Auburn boys basketball wins seventh straight

When Auburn High School boys basketball head coach Ryan Hansen took his team to California this winter break, it was to prepare them for battles like they just had against Kentwood.

The Trojans won their 14th game this season and 11th straight game inside Washington state with a 75-57 victory over the Conquerors on the road Jan. 14.

“I’m just proud of the way the guys competed against a good Kentwood team … We won the game on the defensive end of the floor. Our kids did a great job on knowing their personnel and executing their assignments. That’s what won us the game,” Hansen said.

Auburn’s defense rose to the occasion and their supporting cast got the job done late. Most impressively, it was the emergence of Miles Henry in the second half that was a big difference for the Trojans.

“Miles was huge tonight on both sides of the floor…We’ve seen that Miles, he’s at his best when he plays with energy and is talking. … He played a hell of a game tonight,” Hansen said.

Henry had made just three three-pointers all season. But he made three in the win over Kentwood, and two came in the second half. Henry finished with 25 points and scored 18 points in the second half.

“I love to compete. Every time I get a chance to compete, I am going to work my hardest,” Henry said. “I am always comfortable with the ball. When I have the ball, it feels like everything slows down and I can see everything on the court. Then I can get the best shot for me and my teammates.”

Auburn’s Isaiah Englund brought it on offense with 16 points, but also played shut-down defense, according to Hansen.

“He did a really good job executing his help (defense). We had an assignment for him, and he did a great job helping us on early drives when we were beat,” Hansen said.

The two sides were in a tight contest in the first half, but in the final seconds, Daniel Johnson and Carter Hansen hit three-pointers to bolster the Trojans’ lead to 10 points at 35-25. Seemingly insignificant shots swung momentum massively in favor of Auburn.

“Anytime you can stretch a lead, especially going into half, is big,” Hansen said.

There was a presence missing from the Trojans as well. Chase Mentink was still listed on the roster as of Jan. 14, but Hansen said he is no longer with the Trojans.

In the second half, the Trojans were extremely pesky. The lead was never less than eight. Whenever Kentwood seemed to be building momentum on a Brandon Tagle three or Corey Tita and-one, the Trojans answered the bell.

“I feel like we just come tough. We come and we work as hard as we can… We always bring that chip on our shoulder, every game we come to,” Henry said.

The atmosphere was loud, the Kentwood band was rocking, and the tone was set for as close to a playoff atmosphere in mid-January as it could be. Auburn wasn’t fazed and even thrived in an environment like that.

“Kentwood’s got a loud gym and we talked that it is going to be a playoff game. It’s going to do a 32-plus minute game, focused fight. California really prepared us for games like this. You’re not playing in loud gyms, but you’re playing tough physical teams and play well for 32 minutes,” Hansen said.

Auburn normally is a hyper-aggressive full court press defense. But against the Conks, Hansen’s side switched up their tendency and dug in with their half-court defense. Kentwood turned the ball over countless times on meaningful possessions, costing them the game in the end — and winning the game for the Trojans.

“Typically we are known for going out and getting after teams with our pressure. We kind of did the opposite of that tonight. We focused on keeping their guys in front of us,” Hansen said.

Mount Rainier travels to Auburn to take on the Trojans on Jan. 17 for their next matchup.