The Trojans opened up the regular season tournament play with a first-place finish when the Park Hill boys’ basketball team (4-0) won all three of its contests in the Liberty North Invitational Tournament.
Park Hill junior Kendrick Bell had 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists in the Trojans 68-54 win over Central on Dec. 9.
Park Hill started the tournament off on Dec. 6 when it defeated Olathe East (0-3) 73-57. The Trojans were in a tight contest in the opening half, only leading 36-33, before holding the Hawks to just five points in the third period.
Park Hill led 58-38 entering the final quarter and cruised to the victory when the Bell brothers combined for 40 points. Kendrick had a game-high 24 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Marqueas dropped 16 points, grabbed three boards and had two steals.
“There are a lot of talented basketball players on our team from top to bottom,” Park Hill head coach Chad Jones said. “These guys can run and they can shoot; they’ve been in the gym for a long time, so credit to them for how they’ve been playing to start the season.”
On Dec. 9, Park Hill matched up against St. Joseph Central (0-4) and fell behind early as the Indians took a 12-4 lead in the opening quarter. The Trojans battled back and took a 17-13 lead at the end of the first period.
With 5:29 remaining in the second quarter, the Indians and Trojans were knotted at 17 before a Marqueas Bell 3-pointer sparked a 15-0 Park Hill run. Ty Schreck scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half and Park Hill led 34-21 at the break.
The Trojans converted on 16 of their 21 attempts from the charity stripe and sailed to a 68-54 victory. The Bell brothers were both one rebound away from a double-double as Marqueas finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Kendrick scored 15 points and snagged nine rebounds.
“We didn’t come out hustling or playing with any type of energy and we let their best player get going to help them take an early lead. Give them credit, they were playing hard from the tip, and we need to look at ourselves and get a little bit better,” Jones said.
In Park Hill’s final game in the tournament on Dec. 10, the Trojans took down Basehor-Linwood (2-2) 58-34. The Trojans jumped out to a 21-point lead at the break and didn’t step off the throttle in the second half.
Luke Renton was on fire from downtown as the senior knocked down five of his seven attempts from downtown, along with seven of his nine total field goal attempts, to score 19 points. Marqueas Bell finished with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals to help the Trojans become tournament champions.
“It feels good, and the team is happy anytime you can win games. We have a lot of talent in the locker room and we’re trying to figure out the best way to use it and I think ultimately we will get everything solved and have a really good season,” Jones said.
The Trojans will look to continue their undefeated start to the season when they host defending Class 6 Champions in Kickapoo on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. for Park Hill’s second home game of the season.