Sophomore JaQuaya Miller had 27 points and 17 rebounds and freshman Jordyn Jenkins added 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Chargers wore down Glacier Peak for a 60-46 win.
TACOMA — Everyone at the Tacoma Dome knew about Nathan Hale’s Porter brothers.
Perhaps a few less had heard about Kentridge’s.
Sophomore JaQuaya Miller and freshman Jordyn Jenkins, who call themselves “the female Porter brothers,” combined to score 44 of the Chargers’ 60 points and grabbed 29 rebounds as the duo led Kentridge to the program’s first championship with a 60-46 victory over Glacier Peak in the Class 4A state title game at the Tacoma Dome.
“Me and my brother got it,” Miller said. “We’re the female Porter brothers. I’m Michael. I’m older, she’s younger. She’s Jontay Porter.”
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The comparison was apt after Saturday night’s game. Doing their best impression of the brothers, two of the top-ranked recruits in the nation, Miller had a double-double by the end of the first half. She finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds for No. 7 Kentridge (26-5) and Jenkins added 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Chargers wore down the Grizzlies late in a physical game.
“We’re really confident in our posts, obviously,” Kentridge coach Bob Sandall said. “We’ve really come around to figuring out that that’s our best bet a lot of times to score.”
The duo almost out-rebounded Glacier Peak by themselves, with the Grizzlies holding a slim 32-29 lead. As a team, Kentridge out-rebounded Glacier Peak 55-32.
“They’re just amazing teammates, as well as post players,” said Kentridge senior Tresai McCarver, who grabbed nine rebounds herself. “… We look to them all the time. They’re the heart of our team, and it’s just great to have them as teammates.”
Kentridge fought for every rebound from the start.
“JaQuaya and (Jenkins) were beasts on the board,” Glacier Peak coach Brian Hill said. “… They have two really good, really big posts, and that was a problem for us.”
Glacier Peak raced out to a quick 5-0 lead before the Chargers responded with a 13-2 run. Kentridge stayed out in front until the Grizzlies tied the score just before halftime.
Then Kentridge made its move.
Led by Miller and Jenkins, Kentridge worked the ball inside and began to pull away late in the title game. Miller was named the Class 4A all-tournament team MVP and Jenkins joined her teammate on the first team.
“I was just hungry for every rebound,” Jenkins said. “Every chance I saw the ball, I wanted it. I wanted to get it.”
It was the seniors that led the way for Glacier Peak, which earned its highest finish in program history in its first season in Class 4A after moving up a classification. Kayla Watkins led No. 3 Glacier Peak (24-2) with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Samantha Fatkin scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Paisley Johnson added 11 points for the Grizzlies.
Johnson was named to the all-tournament first team with Fatkin and Watkins honored as second-team selections.
“They’ve set so many records for this program,” Hill said. “ … We’re setting record after record after record and that tells you what these girls are all about. I think half the state – 4A people – probably didn’t even know who we were before this year. I’m really proud of them.”
Class 4A all-tournament team
First team
JaQuaya Miller, Kentridge (MVP)
Paisley Johson, Glacier Peak
Shalyse Smith, Bellarmine Prep
Jordyn Jenkins, Kentridge
Lexie Hull, Central Valley
Second team
Morgan Gary, Kentridge
Jamie Loera, Moses Lake
Emilee Maldonado, Sunnyside
Sam Fatkin, Glacier Peak
Kayla Watkins, Glacier Peak