Ferris, G-Prep Will Settle State Issue Themselves

4A Regional

Call it do-or-die, winner take all, or the Greater Spokane League championship.

Whatever the name, the GSL boys basketball season has come down to one game.

Josh Cooprider made sure of that.

The 6-foot Wenatchee point guard and Big Nine MVP poured in 31 points as the Panthers held off Gonzaga Prep 59-53 in the semifinals of the Lamb-Weston 4A Eastern Regional basketball tournament Friday night at Richland High School.

That drops the Bullpups into the losers bracket to face Ferris, which upended Central Valley 52-49. Lewis and Clark was also eliminated, falling to Richland 60-55 at the Tri-Cities Coliseum.

The GSL winner-to-state game is at the Tri-Cities Coliseum at 12:30 this afternoon.

Wenatchee earned a state berth, along with Davis, a 63-48 winner over Walla Walla. Richland and Walla Walla play for the fourth spot to the state tournament in the Kingdome next week.

Wenatchee 59, Gonzaga Prep 54

The Panthers (18-5) used the same formula with a different scientist to defeat the Bullpups (10-15).

When Wenatchee beat Lewis and Clark in the regional opener, Cooprider was held to six points but Jack Nebel scored 35.

The Bullpups shut Nebel out but let Cooprider get away, especially in the second quarter when he had 14 and into the third as Wenatchee opened a 15-point lead.

“What I saw on film, Cooprider looked to pass more,” G-Prep coach Mike Haugen said. “The last few games he leveled off (scoring) and the other guys came up. That’s a big reason they’ve been successful.

“He’s a great player, like he showed. We took a chance and defended both of them the same way… . When he (got hot), it didn’t surprise me.”

Still, the Bullpups charged back, just like they did when they shocked Big Nine champion Richland on Tuesday.

Two free throws by Aaron Thielman made it 55-54 with 1:28 to play but the Bullpups couldn’t come up with another big shot even though the Panthers were struggling from the foul line. On their last five trips to the line, the Panthers hit 5 of 10 to finish 12 of 26 for the game.

Matty McIntyre played a big role in the Bullpups getting back in the game, finishing with 18 points, and Shane Hartnett added 17, many while keeping them in the game in the first half.

But nothing could overcome 17 turnovers and Cooprider.

“LC did a good job on me,” Cooprider said. “The whole year we’ve been talking about guys stepping up. The last game I had a bad game. Tonight my shot was falling so I kept shooting.”

Wenatchee 11 23 15 10 -59

Gonzaga Prep 10 14 14 16 -54

WENATCHEE - Cooprider 11 4-7 31, Stewart 3 0-1 7, Pennnigton 0 0- 0 0, Nebel 0 0-0 0, Jo.Crollard 2 3-6 7, Je.Crollard 2 3-6 8, Stacy 1 1-4 3, Miller 1 1-2 3, McCreary 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 12-26 59.

GONZAGA PREP - Johnson 1 0-0 2, McIntyre 7 3-3 18, Thielman 2 3-4 7, Mahre 0 4-6 4, Dixson 0 0-0 0, Bacon 2 0-0 4, Hartnett 8 1-3 17, Yarbrough 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 11-16 54. 3-point goals - Cooprider 5, Stewart Je.Crollard, McIntyre. Total fouls - Wen. 17, GP 23. Fouled out - Dixson.

Ferris 52, Central Valley 49

The rubber match had the most on the line for the GSL co-champions.

Andre Atkins drilled a clutch 3-pointer with 1:15 to play to lift the Saxons (19-5) past the Bears (18-6).

Central Valley, down by as many as nine in the first half, never led until Nate McFarlane knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:12 to play to make it 47-46. Jeff Priebe then fed Ryan Smith for a basket to make it 49-46 with 2:10 to play as the game became deliberate.

Tommy Servine responded with an assist to Atkins, then the Bears missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:35 to play. Atkins came down and drilled the 3 from the right wing with no hesitation.

“I just knew I had to shoot it,” Atkins said. “We just moved the ball around, my teammates got me open and I just popped it.”

Ferris coach Wayne Gilman said, “I didn’t think that was a bad shot … basically our shooting from the 3 was real solid.”

CV had a turnover, then the Saxons made one final free throw with 56 seconds to play but the Bears never got a decent shot to tie the game.

“A lot of it is Ferris did a good job,” CV coach Rick Sloan said. “They made a couple of nice anticipation steals and hit a couple of big shots when the game was on the line.”

Servine scored 19 points and Atkins had 14, but the biggest difference was the 3-pointers - Ferris had eight, CV three.

“What built the lead was we just had some opportunities we made,” Gilman said. “What got them back is they did a good job of penetrating the middle.”

Ferris 21 9 15 7 -52

Central Valley 12 15 15 7 -49

FERRIS - Servine 7 2-6 19, Atkins 6 0-0 14, Sleeth 0 0-0 0, Watts 1 0-0 2, Hodl 3 0-0 9, Mietus 2 0-1 4, Williams 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 2-7 52.

CENTRAL VALLEY - Eigenhuis 1 2-2 4, Priebe 2 0-0 4, Smith 5 0-1 10, Hebden 2 0-1 6, Hinckley 2 0-0 4, Libey 0 1-2 1, Depew 2 0-0 4, McFarlane 1 1-2 4, Perkes 5 2-2 12. Totals 20 6-10 49. 3-point goals - Servine 3, Atkins 2, Hodl 3, Hebden 2, McFarlane. Total fouls - Ferris 16, CV 13. Fouled out - none.

Richland 60, Lewis and Clark 55

Brian Neill came off the bench and hit back-to-back 3’s in the second quarter to put the Bombers (20-4) up for good and the Tigers (16-9) came up short after closing within one with a minute left.

LC clawed back from six down as Pat Luce hit three straight baskets and a 3 by Tyrees Donastorg made it 56-55 with 1:05 to play.

Lewis and Clark 16 8 17 14 -55

Richland 15 15 17 13 -60

LEWIS AND CLARK - Bowman 2 1-1 5, Defour 2 0-0 4, Hook 2 0-0 5, Avery 0 0-0 0, Donastorg 4 4-5 15, Floyd 4 1-2 10, Kuhlman 1 0-0 3, Luce 5 2-2 12. Totals 20 8-10 55. RICHLAND - Merkley 0 0-0 0, Oliver 1 4-4 7, McClelland 3 0-0 7, Tierney 0 0-0 0, Neill 2 3-3 9, Lehrschall 6 2-2 14, Leonard 1 2-3 4, Martin 2 1-2 5, Mortimer 6 2-5 14. Totals 21 14-19 60. 3-point goals - Hook 2, Donastorg 3, Floyd, Kuhlman, Oliver, McClelland, Neill 2. Total fouls LC 17, Richland 9. Fouled out - Defour.

, DataTimes