KELSO — When it’s your first 3A Greater St. Helens League loss since the 2015-’16 season, such as Prairie’s boys basketball team endured in Tuesday’s defeat at Kelso High School, the postgame talk took longer than usual.
And when the Falcons’ players and coaches emerged from the visitors’ locker room after 22 minutes following their 58-45 loss to the Hilanders, longtime head coach Kyle Brooks didn’t waste time sugarcoating details.
“They mentally and physically dominated us,” Brooks said. “They did.”
A lot of that came from Kelso’s 6-foot-5 junior post, Shaw Anderson, who did his damage in the interior, in addition to the Hilanders having a strong second half after just a one-point halftime lead.
Anderson finished with a game-best 29 points and nine rebounds. And whether it was his signature spin move or altering shots on the defensive end, Anderson helped Kelso improve to 5-0 (11-3 overall) and most importantly, have the inside track to the 3A GSHL title as the first half of league play wrapped up Tuesday.
The Falcons (4-1 league) dropped to second place, but can still clinch a share of the league title with a win over Kelso at Prairie on Feb. 2 if both teams win the rest of their league games.
But Tuesday’s loss snapped a 14-game league winning streak that dated back to the 2015-16 season when Columbia River last handed Prairie a 3A GSHL defeat. Last season, Prairie went undefeated in league, and this season, like Kelso, Prairie began league play 4-0.
As for Tuesday, the 45 points scored is a season low.
“We were all over the place,” senior Dante Heitschmidt said, “and didn’t find a rhythm and stick to it. That was a big key.”
“We just didn’t play well as a team.”
While the defeat stung for Prairie, it was equally thrilling for Kelso and longtime coach Joe Kinch. The Hilanders last defeated Prairie in the 2010-’11 season.
Prairie led once in the game — at 18-17 — on guard Kam Osborn’s 3-pointer that came in the later stage of the second quarter, but the biggest thorn in Prairie’s side all night was Anderson.
He scored six straight points after that 18-17 Prairie advantage, including his low-post spin move on back-to-back possessions, and Kelso never relinquished its lead.
Prairie prepared for Anderson — “we talked about him all week,” said Heitschmidt, who finished with a team-best 15 points for Prairie. “We did everything we could to work on him. He’s good.”
Heitschmidt had nine of his 15 in the third quarter and helped keep Prairie within striking distance. His second 3 of the quarter pulled Prairie within 38-35 inside 90 seconds left in the quarter and Kam Osborn (14 points), who was scoreless in the third, cut it to 42-38 with his first points of the second half to open the fourth.
But Prairie got no closer.
Matthew Kogler fouled out with 7 points with 4 minutes to go in the game as Anderson’s 3-point play pushed Kelso’s lead to 50-42. That was part of an 8-0 run for Kelso.
Brooks said he knows his team, especially the seniors’ leadership, he added, will respond with the second half of league play beginning Friday hosting Evergreen.
“I know they can,” he said. “Tonight wasn’t their best night. I’m awfully proud of who they are. They will respond in a very positive fashion for our team.”
KELSO 58, PRAIRIE 45
KELSO — Spencer Davis 0, Emmitt Kinch 9, Riley Noah 12, Peyton Noah 0, Reece Tack 4, Anders Gamble 3, Shaw Anderson 29, Jon Bowlby 1. Totals 17 (6) 18-20 58.
PRAIRIE — Dante Heitschmidt 15, Kam Osborn 14, Braiden Broadbent 2, Zeke Dixson 2, Thomas Hapgood 0, AJ Dixson 3, Logan Reed 2, Matthew Kogler 7. Totals 15 (4) 7-11 45
Prairie 9 13 13 10—45
Kelso 15 8 19 16—58
