South Kitsap dispatches Gators, 77-60

L.P. Neloms score 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half Wednesday night while South Kitsap made 13 of 16 fourth-quarter free throws to knock off Decatur 77-60 in the first round of the West Central District Basketball Tournament.

The win sends the third-ranked Wolves, 21-1, into a Friday night match up against Federal Way at 8 p.m. at Puyallup High School. Federal Way beat Mountain View 81-55 to advance.

The winner of Friday’s game moves into the WCD semifinals and automatically earns a berth in the March 8-11 Class 4A state tournament while the loser falls into a loser-out, winner-to-state game Wednesday.

Decatur plays Mountains in a loser-out game, also Friday night.

With South up 33-28 at halftime, Neloms scored nine quick points to help South build a 12-point third-quarter lead. But Decatur, 18-6, wouldn’t go away, pulling to within six points at the end of the quarter.

But South outscored the Gators 23-14 in the fourth quarter on the strength of its free-throw shooting. Neloms led the Wolves with 18 while Conner Gehring and Ryan Sweet netted 14 each and Josh Monagle added 11. Andrew Kim paced the Gators with 18 while JaRon Brown added 12.

South Kitsap 77, Decatur 60

Score by quarters

Decatur 19 9 18 14 – 60

South Kitsap 18 15 21 23 – 77

Decatur – Marcus Tibbs 6, 1-1 – 7; Andrew Kim 17, 1-2 – 18; Travis Wagner 11, 0-0 – 11; JaRon Brown 12, 0-0 – 12; Darious Walker 8, 2-2 – 10; Tristan Gamble 0, 0-0 – 0; Kurt Cortez 2, 0-0 – 2; Michael Oates 0, 0-0 – 0; Cam Schilling 0, 0-0 – 0; Alex Lewis 0, 0-0 – 0; Aaron Greelee 0, 0-0 – 0. Team totals: 56, 4-5 – 60.

South KItsap – Conner Gehring 9, 5-7 – 14; Tippy Burk 0, 6-6 – 6; LP Neloms 12, 6-7 – 18; Ryan Sweet 14, 0-1 – 14; Josh Monagle 10, 1-2 – 11; Tysasiah Curry 7, 0-0 – 7; Evan Atwater 2, 1-1 – 3; Joe Pisa 0, 0-0 – 0; Dan Nelson 2, 0-0 – 2; Kris Carlson 0, 0-0 – 0; Garrett Boone 2, 0-0 – 2; Jared Privatt 0, 0-0 – 0. Team totals: 58, 19-24 – 77.

Three-point field goals: Kim, Wagner 3, Gehring, Curry.

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