Mead sews up 2 tiebreaker wins

It turns out there was a secret formula for winning the Greater Spokane League sixth-place tiebreaker games Friday night.

Have Mead embroidered on the front of your uniform.

The Panthers girls opened the night at University High by defeating Ferris, 53-44, outscoring the Saxons 12-4 over the final six minutes. The Mead boys finished the night with a 62-61 win over district rival Mt. Spokane on two Nick Harter free throws with 3.9 seconds left.

The University boys clinched a regional berth and the second seed in next week’s 4A District 8 playoffs with an 81-75 overtime win over Gonzaga Prep at Central Valley.

Boys: Mead 62, Mt. Spokane 61

Harter, a 6-foot-6 junior post, went from goat to hero in the space of 34 seconds.

Meeting for the third time this season, the two teams played as if connected at the hip, trading small leads throughout the game. The Panthers, who will take a 10-11 record into districts, opened a seven-point edge early in the third quarter, then Mt. Spokane (9-12), went on an 11-0 run. From there, the biggest lead was Mead’s five-point margin (59-54) with 3 minutes left.

At that point Mt. Spokane’s Matt Dorr, a 6-4 junior guard, scored five straight points, Mead made just one of four free throws and, with 37 seconds left, the Panthers led 60-59 with Harter at the line shooting two.

He missed both, Mt. Spokane called its final time out and, out of the huddle, Dorr rose up and buried a 15-footer (he finished with 18 points) for a 61-59 Wildcats lead with 25 seconds left.

Mead called a time out, spread the court a little before leading scorer Zach Nichols, who was held to six points (five under his average) drove the middle and fired up a tough runner in traffic. It missed, but Harter gathered in the rebound and was fouled by Dorr – his fifth.

“I told him that I wished I was in his shoes,” Mead coach Glen Williams said. “He nodded his head and went out and made them. What a memory for him.”

Harter’s nod meant he wished Williams was in his shoes as well.

“I was a little scared,” he admitted. “Their crowd was talking smack but all I could think about was extending the seniors’ season.”

He did but only after the Wildcats final heave was short.

Sophomore post Lucas Ashe, who has scored in double figures the past four games, led Mead with 18 points and six rebounds. Besides the Mead (No. 6 seed) vs. G-Prep (No. 3) district opener Tuesday, Shadle Park (No. 4) will host Central Valley (No. 5) in a loser-out game. Top seed Ferris and second-seeded University have first-round byes.

Girls: Mead 53, Ferris 44

The Saxons had routed Mead 53-35 just 10 days ago and had the inside track to the districts. But a loss at Shadle Park coupled with Mead’s win at East Valley on Tuesday, forced the rematch.

This one was tight throughout, with the Panthers (11-9) using a triangle-and-two defense early and a tight man-to-man late to slow down Ferris’ top two scorers, senior guard Stacey Cox and junior post Lexi Lallas.

“More than anything, we played the junk defense at the start to get the girls excited mentally,” Mead coach Regan Freuen said. “We had already played them twice so we thought if we mixed it up, it would give us a lift.”

Cox, who came in averaging 13.2 points per game, shook loose enough to score eight points before fouling out late. Lallas, a 6-foot post averaging a team-high 13.4, missed all four shots she took and was held scoreless for the first time this year.

“You look at who has been scoring for them all year and it was obvious who we would focus on,” Freuen said. “The kids knew they had to have a better effort than the last time we played. They gave a great defensive effort.”

And junior guard Chelsea Mykines, who was chasing Cox at the start, took care of the offense.

Mykines doubled her scoring average with 20 points, including three deep 3-pointers to start the second half. She also nailed three free throws in the final stretch that decided it.

Ferris’ Alyssa Norwood scored on a drive with 6 minutes left to move the Saxons (9-12) within one. From there, the Panthers scored inside three times, Ferris missed four open shots and Mead hit enough free throws to pull away.

Mead (No. 6 seed) will travel to Gonzaga Prep (No. 3) on Tuesday while Mt. Spokane (No. 4) will host Central Valley (No. 5) in loser-out games. University (No. 1) and Lewis and Clark (No. 2) have byes.

Boys: University 81, Gonzaga Prep 75

The Titans led 52-44 at the end of three quarters, the Bullpups rallied behind Brandon Kennedy to send it into OT but U-Hi regrouped to earn the automatic regional berth.

U-Hi’s Calvin Jurich led all scorers with 24 points and junior post Nate Thompson added a career-high 14 points and nine rebounds.

Kennedy had nine consecutive Prep points in the fourth quarter and finished with 16. Jake Sayman paced the Bulldogs with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Gonzaga Prep played without coach Mike Haugen, who was out of town following his grandfather’s death.