Ferris Girls Stun No. 1 Mead

District 8

The topsy-turvey Greater Spokane League continued its wild journey through the basketball season with the girls joining what has been a crazy boys season.

Ferris took the honors, using a Jayme Morrisette layup as time ran out to stun third-ranked Mead 45-43 in the semifinals of the District 8 tournament Thursday night at the Coliseum.

The Saxons got sixth-ranked Sha dle Park’s attention as the Highlanders went out and destroyed Central Valley 62-36 and will play Ferris for the championship tonight at 7:15.

CV plays Mead for third at 3:45.

The top two seeds open play in Spokane in the first round of the state-qualifying eastern regional tournament on Tuesday while the other two have to travel to Big Nine home courts.

On the boys side, Lewis and Clark and Mead will stay home while Central Valley and Rogers travel. LC topped CV 51-42 and Mead raced past Rogers 84-64. Tonight’s games are CV against Rogers at 5:30 and LC playing Mead for the title at 9.

Girls: Ferris 45, Mead 43

It took a timely technical and a broken play for the Saxons (18-4) to pull the upset against the Panthers (19-2), a team they have lost to 16 straight times.

“I didn’t run the right route but Jennifer (Swinton) gave it to me anyway,” Morrisette said of her pass to the high post and cut down the left side of the lane for the winning layup. “I guess I was kind of lucky.”

The Saxons were down 13 at halftime (29-16) and 37-31 entering the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t until freshman Kari Pruett’s layup that Ferris caught up at 43 with 1:50 to play.

Mead, struggling offensively throughout the second half, never got off a quality shot, missing the last one with 27 seconds left.

The turning point was a technical foul on Ferris coach Janet Wolkey early in the third quarter. When the free throws and possession were converted by the Panthers, the lead was 33-18. However, the Saxons reversed that momentum into a 13-2 run to get back in the game.

A switch out of a zone defense also helped. Particularly impressive was Pruett controlling Mead point guard Stacy Clinesmith, who finished with just four second-quarter points.

Mead got off just 14 shots in the second half, going 2 for 9 in the third quarter and 1 for 5 in the fourth.

“We have not been a good man-to-man team,” Wolkey said, “but Karie played such good defensive on Stacy Clinesmith it took them right out of their offense.”

Ferris 11 5 15 14 - 45

Mead 15 14 8 6 - 43

FERRIS Pruett 1 1-2 3, Morrisette 2 9-10 13, Brown 0 0-0 0, Ireland 2 3-3 9, Tutt 5 0-0 10, Swinton 2 4-4 8, Williams 0 2-4 2, George 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 19-23 45.

MEAD Beatty 2 2-2 6, Clark 0 2-2 2, Cory 2 4-4 10, Turner 1 0-0 3, Clinesmith 2 0-0 4, Benad 2 0-0 4, Roberts 2 0-0 4, Edburg 0 0-0 0, Clark 3 0-0 6, Bennett 2 0-4 4. Totals 16 8-12 43.

3-point goals - Ireland 2, Cory 2, Turner. Total fouls - Ferris 14, Mead 16. Fouled out - none. Technicals - Ferris coach Wolkey.

Shadle Park 62, Central Valley 36

The only lead for CV (11-11) was 9-8 after one quarter then the Highlanders (18-3) went on an 11-0 run to break from a 14-11 lead and coasted.

CV only made 14 of 49 shots while Shadle was making 27 of 45 and outrebounding the Bears 39-20.

Kelly Bartleson had 19 points (9 of 12 shooting) and 10 steals for Shadle with Stephanie Short coming off the bench for career highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“I was more aggressive and took the ball to the hole,” Short said. “I wasn’t afraid. I said this is the night.”

