By Gerardo Bolong

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ricky Bell III’s driving lay up was the last drop in the basket, giving the Mt. Rainier boys basketball team a stirring 50-48 NPSL 4A win against visiting Kentlake on Sat., Jan. 18.

After Nahom Negusiea scored a backdoor basket for the Falcons with nine seconds left in the fourth quarter, the teams appeared to be heading for overtime in a 48-48 deadlock.

The Rams inbounded from back court and Bell drove quickly at the basket to bank home a close-in shot as three seconds showed.

Kentlake was unable to muster up a final shot.

Bell’s bucket capped his 13 points in the quarter as well as closing out a game high 24 points.

”I knew that if I got fouled, I would get free throws because we were in the bonus, so I just drove,” said Bell. “I talked to my team about getting rebounds and we had a lot of steals. I made some shots and knew I was hot. We just needed a spark.”

Kole Lerwick’s fadeaway jump shot plus five straight points from Bell closed out the first quarter in a 13-6 Ram lead.

Kentlake took charge of the offensive rebounding while Mt. Rainier forced errant passes into a tough interior defense for 10 consecutive KL points in a strong second quarter opening to lead 16-13.

Tied at 21-all later in the quarter, the resurgent Rams went into halftime with a 24-21 lead after sophomore guard Sarbatt Singh scored from outside ahead of a Juliann Rahn three-point play.

Third quarter action eerily resembled the start of the second quarter in a 9-0 Falcon surge.

Kentlake later extended its lead to 33-26 on a Tyler Thompson three-pointer.

Robert Wright converted an offensive rebound into a Ram score before Navi Singh added a basket from three-point land to draw MR closer at 33-31.

Trailing 35-31 heading into the fourth quarter, Mt. Rainier stayed close on the play of Lerwick and Bell.

Colin Eversole produced a three-point play to lengthen the Falcon lead to 43-37 with 4:43 on the clock, but Bell responded again in a lights out performance for the Rams.

Bell kept the Rams relevant on a pair of three-balls sandwiched around a key Isaiah Fulmore rebound as the score was tied at 43-43.

Eversole drained a three-pointer for Kentlake, but Sarbatt Singh scored on a lay up.

Turnover exchanges ran rampant as the Falcons clutched a 46-45 advantage.

Wright was fouled in the lane and made two free throws to push MR ahead, 47-46.

After forcing a Kentlake turnover, the Rams set up a clear out play for Bell who was fouled while attacking the basket with 26 seconds left.

Bell made the first of two free throw chances to make the score 48-46.

KL called a full time out to set up the backdoor basket by Negusiea in an ever tightening scenario.

Mt. Rainier stands atop the Cascade Division at 8-1 ahead of Kentwood (7-1) and is 10-5 overall. Kentlake fell into a 6-3 tie for third with Kentridge.

”I liked our defense from the start,” said Ram head coach Brandon Horstman. Our defense ignited our offense...The struggle is to play physical without fouling. Ricky was there for us when we needed him. When we needed a steal, he was there. When we needed a basket, he was there. When we needed a rebound, he was there. We’re fortunate to have such a great player.”

Lerwick worked his way for nine points with Sarbatt Singh at seven. Wright closed out at four. Navi Singh and Julian Rahn had three points apiece.

Eversole contributed 14 Falcon points. Sam Morasch and Isiah Cole posted 10 points each while Jaleel Walton notched nine.

Next up for the Rams is a Wed., Jan. 22, visit to Kent Meridian ahead of a Fri., Jan. 24 trip to Kentridge.