Auburn basketball survives against Kentwood

Published 2:05 pm Thursday, January 15, 2026

Auburn High School basketball has become the gold standard in the NPSL in terms of basketball excellence. The Trojans were pushed to the brink for the second time this season against Kentwood (8-6), but again found answers, as they swept aside the Conquerors in the season series for a 60-56 win on Jan. 13.

“We defended better and were a little tougher in the second half, especially down the stretch and in the fourth quarter. That’s what ultimately won the game for us, obviously we had guys made plays,” head coach Ryan Hansen said.

Newcomer Leroy Kinnay, a transfer from Auburn Riverside, rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter with a team-high six points in the quarter. He also had two game-altering steals on the defensive end to help clinch the win for the Trojans.

“He’s really long and lanky and obviously a great athlete. It was important to Leroy to win,” Hansen said. “He just adds another dimension, another long player that wants to get out there and compete.”

Kinnay picked up Kentwood point guard Brandon Tagle and guarded him individually for the majority of the game and held him to 18 points. Kinnay took the 40% transfer rule, which was instituted this offseason. If a player transfers, they can elect to sit out 40% of that season before being eligible.

“Now I am finally here and just because it is a good school, I still have to work my butt off because anyone can take my spot,” Kinnay said. “I proved that I can be out here and guard the best player in the state.”

In the first half, Kentwood largely outplayed Auburn. The Conks at one point in the second quarter held an 11 point advantage over Auburn and held the Trojans to just 24 points the entire first half.

Auburn needed a spark and in the third quarter, that came in the form of Isaiah Englund. The 6’8” junior was the hot hand in the first four minutes of the second half, scoring nine points in the quarter, and sent a jolt through the Trojan lineup.

“He was being more aggressive, looking to get to the basket and put pressure on the defense,” Hansen said.

In the second half, Hansen’s defense got back to the form they are used to. Not a single Kentwood player was able to score more than one field goal in one quarter of play. Kentwood’s Tagle was held to seven, and Bail was held to six in the entirety of the second half.

The Trojans took a 43-42 lead into the fourth quarter off the back of Englund, and five points from Daniel Johnson helped generate some momentum for the Trojans.

Despite having the lead, Auburn left a lot of points off the board in the first three quarters. From the free throw line, Auburn finished the game 8 of 14 (57%). In the first three quarters, Auburn went 4 of 8 before Johnson and Kinnay went 4 of 4 combined in the fourth quarter from the free throw line.

“It could be a lack of focus. I thought part of our slow start was we didn’t have great energy before the game. Credit to Kentwood, they came out and punched us in the mouth,” Hansen said. “You gotta have guys that have the clutch gene and can step up and see it through. Leroy and DJ stepped up when we needed them most.”

Being good at free throws is a detail oriented skill, and it was uncharacteristic of Auburn to have that low of a percentage from the charity stripe.

Kentwood tied the game at 49 with 3:49 left in the game on a Jacob Bail three-pointer, his fourth of the game. Johnson responded with his fourth three on the very next possession to give Auburn the lead once more.

Englund extended the lead to 54-51 on a lay-in with 2:23 remaining, but Brandon Tagle tied the game at 54 on a three-pointer inside of two minutes to go.

Then with 1:35 left, Kinnay tipped a pass to the back court and had to chase down the ball, narrowly avoiding the boundary under the basket. The senior ducked and dodged Kentwood defenders to make an impressive basket to give Auburn a lead they’d never give up.

“I just have to hustle every play, I just had to get this ball. I ran full speed, caught it, hop-step and floated it in. I was just praying it goes in. It just brought us energy and we knew we could win this one,” Kinnay said.

Hansen was close to calling a timeout if Kinnay lost his balance, but he was able to regain control and finish the play.

Auburn is back in action on Jan. 15 as they host Mount Rainier.