez entered the contest ranked No. 10 in the state of California by MaxPreps, while Rainier Beach was tabbed No. 2 in Class 3A by the Seattle Times. But in a game constantly interrupted by fouls, neither team found its rhythm.
The Dons appeared to be on their way to a regulation win after a lay-in by Myron Green and a pair of free throws by Keala King in the final 40 seconds of the fourth quarter. But a 3-pointer by LSU recruit Aaron Dotson with 2.1 seconds remaining sent a game controlled by the visitors from California into overtime.
Rainier Beach guard Jamon Echols missed a running 3-pointer as time expired in the first overtime to extend play.
Darrell Espy’s 3-point play with 1:04 remaining in the second overtime gave Dominguez a 7-point lead at 86-79. Norvel Pelle, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, swatted a Viking shot attempt on the following possession to seal the victory.
King finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Green also poured in 27. The Dons’ two leading scorers combined to go 18-of-29 from the foul line.
Junior guard Jamon Echols paced Rainier Beach with 23 points. Dotson (18 points), senior guard D’Vonne Pickett (17) and Lee Carter (11) also finished in double figures for the Vikings.
Federal Way 71, Decatur 63
In a tight, emotionally-charged intra-district rivalry game, Federal Way (12-2) prevailed over Decatur (11-2) 71-63 behind the play of Cole Dickerson and Michael Hale.
After nine first-half lead changes, Federal Way – ranked No. 2 in Class 4A by the Seattle Times – led 34-33 at the intermission. Dickerson, a 6-7 junior post, connected on 6-of-8 field goal attempts in the first 16 minutes on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds.
Hale, who scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, spurred a 19-11 advantage in the fourth quarter for Federal Way. The diminutive senior guard transferred from Decatur to Federal Way prior to this season and heard all about it from his former classmates in the Decatur student section.
Sophomore Jerron Smith and junior Jordan McCloud combined for 42 points for the Gators. McCloud, a 6-6 post, connected on all 10 of this field goal attempts.
Decatur, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, moved from the SPSL North to the SPSL South prior to the 2007-2008 season, making this the only meeting of the regular season between the Federal Way schools. The teams met in last year’s Class 4A state semifinals.
Kentwood 55, Bothell 39
Junior big man Josh Smith scored 15 points and pulled down 18 rebounds to lead Kentwood (10-3) past Bothell (6-5), 55-39.
Bothell used a tightly-packed zone defense to try and slow down the 6-9 Smith, but the Conquerors took advantage from outside early on and held a 30-12 lead at the half.
Greg Humphreys and Tre Tyler added 11 points apiece for Kentwood. Junior post Mike Hartvingson led Bothell with 10 points.
Faces in the Crowd
As is always the case when an event brings this many major Division I prospects together, there were plenty of college coaches in the building to catch a glimpse of the Puget Sound’s brightest stars. Among them;
Lorenzo Romar and Cameron Dollar, Washington; Ken Bone, Portland State; Doug Novsek, Nevada; Nate Pomeday, Oregon State; Travis DeCuire, California.
Members of the University of Washington basketball team – including freshman sensation Isaiah Thomas – made appearances throughout the day, along with WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes and former Sonic Detlef Schrempf.
All-King Holiday Hoopfest
The day’s five most impressive performers;
Alex Schrempf, 6-5, Sr., F, Bellevue – 25 points, 16 rebounds
Keala King, 6-4, Jr., G/F, Dominguez – 27 points, 15 rebounds
Cole Dickerson, 6-7, Jr., F, Federal Way – 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocked shots
Michael Hale, 5-9, Sr., G, Federal Way – 20 points, 3 steals, 2 assists
Chris Holmes, 6-3, Sr., G. Franklin – 18 points, 2 steals
Notes
LSU-bound Rainier Beach senior Aaron Dotson wasn’t anywhere near 100 percent on his injured left knee. A powerful wing player, Dotson was reluctant to attack off the drive…Dominguez 6-9 sophomore Norvel Pelle didn’t start and played sparingly for the Dons but registered the dunk of the day with a two-hand cram in traffic against Rainier Beach…Like Dotson, Garfield’s Tony Wroten Jr. wasn’t completely back to form after spraining an ankle in a game last week. His long layoff due to his battle with the Seattle School District over eligibility didn’t look to have helped his conditioning…Franklin has a freshman to watch in Anrio Adams. The 6-3 guard/wing scored seven points and is a perfect fit in the attacking, hustling style that head coach Jason Kerr’s Quakers have come to be known for…Franklin doesn’t have a player in its rotation over 6-3 but outrebounded a much taller Garfield squad 37-35.
Morning Games: (Girls) Kentwood 75, Bellarmine Prep 48; King’s 59, Bellevue Christian 52
