TACOMA – Cam Cranston didn’t get the state championship trophy he wanted. But he earned the respect of a rival.
Darius Lubom darted between people in a narrow Tacoma Dome hallway. When the Kentwood senior reached the Union locker room, he shook Cranston’s hand.
“I respect the hell out of you,” Lubom said.
The Kentwood and Union boys basketball teams played three games against each other this season. It took two-and-a-half games before the Conquerors could contain the Class 4A state player of the year.
Kentwood beat Union 81-61 in the 4A state championship game Saturday. After a close first half, the Conquerors outscored Union 44-22 in the second half.
A halftime adjustment changed the game. Kentwood sent Lubom, a quick-yet-physical 6-foot guard, to defend Cranston. With the help of teammates who incessantly double-teamed the Union star, Cranston scored just two points in the second half.
The scoring chances that Cranston used to score 20 first-half points vanished in the second half. Even a half-court at the end of the third quarter was tightly guarded by two defenders.
“I just need a little bit of space,” Cranston said. “They really took away that space. It was hard to get shots off in the second half.”
Cranston scored 28 points when Union beat Kentwood 76-69 on Dec. 10. He had 20 points in the semifinals of the bi-district tournament, which Kentwood won 75-71.
“They focused on Cam more today than they ever had,” Union coach Blake Conley said. “I thought putting Lubom on Cam in the second half was a good adjustment by them.”
Lubom knew he needed to be at his best against Cranston, who averaged 21.7 points in three state tournament games and was named MVP of the 4A tournament.
“He made me better defensively,” Lubom said. “He made me compete. That’s why I respect him as a player.”
