Bullpups trip up LC girls
UPDATED, 10:15 p.m.
The Gonzaga Prep girls basketball team, behind 63 points combined from Tia Presley and Lindsay Stockton, knocked off Lewis and Clark 75-71 on Tuesday.
Click the tab below to read my unedited game story. I'll check back later and add some notes that I couldn't get into the newspaper because of tight space.
By Greg Lee
Staff writer
Tia Presley made 3-pointers. Tia Presley made driving basket after driving basket. And Tia Presley made free throws.
Whatever the Gonzaga Prep junior wanted to do, she did – and Lewis and Clark didn’t have an answer.
The 5-foot-8 wing scored 43 points, her second highest output of the season, and had 12 rebounds to lead the Bullpups to a 75-71 victory in an offensive-drenched Greater Spokane League girls basketball game Tuesday at G-Prep.
The Bullpups (9-4 overall, 5-3 league) further bunched up the conference standings and knocked the Tigers (8-5, 6-2) out of first.
“Disappointing,” LC coach Jim Redmon said. “We ran a lot of different things at her (Presley). To her credit she did a great job and got to the rim and got the fouls. She’s a handful.”
Presley called the victory the best ever.
“It’s better than any AAU win I’ve ever had,” said Presley, who had a career-high 52 points last month in a win against Jesuit of Portland. “My team has been wanting to beat them for so long.”
In a game that rocked back and forth throughout, LC appeared in control ahead 70-64 with 3:13 remaining.
Moments later, Presley stepped behind a double screen at the top of the arc and took a pass from Lindsay Stockton, who was standing out of bounds under her basket. Presley made the shot and was knocked to the ground. She hit the ensuing foul shot to pull the Bullpups within 70-68 with 2:43 to play.
“That was big to give up that four-point play,” Redmon said.
G-Prep outscored LC 11-1 the final 2:43.
“Both teams executed really well offensively and were hard to stop defensively,” Bullpups coach Mike Arte said. “We had a lot of components come together that we haven’t seen in 12 games.”
NOTES: The game was nothing short of entertaining from start to finish. ... G-Prep didn't defend LC's 3-point shooting in the first half. The Tigers made 7 of 12 from behind the arc in the first two quarters, but then went 0 for 8 in the second half. "One of the keys for us is we took their shooters away after the first half," Arte said. "It was key for us to close out on the shooters in the second half. They didn't have nearly as many good looks in the second half."
Presley knows how tight the GSL has proven so far. "The league is so close and we're just trying to get on top and want to go to state," Presley said.
Arte cited another important factor, especially late. "We have a tendancy to want to get up the floor too quick and not get a good look at the basket," he said. "Obviously we do a lot of things to get the ball into Tia's hands. We stayed with that."
G-Prep outscored LC 11-1 at the end.
"It was very competitive until the last four minutes," Redmon said. "They were smarter in decisions they made and we weren't. I think that was the difference."
Brandy Johnson led CV with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Lauren Earthman led Ferris with nine points and four steals.
Mead 65, University 49: Jazmine Redmon had 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the visiting Panthers (10-3, 6-2) moved into a tie for second.
Hallie Gennett led the Titans (4-8, 2-5) with 14 points.
North Central 55, Rogers 25: Tara Van Weerdhuizen had 17 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks as the Indians (8-5, 5-2) moved into a tie for second based on losses in the win over visiting Rogers (0-13, 0-7).
NC’s Riley Holsinger added 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.
Jenni White led EV with 20 points.