Mead’s In A Groove; Nc’s Just Groovy Panthers Rally, Get Assist From Rogers To Open Two-Game Lead In Boys’ Race

Once Mead found a way to find Jason Smith, the Panthers found a way to beat Ferris.

The league-leading Panthers took a twogame lead to start the second half of the Greater Spokane League boys basketball season with a 60-46 win over the Saxons at the Coliseum on Friday night, coupled with Rogers’ 52-51 upset of Lewis and Clark at Squinty Hunter Fieldhouse.

It was also Groovy Shoes night at the Coliseum, and North Central pulled away from Shadle Park 58-32. The Indians also won the Groovy Shoes’ spirit and communityservice trophy for the third straight year.

At the Sneaky Sneaker at University, Central Valley whipped U-Hi 59-40 (see story, page C4).

“We started doing a better job against their zone,” Mead coach Jim Preston said. “When we started penetrating, it opened up the inside and drew some fouls.”

Mead (8-1, 10-3) needed to get something going because the Saxons (6-3, 9-4) scored the first two baskets of the second quarter and had a 17-6 lead. Then the Panthers got two buckets inside and back-to-back 3-pointers from Damian Long and Terry Donovan, ripping off a 13-2 run that tied the game at 19.

“We had a nice start, but we allowed them to come back,” Ferris coach Wayne Gilman said. “Mead got it inside and … got a couple of 3’s and the offense started clicking.”

Mead then added a 10-2 run just before halftime for a 29-24 lead at the break.

“We were going from side to side,” Preston said. “Against a zone as good as theirs, if you don’t make two people guard you you’re not going to accomplish anything.”

After missing his first three shots, Smith made the next five in the first half. Many came on feeds from Jeff Pilkington.

The lead was pushed to 41-33 entering the fourth quarter before Ferris made a run that cut the margin to 46-43. Then Adam Morris fed Smith for a three-point play with 3 minutes left and the Panthers went on a 14-0 run to win the game.

“One thing this team has done is we’re good enough athletes we have the ability to respond,” Preston said. “The other thing we did after that run is become a little more patient and get good shots.”

Gilman said, “The key play was when Morris drove left and Smith got the shot and free throw. We were prepared for what happened and didn’t execute the play. Then they missed a free throw and we got called for a phantom over-the-back foul that gives them two more.”

Smith finished with 19 points, Long came back from an illness-induced three-game slump to add 17 and Pilkington contributed five assists.

“Every time you play them, you’re not playing a team, you’re playing a program,” Long said. “It’s a great program; a program that knows how to win. The key was we moved the ball and penetrated and looked for Jason. No one in the league can stop him.”

Preston said, “He relaxed going into this game.”

Long was held to one point when the Panthers lost their league game to LC Jan. 10 then had only four against Shadle a week later.

“I was real sick against LC,” Long said. “I don’t even remember much of that game. I tried to play and that probably set me back.”

The Panthers also held Scott Stocum to 13 points. He scored only four free throws in the second half.

Mead 60, Ferris 46

Ferris 13 11 9 13 - 46

Mead 6 23 12 19 - 60

FERRIS Bursch 1 0-0 3, Coulter 0 1-2 1, Freeman 0 0-0 0, Hardan 1 1-2 3, Gix 2 0-0 4, Henneberry 4 0-0 8, Oenning 2 0-0 4, Harmon 5 0-0 10, Stocum 4 5-8 13, Weatherred 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 7-12 46.

MEAD Morris 0 4-4 4, Naccarato 0 1-2 1, Donovan 1 2-2 5, Foils 0 0-0 0, Armitage 0 2-2 2, West 0 0-0 0, Long 6 3-3 17, Smith 9 1-2 19, Pilkington 3 1-2 7, Castaneda 2 1-2 5, Wyrick 0 0-0 0, Walton 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 15-20 60.

3-point goals - Bursch, Donovan, Long 2. Total fouls - F 19, M 10. Fouled out - none.

North Central 58, Shadle 32

Marshall Kuhlman hit shots four straight times down the floor, including three 3-pointers, as the Indians (3-6, 5-9) built a 10-point lead over the Highlanders (2-7, 4-9) in the third quarter.

“We were just trying to slip Marshall into the open spot,” NC coach Don VanLierop said.

NC used a patient offense to keep the scoring down and a scrappy defense to frustrate the Highlanders.

Shadle Park’s Rob Debeaumont, the leading scorer in the GSL, only had six points when he picked up his fourth foul with 19 seconds left in the third quarter. He returned at the start of the fourth quarter and finished with eight points, almost 12 below his average.

“We knew they’d put some pressure on but we knew if we handled that, we could keep the lead,” VanLierop said.

The Indians hit 13 of 15 free throws in the fourth quarter and finished 18 for 22.

“We knew if we had the lead, Darcy’s (Shadle coach Weisner) philosophy is to foul and make you earn it,” VanLierop said. “We’ve been shooting a lot of free throws in practice.”

Kuhlman finished with 18 points.

North Central 12 12 13 21 - 58

Shadle Park 10 8 9 5 - 32

NORTH CENTRAL Johnson 2 1-2 5, Lake 0 2-3 2, Rosengrant 0 0-0 0, Blanchat 0 4-4 4, Etter 3 3-3 9, Kuhlman 7 0-0 18, Holdren 3 6-8 12, Kapelke 1 0-0 2, Harmer 1 2-2 4, Eschenbacher 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 18-22 58. SHADLE PARK Grote 0 0-0 0, Kingsbury 0 0-0 0, Dunham 1 1-2 3, Baune 0 0-0 0, Monoham 0 0-0 0, Nelson 2 0-1 5, E.Anderson 1 0-0 2, Mobbs 2 0-0 4, Wood 5 0-0 10, Debeaumont 3 2-2 8, Pate 0 0-0 0, C.Anderson 0 0-0 0, Cook 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 3-5 32.

3-point goals - Kuhlman 4, Nelson. Total fouls - NC 11, SP 22. Fouled out - none.

Rogers 52, LC 51

Rick Mergenthaler made three of his four 3-pointers in the second half as the visiting Pirates (3-6, 5-6) rallied from 14 points down at the half to upset the Tigers (6-3, 9-4).

Nathan Smith and Modesto Spencer scored 14 apiece for Rogers, which trailed by nine points after three quarters. Paul Mencke scored 19 for LC, which put up a shot in the closing seconds that rimmed out.

Rogers 5 16 16 15 - 52

Lewis and Clark 22 13 11 5 - 51

ROGERS Simpson 0 1-2 1, Fischer 0 2-2 2, Scott 0 0-0 0, Metcalf 0 4-6 4, A. Olson 1 2-4 4, J. Olsen 0 0-0 0, Dainty 0 0-0 0, Mergenthaler 4 1-2 13, Smith 6 2-5 14, Spencer 6 2-3 14. Totals 17 14-24 52.

LEWIS AND CLARK Osborne 0 0-0 0, Lynch 3 1-2 7, Stueckle 1 0-0 2, Olson 1 1-2 3, Homer 7 0-1 15, Ashe 0 0-0 0, Mencke 7 5-7 19, Haynes 1 3-6 5. Totals 19 10-18 51.

3-point goals - Mergenthaler 4, Homer.