GSL could get messy

The Greater Spokane League boys and girls basketball championships could be decided tonight when teams conclude regular-season play.

Or things could be a jumbled mess requiring a tiebreaking procedure that involves measuring quality wins to decide seeding into next week’s district tournaments.

Outright league champions can be crowned if the league leaders win. In the boys, season-long pacesetter Gonzaga Prep (18-1, 13-1 GSL) secures the title and No. 1 seed to district with a win at University (9-10, 6-8).

A G-Prep loss coupled with a Mead (14-5, 12-2) victory at Central Valley (6-13, 2-12) means a co-championship, requiring league secretary Randy Ryan and athletic directors to gather early Friday and finalize district seeding. That meeting will likely take place anyway, even if G-Prep and Mead win as expected, because all sorts of logjams could occur among the girls.

The league-leading CV girls (15-4, 12-2) can capture the title outright and No. 1 district seed by beating visiting Mead (15-4, 11-3). A Mead loss coupled with wins by G-Prep (14-5, 10-4) over U-Hi (7-12, 5-9) and Lewis and Clark (12-7, 10-4) over Ferris (5-14, 4-10) would create a three-way roadblock for second.

Just two games separate the top four girls teams. In reality, the measure of difference appears even less.

“I said at the beginning of the year that we were going to beat up on each other and we have,” Mead coach Regan Drew said. “And it’s going to continue (tonight) and next week.”

Stay tuned.

All the girls games begin at 5:30, followed by the boys at 7:15.

Act IV, city rivals

The Coeur d’Alene girls (18-4) play host to Lake City (15-7) Friday night in a 5A Region I loser-out game to decide a second state berth. Tipoff is at 7.

Lewiston (19-2) earned its first berth to state since 1989 by beating CdA 53-41 Tuesday.

Two-time state champ CdA will be seeking a fourth win in as many games against LC. The pressure, CdA coach Dale Poffenroth admits, will be squarely on CdA.

“If we wind ourselves up again, we’re in trouble,” Poffenroth said, alluding to tightness that bothered his team against Lewiston. “If we stay loose and play good, it won’t be a problem.”

Regional gymnastics

The 3A/2A regional is Friday at Southridge in Kennewick, beginning at 6 p.m. The top team and top five individuals in each event advance to state, Feb. 19-20 at the Tacoma Dome. The two all-around winners also earn state berths.

The 4A regional is Saturday at Southridge, beginning at 11 a.m. The top team and top four individuals advance to state, Feb. 19-20 at the Tacoma Dome. The top all-around also goes to state.

ML to stay in GNL

Great Northern League administrators voted to honor Medical Lake’s request to go independent in football and remain in the league in the other sports, Pullman principal and league president Joe Thornton said.

“It’s a slippery slope when you look at a school wanting to remove a program from league competition,” Thornton said Wednesday. “This is a fairly unique situation based on their enrollment and their competitiveness in football.

“I don’t think the league is concerned that this is a precedent setter. It’s really based on safety.”