Prep boys' basketball: Big man leads Grizzlies past Hawks

Jan. 14, 2006

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

HOUSTON - According to a sponsor's sign hanging in the Houston gym, &#8220Fireworks make people happy.” But few in the home crowd were smiling after the dazzling display put on by Grace Christian's Kellan Moll Friday night.

Moll lit up the Hawks for a game-high 17 points - including 15 in the first half - as the Grizzlies routed the Hawks 65-34 in South Central Conference action.

The Grizzlies' 6-foot-7-inch center actually outscored Houston in the first half by himself, while also cleaning up on rebounds and altering Houston shots on the defensive end. Moll finished the game with nine rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals in just 20 minutes of play.

After the game, Moll credited his teammates with recognizing mismatches down low and getting him the ball in a position to score.

&#8220Our outside guys looked inside really well,” he said. &#8220We were very patient.”

Houston coach David Porter used both man-to-man and zone defense to slow down Grace's offense, but could do little against the big, athletic Grizzlies.

&#8220We tried to mix it up a bit,” Porter said. &#8220But you're probably looking at the best 3A team in the state.”

Porter said his team worked so hard on defense that it made it difficult for the Hawks to get good looks at the basket when they had the ball on offense.

&#8220You spend so much effort on defense that it's hard on the other end,” he said.

Houston was not good from the floor, shooting just 26 percent on the night.

&#8220We've gotta make some shots if we want to win,” Porter said.

Donovan Parker was the only Hawks player in double figures, picking up 11 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. Tyler Strickland came off the bench to contribute seven points and four rebounds in limited action, while Phillip Lestenkoff dropped a couple three-pointers for six points. Ryan Thamm led all players with six assists.

Leif Karlberg scored 10 points for Grace, which is 7-1 on the year overall. The Grizzlies' only loss came to 4A power Wasilla in triple-overtime.

Lestenkoff gave Houston the early 5-4 lead with his first triple of the game before Grace went on a 7-2 run to close out the opening quarter. The Grizzlies then started to pull away in the second, outscoring Houston 20-7. The Hawks nearly got a lift at the end of the half when Coco Fredericks hit a long three at the buzzer. But the officials ruled the shot got off too late, much to the displeasure of the home fans.

Grace continued to pour it on in the third, getting out to a 51-21 lead before emptying the bench in the fourth quarter.

Despite taking a tough loss against a powerful team to open the conference season, Porter said he thinks his team will fare well as the season rolls along.

&#8220I think we're going to be very competitive,” he said. &#8220I think it's going to be a battle for the top two spots.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at

352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com