Bears claw their way to district title

For the game’s first 21 or so minutes, Central Valley could do little right.

Then, it all clicked.

Suddenly, Mt. Spokane’s Matt Dorr – the Greater Spokane League’s co-leading scorer – couldn’t score. Suddenly, Central Valley’s defense – which forced just three first-half turnovers – seemed to create one every possession. Suddenly, CV’s offense – which scored just 22 points in the first half – racked up 24 in the fourth quarter alone.

Suddenly, the Bears were the District 8 4A boys basketball champions.

Central Valley used a 35-9 run over the game’s final 11 minutes to knock off Mt. Spokane 66-49 Friday in the district title game at University High School.

Earlier, Gonzaga Prep held Ferris to five third-quarter points and beat the Saxons 57-53 in the third-place game.

But it was the Bears (18-5), who beat Ferris 58-55 in overtime Thursday, who have the momentum heading into the regionals, where they will host a 7 p.m. matchup Tuesday against the Big Nine’s No. 4 seed, to be determined today.

“I’m so proud of the way they just don’t get rattled,” Bears head coach Rick Sloan said. “We got down early and they stayed poised. … We said all year, if our shots ever start falling, we’d be a team to reckon with. Lately, our shots have been falling.”

To begin the game, though, it was Dorr’s shots that were falling. The 6-foot-5 senior wing hit his first six shots and had 14 points at halftime as the Wildcats (13-10) led 28-22 at the break.

But Dorr, who averaged 18.8 points per game in the regular season, was in foul trouble much of the final two quarters and took just three second-half shots. He finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, but was largely ineffective after halftime as the Bears forced the Wildcats into 12 second-half turnovers.

“They were on Matt tight,” said Mt. Spokane interim head coach Dan Smith. “We didn’t do a good job of getting him the ball (in the second half). … But we’ll learn from our mistakes, turn the page and get ready for our next opponent.”

Indeed, the Wildcats have nothing to be ashamed of, springing a pair of upsets just to get into the district final and earning a No. 2 seed to regionals, as well as a home game against the Big Nine’s No. 3 seed Tuesday at 7 p.m.

And little short of, well, a Bear, could have stopped Central Valley at the game’s end.

Down 40-31 with about 3 minutes to play in the third quarter, the Bears turned on the jets on both ends of the floor.

Riding the strong two-way play of senior forward Brad Johnson (11 points, three steals) and the leadership of point guard Kevin Cameron (10 points, eight assists, three steals), they held Mt. Spokane scoreless the rest of the third quarter and took the lead on Nick Ambrose’s putback with 3 seconds left in the quarter.

Ambrose had eight of his game-high 19 points – he also finished with nine rebounds and six assists – during the game-deciding run as CV outscored the Wildcats 24-9 in the fourth quarter to win going away.

“We just played defense,” Johnson said. “We got some turnovers and turned them into points. Then we just got hot from there and started making everything.”

Gonzaga Prep 57, Ferris 53: Houston Stockton was finally able to stay on the floor, and the Bullpups reaped the benefits.

Stockton had a team-high 17 points, six in the fourth quarter, as Prep (18-4) survived an 11-point fourth quarter from Jon Clift, who had a game-high 19 points, and beat the Saxons (20-3) for the second time this season.

Stockton – in foul trouble all of Thursday’s overtime loss to Mt. Spokane and much of Friday’s win – and Michael Johnson (14 points, three steals) each made key buckets down the stretch as the Bullpups earned the district’s No. 3 seed and will travel to the Big Nine’s No. 2 seed Tuesday at 7 p.m.

“We just wanted to make sure we gave a good effort,” Prep head coach Mike Haugen said. “… We played well and to get the win gives us confidence. Now we have to focus on (our next game).”

Ferris will travel to the Big Nine’s top seed Tuesday at 7 p.m.