ANAHEIM — The Kennedy boys basketball team exploited its clear height advantage against Katella for a 74-66 victory in an Orange Coast League game Wednesday at Katella High School.
Senior Kelvin Paul, who stands 6-foot-5, scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to help the Fighting Irish (18-4, 3-0) take over sole possession of first place in the league standings with their 15th win in a row.
The Knights (12-6, 3-1) rode a nine-game winning streak into the contest.
Also scoring in double figures for the Fighting Irish were Gavin De Guzman and Aiden Calara, who scored 16 and 11, respectively.
Kai Wilson was also a force under the basket, finishing with nine rebounds for Kennedy.
“We were expecting that we would win the battle on the boards because of our height,” Kennedy coach Jose Alvarez said. “I think that we had a few runs there where we had consecutive points scored. We weren’t consistent throughout the whole game, but those little runs, they were a little bit better than their little runs.”
While Kennedy’s plan was to attack the boards and drive to the basket, the Fighting Irish also made their share of 3-pointers.
A pair of 3-pointers from Riley Woo and a 3-pointer from Calara helped Kennedy take an 18-14 lead into the second quarter.
The Knights came back to make the score 20-20 before the Fighting Irish went on a 19-8 run to take an 11-point lead at the half.
After the Fighting Irish pulled ahead by 18 midway through the third quarter, Katella, which had come back from double digits to defeat Garden Grove, 63-61, in a league game on Jan. 8, tried to do the same Wednesday.
The Knights went on a 13-9 run in the third to get to within 11 and then used another short spurt to get to within nine going into the fourth quarter.
Katella got to within six with one-minute, 36 seconds left, but then turned the ball over on a key possession and missed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left that would have cut Kennedy’s lead to four.
Jace Aikins scored 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter to lead the Knights and Dylan Curtis scored nine of his 15 points to try to keep the game close in the fourth.
“They are very tall, very polished and coached very well,” Katella coach Jason Tillman said. “My guys battled. We’re going to regroup and get ready for Godinez on Friday.”
Katella was without Joseph Damian, who averages 12.6 points per game.
“But that’s no excuse,” Tillman said. “My other guys still should have been able to get it done.”
This year’s Fighting Irish team appears to be vastly improved, as last year’s squad finished 7-20 and 0-10 in the Empire League.
Related Articles
High School Sports | Aliso Niguel makes the plays at the end to beat Beckman in Sea View League boys basketball High School Sports | Albano’s Fab 5: Orange County girls basketball standouts last week, Jan. 15 High School Sports | Pasadena basketball coach Tony Brooks feels like he survived a plane crash; hopeful sports return soon High School Sports | Villa Park boys basketball gets blowout win over El Dorado High School Sports | Danny Kennard leads Foothill boys basketball to win over La Habra in Crestview League Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Kennedy boys basketball alone atop Orange Coast League after win over Katella )
Also on site :