Here’s another Stockton in NCAAs

By Stockton family standards, Riley took the long road to college stardom, but his timing was perfect.

“Since I’m the youngest, my parents don’t have anybody else at home, so they’ve been to a lot of my games,” said Stockton, a football and basketball star at Ferris who leads Seattle Pacific in both rebounding and defensive intensity.

Parents Steve and Mary Ann have been “ultra-supportive,” said Stockton, a 6-foot-4 sophomore whose older brother Shawn also has caught a few games since finishing his career at Montana last year.

“He hadn’t been able to see me play much, so it’s been cool,” Stockton said.

Cooler yet, it was Stockton who grabbed a loose ball and called a timeout with 12 seconds to play in last week’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference title game against Western Washington, setting up teammate Jobi Wall’s winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“I wasn’t even sure we had a timeout left,” Stockton said of a heady play that complements his 3.92 grade-point average. “But it kind of showed that we’re capable of beating them – it’s the first since I’ve been here.”

This week, Stockton was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. He’s also the shortest player to win the league rebounding title, with 7.6 per game.

“I think I found the perfect place for me,” said Stockton. “But Spokane always will be my home.”