Shadle rallies again

The second edition of Shadle Park versus Central Valley in Greater Spokane League boys basketball read nearly like the first. Only this time the visiting Highlanders took the suspense out of it quite a bit earlier during their 62-50 triumph Friday night.

Like in their first meeting, Shadle (12-1) trailed by double digits and needed a comeback to win.

Unlike the first game, when the rally from a 10-point deficit came in the final 3 minutes and was settled in the final seconds, on this occasion the visitors had erased the disparity and built an 11-point lead.

“Two words,” said Tim Gaebe, coach of the Highlanders (12-1). “Anthony Brown.”

Brown thrives on playing off an opposition’s defense, Gaebe said. He can score, either inside or out, or involve his teammates by his play. In the case of the quick-passing Highlanders, that style becomes contagious for a team with many offensive weapons.

“We have kids who can score and they feed off each other really well,” Gaebe said.

The result was that Shadle, a team on its heels when the host Bears (6-7) shot 56 percent in the first half to lead 32-21 late in the second period, came back to within 38-36 within a 2-minute span of the third quarter.

CV’s last lead was 45-44 with 6 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the game before going 6 minutes without a point.

During that span, the Highlanders reeled off 16 points, including 3-pointers 30 seconds apart by Brown.

But he wasn’t the only thorn. Robby Douglas scored 10 points in the second half, making two baskets that brought Shadle from 36-29 behind into a tie. He scored two more times in the fourth quarter when the Highlanders put the game away.

Was he worried when Central Valley bolted to its big first-half lead?

“It’s happened before,” Douglas said. “We know we can come back. They were just making a lot of shots and we had to pick up the intensity. My teammates were setting screens for me and getting me the ball and I just made shots.”

Back and forth the two teams went for much of the first quarter until the Bears, paced by J.C. Agen and Michael Williams, who combined for 18 first-half points, pulled away.

Then Brown began guarding Williams and things changed. Agen and Williams went scoreless in the second half and CV hurried shots hastening Shadle’s rally.

“Anthony makes you think and change your shot,” Gaebe said. “The boys were really patient, poised and composed.”

Brown finished with three 3-pointers and 20 points, had four assists and blocked several shots. Douglas had three 3-pointers and 15 points. Taylor Pettersen pitched in with 11 points, including a 3-pointer after the Bears’ Ryan Howard had scored to make it 34-24 at the start of the third period. He also had two baskets during the 16-point run.

Howard scored 12 of CV’s 18 second-half points.

“It was a tale of two halves,” CV coach Rick Sloan said. “We shot 56 percent to their 34 percent in the first half. In the second half they shot 60 percent and we shot 30 percent. Brown’s defense got them back into the game. There’s a reason he’s going to WSU.”

Shadle has games Monday and Tuesday against Mead and Gonzaga Prep. The Highlanders and Bullpups have a five-game lead on a six-team pack that, after Friday night, is separated by one game.

Gonzaga Prep 71, East Valley 40: The host Bullpups (13-1) outscored the Knights (2-12) 22-8 in the first quarter and cruised from there. Four players finished in double figures, and Ryan Nicholas had 12 of his 14 in the first half. David Stockton made three 3-pointers and finished with 13. Korie Sherman of EV led all scorers with 15.

Rogers 78, University 70: The Pirates (7-6) pulled into a three-way tie for third place thanks to a 25-point second quarter that gave them an 11-point halftime lead over the host Titans (2-12). Jesse Vaughn, one of three in double figures for Rogers, scored 33 points and was 13 for 15 from the free-throw line.

Mead 51, North Central 35: The host Panthers (6-7) outscored the Indians (7-6) 36-12 in the middle two quarters. The key was pressure that created 17 turnovers, 11 of them steals and limited NC to 32 percent shooting. Mead made eight 3-pointers in 15 attempts, three by Bo Tully, and nine players scored.

Lewis and Clark 50, Mt. Spokane 32: The Tigers (7-7) held GSL scoring leader Chaz Johnson to eight points and kept the visiting Wildcats (4-8) off the offensive glass in the second half. Austin Ehlo, one of three double-figure scorers for the victors, had 11 of his 14 points in the second half when LC outscored the visitors 30-17.