Shadle Defeats Mead

Think of all the words you would expect to describe a showdown between the second- and fifth-ranked girls basketball teams in the state.

Then think of the words you would use after 42 fouls, 36 turnovers, 69 missed field goals and 24 missed free throws.

Yes, Thursday night’s matchup between No. 2 Mead and No. 5 Shadle Park was anything but pretty.

And, since the longest stretch between two fouls was 2:23 and the three tallest starters fouled out, it was a painful 32 minutes of too many whistles.

But that didn’t stop the excitement as the Highlanders (15-1, 17-3) ended Mead’s (15-1, 19-1) 32-game Greater Spokane League winning streak with a 42-38 victory at the Coliseum, earning a tie for the league championship and the top seed in the District 8 tournament that begins Tuesday.

“I thought maybe I was too old to win another one of these,” said veteran Shadle Park coach Linda Sheridan, who last won a league title in 1988 when the Highlanders won their second straight state crown.

The Highlanders did it the Sheridan way - key contributions from a variety of people at various times - and negated a tremendous effort by Mead’s Stacy Clinesmith, who scored 20 points and almost single-handedly put the Panthers in position to win.

Holly Turner’s basket after an offensive rebound gave Mead its last lead, 31-30, with 5:39 to play. It was the first points of the fourth quarter, ending a drought of 5:10 for the Panthers, and produced the ninth lead change.

Then Johanna Alexander drained a rainbow 3 for Shadle Park, her only basket of the game. Kristen Miller, who made 8 of 14 free throws, scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, made two foul shots as Mead’s 6-foot-3 sophomore post Jennifer Bennett fouled out in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity. Next, it was Stephanie Short with her only bucket, and the Highlanders led 37-31 with 4:10 left. Short also had seven rebounds off the bench.

Clinesmith scored from the lane and hit two foul shots around a free throw from Allison Beatty to pull back within one with 1:29 to play. The Panthers got the ball back, but didn’t put up a good shot with just less than a minute to play.

Shadle’s Kelly Bartleson made two foul shots at the 36-second mark. Miller made a free throw 13 seconds later and after a Mead turnover, but when she missed the second, teammate Shawna Rainer rebounded and scored to secure the win.

Mead simply couldn’t shoot, hitting 12 of 53 shots (23 percent).

“Our guards were a little apprehensive, with the exception of Stacy,” Mead coach Jeanne Helfer said. “Credit Shadle. Our plan is to shoot outside and get the ball inside. We couldn’t maintain continuity … we were a little out of sync. We never got into any transition. They won the battle of tempo.”

“We worked real hard, we played good defense,” Sheridan said. “We played good defense all year, usually full-court. Tonight it was half-court (in deference to Clinesmith’s ball-handling skills). If they were going to beat us, they would have to earn it.”

Mead’s defense forced 20 turnovers and held Shadle Park to 12-for-40 shooting (30 percent), hanging in when the Highlanders were only making 15 of 31 field goals. Especially outstanding was Jodi Cory, who allowed Bartleson, who ended up as the GSL scoring champion, just four of her eight points against the box-and-one defense.

“They have some high goals, including an undisputed league championship. It hurts.” Helfer said after Mead’s 20-game winning streak ended. “Will they respond. They’ll respond like champions.”

Shadle Park 42, Mead 38

Mead 5 12 12 9 - 38 Shadle Park 11 10 9 12 - 42

MEAD Beatty 0 1-2 1, Clark 0 1-2 1, Cory 0 2-2 2, Turner 1 0-0 2, Clinesmith 6 7-8 20, Benad 2 2-5 6, Roberts 0 0-0 0, Edburg 0 0-2 0, Bennett 3 0-0 6. Totals - 12 13-21 38.SHADLE PARK K.Miller 1 8-14 10, Pilkington 0 0-0 0, Heimbigner 2 0-1 6, Clary 0 0-0 0, T.Miller 0 0-0 0, Alexander 1 2-5 5, Bartleson 2 4-7 8, Rainer 5 1-3 11, Short 1 0-1 2. Totals - 18 15-31 42.

