Shadle, Ferris win high-tension semifinals

The District 8 4A boys basketball semifinal games Thursday at University High produced their annual share of tension – and for victors Shadle Park and Ferris a sense of relief.

The third-seeded Shadle Highlanders’ 50-46 victory over Greater Spokane League No. 2 Mead (16-5) and the league-champion Ferris Saxons’ 66-60 win over No. 4 Gonzaga Prep (13-9) assured both a home game Tuesday when regional action begins.

Shadle (16-6) plays in the district title game at U-Hi tonight against the 21-0 Saxons. The two play at 7:45 p.m., following the Mead-G-Prep game for third and fourth at 5:45.

Shadle Park 50, Mead 46: Aaron Dunn and Anthony Brown may be callow of years, but they spearheaded Shadle’s victory.

“They know what to do and do it,” said Shadle’s Zack Humphrey, a junior. “They don’t play like a freshman and sophomore. They play like they’re older.”

Freshman Dunn treated his first playoff appearance like any other game with a determined first quarter that produced six points and eight rebounds. Brown, in his second varsity season, matched Dunn’s scoring total as Shadle jumped off to a 10-0 lead over the Panthers in the game’s first 3 minutes and increased the advantage to 19-4 at the start of the second quarter, culminating in Humphrey’s 3-pointer.

Mead rallied on a barrage of 3-pointers by Brendan Ingebritsen and Lucas Ashe that trimmed the deficit to eight points by halftime. Between them, they accounted for 13 points for a 33-30 lead midway through the third quarter.

After a Highlanders burst, much of it by Brown, produced a six-point lead, Ingebritsen and Ashe – who scored all but three of Mead’s second-half points, finishing with 16 and 25, respectively – knotted the score at 44 before Shadle converted 6 of 8 free throws in the game’s final minute for the win.

Shadle Park coach Tim Gaebe gave full credit to Mead’s defense for turning the 15-point deficit into a third-quarter lead.

“We weren’t trying to get conservative at all,” he said. “Mead’s a good team. They make you do things that make you feel uncomfortable. They mix things up and I don’t think we read some things real well.”

Brown led scoring with 17 points. Humphrey had 12 and Dunn had 10 plus 13 rebounds.

Ferris 66, Gonzaga Prep 60: The Saxons’ win was the result of several mini-surges throughout the course of the game.

But it wasn’t until a final surge, orchestrated by Shawn Stockton, that they shook the upset bid by the Bullpups.

Leading 54-52 with 3:11 remaining, Stockton countered with six points in succession, including baskets 6 seconds apart.

“I didn’t want to lose to them and tried to get it going,” Stockton said.

Ferris’ first spurt was an eight-point run to open the second quarter. The Saxons ran off another seven near the end of the period for a 34-26 lead, thanks to Jared Karstetter and DeAngelo Casto.

Casto didn’t enter the game until midway through the first quarter, but he finished the half with 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Karstetter finished with 20 points and Casto 16.

Ben Azadganian and Travis Long scored 16 apiece for the Bullpups.

“I’d have to give credit to Gonzaga,” said Ferris coach Don Van Lierop. “They played well tonight.”