Bring it on!

Bring on double teams to stop this guy, or, at times, bring on the dreaded "triple," and, still Todd Beamer's 6-8 senior post, Kevin Davis, is going to get things done as he still tied for game-high scorer (with Napa Mefi) for 16 points, passed out a game-high six assists and hauled down 18 boards, in a 71-57 Titans beating of road foe Rogers on Thursday.

The Titans' record is something to quack about, 9-3 in the South Puget Sound League South Division, 11-5 overall. That, by the way, is just ahead of rival Decatur, whom the Titans match up with one more time this season in what could decide second place in the league. Should be a gym-burner as the Titans go to Gator country after having won the first season meeting at their Titans house, 70-63, back on Jan. 12.

But there's a game before that, critically important for the Titans, too.

Puyallup, a team that beat the visiting Titans, 81-61, in the first season meeting on Jan. 5 is before Decatur. And that game looms large, too, as for the second place winner -- Decatur or Beamer -- it will mean better seeding into the league and district tournaments coming early February. That is why second place is better than third.

"We have to win Saturday at home against Puyallup and then we play Decatur on Tuesday," said Titans head coach Brent Brilhante. "Do that and we are second place in the South all by our lonesome."

Davis is such a player, as his game is great, he doesn't seem to mind that he's a fifth year senior and seems to play right through when crowds chant things like "A,B,C,D....Y,Z."

His resolve and unfazed ability stems, perhaps, from, believe it or not, being cut from the Titans basketball team when he was gangly sophomore.

Didn't getting cut faze Davis? Discourage him from wanting to even play basketball maybe even?

"It made me go and work harder," said Davis.

Maybe time for a quote: That which does not destroy you will make you stronger.

What does Brilhante have to say about Davis?

"He is a great team player and is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet," said Brilhante.

And, besides being a great character guy and unselfish on the court, Davis is so skilled on the hardwood, especially with the basketball.

All game long, he was tipping the ball around over others' heads, like the Rogers fans in the Titan gym scoffing at his every nice tap to a teammate of an offensive or defensive rebound. His pretty moves that just cause eyes to gawk, especially when he goes above the rim for an alley-oop, off a nice feed from point guard Terrell Loggins or Vlad Aficiuc.

The score was 15-4, Titans, after the first quarter. And Davis only scored three points, way below his leading SPSL South scoring average of 22 points per game. (Jerron Smith of Decatur is second with 21.5 ppg). So, what was Davis doing instead? A lot. All game long.

Boards, assists, as earlier said, finding teammates out on the perimeter like Napa Mefi, the 5th best scorer in the SPSL South, not far behind Davis and Smith), with 16 ppg.

So, with the huge lead early, the Titans would get complacent, at least that is how their coach, Brilhante called the comebacks in this game by Rogers, which came in the second quarter, the third quarter and even the fourth quarter, as Rogers came from a lot of points down in each sequence to make a game of things.

"Most of their runs were mental breakdowns," said Brilhante.

Score was 17-6 with 7:00 showing on the scoreboard as Davis scored off a putback to give the Titans a second 11-point lead early in the game. But that would be the end of that as Rogers' Derek Jobe knocked down four straight three pointers inbetween a couple Titans Vlad Aficiuc baskets to keep Beamer ahead.

And, see those moments were key things to happen as Davis was hog-tied from the triple teams, other guys needed to step up in this game for the Titans...

And others did!

Vlad was the first that stepped up his game, getting six points in the second quarter to keep the Titans with still a 23-18 lead even after Jobe hit four straights three-pointers. Vlad also was contributing two points in the first quarter and two more in the fourth quarter for a 10 point game. And that all was from coming off the bench.

Titans' Terelle Loggins, who did start but did not score the first quarter nor the second, lit things up in the third quarter.

Brightly, the 6-0 point guard drove the lane, out of halftime's 32-25 Titans lead, with key scores. First, Loggins, with the score 32-29 after a Jobe make for Rogers, dribbled into the lane and scored at the 4:30 mark to make it, 36-29. Then, with Rogers nearly making what would be a miraculous comeback more than once in this game, Loggins scored again to make it 45-34. And, yes, Davis made a couple putbacks in this third quarter scoring melee, too. But others were contributing too!

Maybe the coach deserves the credit for Loggins' sudden inspired play?

"Coach didn't start me and Mefi at the start of the second quarter. Coach said our energy was down and that we needed to be aggressive," said Loggins, who transfered to Todd Beamer from Spanaway Lake playing ball and going to school last year.

"It's good here," said Loggins, adding, 'We are building chemistry. Over there (at Spanaway Lake), I was having to do a lot. Here I don't have to do so much because we have other scorers."

So, Loggins contributed nicely in the third quarter, led his team with six
points that frame, and, from there, it was Mefi doing some good work in the fourth quarter as soon to be seen.

"Napa has the green light and so does Terrell, if he's going off the dribble," said Brilhante.

Their aggressive play coming on after what sounds like was a good talking to from their coach was needed. Without it, the Rams probaby would have pulled this win out of the hat. But no, because Mefi took over for Loggins with a key drive with the score, 56-49, with still five minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Mefi made it 60-49 on the second nice mid-range jumper, doing a good job of seeing his three-point shooting was not on and making the most of his other good repertoire of shooting. He was 0-for-6 from three point range through the first three quarters and didn't even take a trey in the fourth frame. Mefi's free throw shooting was strong in absence of his usual three-point shooting success, he went 6-for-6 from the stripe.

Brilhante had some words for his team before this game started, what he calls his "quote of the day."

Which was: If you are going to be a successful duck hunter, you have to know where the ducks are.

Uh, OK?

"I have no idea why I said that one," said Brilhante, pausing and then saying, "We are trying to set ourselves up for the best case scenario getting far in the state tournament. Pretty much it's asking us (the coaches) to tell them what to do."

One thing the Titans need less of is turnovers. They were ahead 15-4 after the first quarter but turned the ball over more times, five, than the Rams, four. For the game, the Rams won the turnover battle, getting 18 from the Titans while only committing 14 themselves.

With Loggins, Aficiucs, Max and Vlad, in the backcourt being good ballhandlers, it seems that they can decrease that turnover number, and, one other guy off the bench, Lorenzo Holcomb, who took a good offensive charge in the midst of one of the Rams' many comebacks

in this game, can also add to that defensive ball handling prowess.

Loggins knows that is something this team can do.

"We make some pretty bad decisions," said Loggins.

Why?

"I don't know, to be honest," said Loggins, who scored one point less than the leaders, Mefi and Davis, in this game. Loggins mostly drove the lane for his 15 points, but also would pass the ball off driving and have turnovers. He had four himself in this game, maybe part of the reason he was benched after the first quarter. But he had help (turning the ball over) with the Aficiucs doing their share of that damage.

Enough said.

The season is fast approaching state for all our teams, including current 4A No. 1 ranked Federal Way with Cole Dickerson leading that team in scoring for the SPSL North, 25 ppg, not to mention, that leads the North and South. The Titans are looking good, again, as they went to state last year, but they lost to Walla Walla in their opener and that was their chance of going far.

So, a lot of season left after the postseason and there really is only maybe one question that could make or break the rest of the Titans 2009-2010 season...

Where are those ducks?