3-point goals - Clinesmith, Heimbigner 2, Alexander. Total fouls - Mead 23, SP 19. Fouled out - Bennett, Benad, Rainer. Technicals - Mead coach Helfer.

Ferris 62, University 59

Emily Ireland had 20 points, including five 3-pointers, as the Saxons (14-4, 18-4) held off the Titans (8-8, 11-9) at U-Hi.

Ireland scored 17 points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Danielle Tutt added a career-high 14 points for the Saxons. Sydney Perno led the Titans with a career-high 21 points and seven rebounds.

Ferris plays Gonzaga Prep and University faces Central Valley in the opening round of district Tuesday.

Ferris 12 12 20 18 - 62 University 19 11 7 22 - 59

FERRIS Pruett 2 2-2 6, Morrisette 4 1-2 10, Brown 0 0-0 0, Schmedding 0 0-0 0, Watkinson 1 0-0 2, Rasmussen 0 0-2 0, Ireland 7 1-2 20, Tutt 7 0-0 14, Swinton 5 0-0 10, Williams 0 0-0 0, George 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 4-8 62.

UNIVERSITY Stuenkel 1 0-0 3, Shelton 3 0-0 9, Vlahovich 0 0-0 0, Ford 6 1-2 17, Rusch 0 0-0 0, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Powers 1 1-2 3, Jamison 0 0-0 0, Perno 10 1-2 21, Gorman 3 0-0 6. Totals 24 3-6 59.

3-point goals - Morrisette, Ireland 5, Stuenkel, Shelton 3, Ford 4. Total fouls - Ferris 9, University 13. Fouled out - Shelton.

Central Valley 63, Gonzaga Prep 59

Crystal Lee tossed in 22 points as the Bears (9-7, 10-10) held on to beat the Bullpups (7-9, 10-10) at Gonzaga Prep.

CV hit 11 of 15 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off Prep.

Central Valley 15 12 14 22 - 63 Gonzaga Prep 16 9 14 20 - 59

CENTRAL VALLEY Ang. Kallas 0 0-0 0, And. Kallas 2 0-2 5, Carpenter 4 4-4 14, Clark 1 1-2 3, MacPhee 1 2-5 4, Sanders 5 3-3 13, Lee 5 12-15 22, White 0 2-2 2. Totals - 18 24-33 63.

GONZAGA PREP Austin 0 0-0 0, Cronin 4 3-5 12, Treloar 1 0-0 2, Williams 3 7-8 13, Bloom 5 2-2 12, Giesa 5 0-2 10, Palmer 1 3-4 5, Weiskopf 1 0-0 2, Strand 1 0-0 2. Totals - 21 15-21 59.

3-point goals - And.Kallas, Carpenter 2, Cronin 2. Total fouls - CV 20, G-Prep 22. Fouled out - Clark, Giesa. Technicals - Cronin.

Lewis and Clark 62, NC 21

The Tigers (4-12, 6-14) forced 19 first half turnovers as they coasted by the Indians (0-16, 1-19) at LC.

North Central 3 8 6 4 - 21 Lewis and Clark 13 15 17 17 - 62

NORTH CENTRAL Prim 0 0-0 0, Young 0 0-0 0, Schumacher 2 0-0 4, Devine 0 0-0 0, Delauder 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Clarkson 1 2-5 4, Scott 0 0-0 0, Wilson 2 0-0 4, E.Hammond 1 1-1 3, L.Hammond 1 0-0 2, Nelson 1 2-2 4. Totals - 8 5-8 21.

LEWIS AND CLARK Huddle 2 7-8 11, Hiss 2 0-0 4, Davey 3 0-3 6, Blott 3 2-2 9, Snow 0 3-4 3, Haight 5 5-8 15, Hicks 1 2-4 4, Hamre 3 1-2 7, Naipo 0 0-0 0, Stillian 1 1-2 3. Totals - 20 21-33 62.

3-point goals - Blott. Total fouls - NC 24, LC 13. Fouled out - Blott.