Central Valley 9 5 9 13 - 36

Shadle Park 8 21 18 15 - 62

CENTRAL VALLEY Ang. Kallas 1 0-0 3, And. Kallas 1 0-0 3, Carpenter 3 0-0 7, Ault 2 0-0 4, Clark 0 0-0 0, MacPhee 0 0-0 0, Sanders 4 3-4 11, Bialkowsky 0 0-0 0, Lee 2 1-3 6, White 0 0-0 0, Dahlgren 1 0-0 2. Totals - 14 4-7 36.

SHADLE PARK K.Miller 0 0-0 0, Pilkington 2 2-2 6, Heimbigner 2 1-2 5, T.Miller 3 0-1 6, Alexander 1 0-1 2, Bartleson 9 1-1 19, Drake 0 0-0 0, Rainer 4 3-4 11, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Short 6 1-2 13. Totals - 27 8-13 62.

3-point goals - Ang.Kallas, And.Kallas, Carpenter, Lee. Total fouls - CV 16, SP 9. Fouled out - none.

Boys: LC 51, CV 42

The difference was defense as the Tigers (15-6) shut down the Bears’ (11-11) outside game, as Mike Homer matched up with Jeremy Nesbitt and Soren Olson on Corby Schuh, holding them to a combined 16 points .

“That was the first time we manned up all game,” said Homer, who had 18 points. “That tells you how much better we’ve gotten on defense. Nesbitt is a great player, he has a quick release, but it helps I’m a little taller.”

Central Valley 6 8 19 9 - 42

Lewis and Clark 13 13 10 15 - 51

CENTRAL VALLEY Nesbitt 2 1-2 6, Larson 0 0-0 0, Schuh 4 0-0 10, Jensen 1 0-0 2, Williams 2 0-1 4, DelMese 0 0-0 0, Platt 5 0-1 10, May 5 0-2 10. Totals - 19 1-6 42.

LEWIS AND CLARK Osborne , Lynch 4 0-0 8, Stueckle 0 0-0 0, Olson 4 0-0 10, Homer 6 3-3 18, Kane 2 1-1 5, Mencke 4 2-2 10, Haynes 0 0-0 0. Totals - 20 6-6 51.

3-point goals - Nesbitt, Schuh 2, Homer 3, Kane, Mencke 2. Total fouls - CV 11, LC 10. Fouled out - none.

Mead 84, Rogers 64

A 19-1 run starting after the Pirates (10-2) took their only lead, 9-8, put the Panthers (16-4) in control.

Adam Morris, a 5-foot-6 water bug, fired the Panthers with a perfect first half for 16 of his career-high 19 points.

“They didn’t do anything different against me than they did the first two times,” said Morris, whose previous career high was 13. “The coaches just said I had to come out and set the tempo early. They gave me a few drives and I took them.”

The Panthers made 16 of 28 shots in each half with Jason Smith making 9 of 12, including two big dunks, for 20 points.

Rogers 10 12 20 22 - 64

Mead 22 23 19 20 - 84

ROGERS Muse 4 1-2 10, Simpson 0 0-0 0, Fischer 2 3-6 8, Scott 0 0-0 0, Metcalf 1 1-2 3, A. Olson 2 0-0 4, J. Olsen 0 0-0 0, Dainty 3 0-0 6, Mergenthaler 3 2-2 10, Smith 4 0-0 8, Spencer 6 2-2 15. Totals 25 9-14 64.

MEAD Morris 7 3-3 19, Naccarato 1 1-1 3, Donovan 2 1-2 6, Foils 0 0-0 0, Armitage 3 1-2 7, West 0 0-0 0, Long 4 4-4 12, Smith 9 2-2 20, Pilkington 2 0-0 4, Castaneda 4 3-4 11, Wyrick 0 0-0 0, Walton 1 0-0 2. Totals 33 15-18 84.

3-point goals - Rogers 5 (Muse, Fischer, Spencer, Mergenthaler 2), Mead 3 (Morris 2, Donovan). Total fouls - Rogers 16, Mead 15. Fouled out - none.

Four-game attendance: 3205