East Lansing Silences Sold-Out Kalamazoo Central Crowd, Claims Wooden Mitten 68–39

East Lansing Poses for a team photo after their regional final win Thursday night. Photo by Chris Carpenter | Team TBM

I arrived at the gym nearly an hour before tipoff and was immediately greeted by signs announcing the game was sold out. Even that early, the gym was already close to full, and the energy inside made it clear this was going to be a special night. The anticipation for this matchup had been building all week, and fans from both sides packed the building to witness it. During warmups, you could tell both teams were locked in and ready for battle.

Tj Terrentine making a drive down the court on a fats paced procession on Thursday night. Photo by Chris Carpenter | Team TBM

The intensity was high from the start. Early in the first quarter, Davier White and KJ Tolbert exchanged three-point baskets to get the scoring started. The Giants opened with a half-court pressing zone defense that applied immediate pressure. That pressure disrupted the Trojans’ offensive rhythm, forcing them to adjust and rely on Kingston Thomas to slow the pace and control the offense. Thomas did exactly that, attacking the paint at key moments and helping stabilize the offense. As the first quarter came to a close, Kalamazoo Central’s Jontee Willhite drove to the basket and finished a layup just before the buzzer sounded, giving the Maroon Giants a slim 15–14 lead.

Mr Basketball candidate Kj Tolbert Photo by Chris Carpenter | Team TBM

The second quarter saw both teams struggle to find consistent scoring. Shots were hard to come by as both defenses tightened up. Despite the offensive drought at times, the game remained competitive with momentum shifting back and forth. By halftime, East Lansing managed to edge ahead and took a 27–22 lead into the locker room. The third quarter belonged to KJ Tolbert. Coming out of halftime, he was aggressive and confident, attacking the basket while also knocking down several well-contested three-pointers. His scoring burst helped East Lansing begin to separate from Kalamazoo Central. Kalamazoo’s offensive focus was to get the ball to Isaiah Theodile, but East Lansing made it difficult for him to even get touches. He still found ways to contribute, scoring on several strong plays under the basket and battling through tough defense. However, the fourth quarter was controlled by East Lansing. They managed the clock effectively and delivered several electrifying dunks that energized their bench and the crowd. The Trojans continued to apply pressure on both ends of the floor and ultimately pulled away. East Lansing left the city of Kalamazoo with an impressive 68–39 victory and took home the Wooden Mitten. East Lansing will face Ann Arbor Pioneer next Tuesday in the Qtr Finals

Play of the Game: Early in the fourth quarter, Kingston Thomas delivered a perfectly timed lob pass to Dequarius Stewart, who finished with a powerful slam dunk. The play immediately ignited the crowd and forced Kalamazoo Central to call an early second-half timeout.

Player of the Game: KJ Tolbert led all scorers with 28 points, including 14 points in the third quarter, where he took over the game and helped East Lansing build its lead.

Carpenter Action Shots – Thoughts From Behind the Camera: I’ve spent over 12 years on the sidelines taking photos, and this game ranks among the most anticipated matchups I’ve ever covered.

East Lansing

KJ Tolbert 28 points

Kingston Thomas 22 points

Dequarius Stewart 8 points

Henry Peck 2 points

Tyree Anthony 2 points

Terry Tyson 2 points

Dillon Stewart 2 points

Mychael Johnson 2 points

Kalamazoo Central

Isaiah Theodile 13 points

Jontee Willhite  8 points

Kam Bean 4 points

TJ Terrentine 3 points

Jonathan Edwards 3 points

Davier White 3 points

Taveon Vaughn 2 points

Tyvaughn Jackson 1 point