Wildkats dethrone Kings, 57-32
Kokomo boys' basketball squad improves to 14-4 in front of packed house
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The Lewis Cass Kings rolled into Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 28, hoping to test their mettle against the Kokomo Wildkats and hoops phenom Flory Bidunga. They quickly found out that the hype surrounding the Kokomo squad is real, as the Kats prevailed 57-32 in a contest that was never in doubt.
Cass employed a strategy to stop Bidunga, swarming the 6’ 10” junior every time he touched the ball. The ploy was wholly unsuccessful, as the big man led all scorers with 18 points and 12 rebounds to go along with eight blocks.
The other Wildkats on the court benefitted from the strategy as well. Senior Patrick Hardimon found himself open quite often and capitalized by scoring 14 points. Fellow senior Shayne Spear added 10 points and nine rebounds.
As a team, Kokomo shot successfully 46 percent of the time; a number hampered by a cold night from behind the three-point arc. The Kats connected just five times on 21 attempts from long range. But the missed opportunities didn’t hurt the home team against a Lewis Cass team that simply was outclassed by their larger opponents.
The Kings did find the basket enough to keep the score respectable. They kept pace with Kokomo in the second half, only trailing 23-21 after a bruising first half that saw them score just 11 points to Kokomo’s 34.
Tyson Good was the top scorer for Lewis Cass with nine points. L.J. Hillis was their top defensive force with six rebounds and seven points.
The win puts the Wildkats’ record at 14-4 for the season and extended their current winning streak to seven games. Their last loss came on Dec. 30. Coupled with a win against Lafayette Jefferson on Jan. 27, the winning weekend might push Kokomo up the rankings from its current Class 4A No. 7 slot.
The Kings fell to 10-6 on the season and risk losing their No. 15 ranking in Class 2A.
See these photos and many more on the Kokomo Lantern’s Facebook page and group, including galleries devoted to both teams and a gallery featuring the Kokomo Cheerleaders’ Kitty Camp.
See a photo you’d like to have hanging on your wall or filling your scrapbook? Contact us by emailing kokomolantern@gmail.com. Photographer Jenn Goad will work with you to purchase your own copy!