2A BOYS: Seniors Kidd, Russell reach goal, lead Needles to state title

Stevie Kidd and Darra Russell met in a teary-eyed embrace, two seniors whose quest for a Class 2A boys basketball state championship had finally reached a happy ending.

The moment came after the duo combined for 52 points to lead Needles (Calif.) to an 81-78 win over Agassi Prep in the 2A state title game Saturday at the Orleans Arena.

“We were just very excited, emotional and a lot of things else,” Kidd said of the postgame moment. “It was our last year, two seniors. We really wanted this the most.”

The Mustangs lost in last year’s state final, 78-69 to Lincoln County.

And their hopes this year weren’t helped by an upset loss to Agassi Prep in the title game of last week’s 2A Southern League tournament.

But Needles (31-6) bounced back to eliminate North No. 1 seed Incline in Friday’s semifinal, then improved to 3-1 on the season against Agassi Prep on Saturday.

“Them beating us last weekend fired us up a little bit,” Needles coach Jeff Plank said. “We didn’t get the small trophy, but we got the big trophy.”

Kidd scored 27 points and Russell 25 for Needles, which won its first state crown since 2002.

Kidd left the game with a sprained left ankle late in the third quarter, but had it taped and was back for the fourth. He was helped off the floor by teammates and emerged from the locker room with ice wrapped around his ankle.

“(Kidd) did not want to come out, and there’s no way I’m going to take him out,” Plank said. “They’re going to have to drag him out of the game if he was going to come out.

“That just shows his character, and the character of our team.”

Michael Hills added 13 points for Needles.

Agassi Prep (17-11) led 70-66 early in the fourth quarter, but Needles responded with a 13-5 run.

A layup by Jacoby Whitehead pulled the Stars within 80-78 in the final 10 seconds, but the Mustangs took an 81-78 lead on a free throw by Russell with 8.3 seconds left.

DeShawn Battle’s attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer rimmed out just before time expired.

Quincy Brown had 22 points and 16 rebounds (12 offensive) to lead Agassi Prep. Dimitri Amos had 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Battle (14) and Aerontay Shepherd (12) also scored in double figures for Agassi Prep, which lost despite sizable advantages in rebounding (60-39) and bench points (19-0).

Battle sat out the entire third quarter after picking up three fouls by halftime. Starting center James Turner fouled out, and Whitehead had four fouls.

“It effected us greatly who I could play,” Agassi Prep coach David Claerbaut said of the foul trouble. “What substitutions were made were made dictated more by fouls than strategy.”

The Stars enjoyed a historic season, reaching the state title game their first year in 2A after competing as an independent last season.

Andre Agassi himself was in attendance Saturday to cheer on the school he founded in 2001.

“It’s really very painful for these kids because they’ve achieved so much,” Claerbaut said. “In a week, these youngsters will realize that they’ve taken Agassi to heights that no one could believe would happen in their first (2A) year.

“There will be a really sweet feeling about this season. Incomplete, yes, but there will be a lot of happiness about what they achieved.”

The Stars must replace five seniors, including four starters.

Needles will lose four seniors.

“You expect seniors to play well in their last game, and they did,” Plank said. “You don’t see a lot of high school teams with 31 wins and playing 37 games. It’s an amazing trip that we went through.”