The unpredictable is the norm in Greater Spokane League boys basketball. In tonight's final games before a 10-day break, Shadle Park lucked out thanks to clutch shooting by Luke Jordan in a 62-61 escape at home against Central Valley. Mead and LC moved up with wins over North Central and Mt. Spokane respectively. The league is appropriately jumbled with half a dozen teams scrambling for position behind Gonzaga Prep and the Highlanders.

In girls basketball, the predicted top three teams are holding up. LC and Mead went to 6-0 and will resume play Jan 2 in action against each other for sole possession of first place

Here are my stories:

 

GSL BOYS

The unpredictable world of Greater Spokane League boys basketball didn’t disappoint Tuesday night.

Among the night’s games, Mead (3-2) moved up with a victory at North Central (4-2), and Lewis and Clark (3-3) evened its record by ending Mt. Spokane’s (3-3) three-game winning streak, also on the road.

That left five teams separated by a game with Rogers (3-4), a winner at home against University (1-5), right behind.

They trail GSL leaders Gonzaga Prep (6-0) and Shadle Park (6-1), who were also were victorious.

Shadle Park 62, Central Valley 61: Highlanders senior Luke Jordan was fouled on a 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining and made all three free throws for the victory. His previous 3-pointer, for his only points in the game, helped Shadle rally from 45-39 deficit in the final quarter. Shadle Park’s Anthony Brown scored 26, nine in the final quarter. Michael Williams and Scott Simon combined for nearly half of CV’s points in the upset bid.

LC 51, Mt. Spokane 45: The Wildcats led by 10 at halftime, but ultimately had no answer for the inside presence of 6-foot-7 Sean Hoffmann. Hoffmann scored 12 of his game-high 28 points – one short of his career high – in the fourth quarter that, coupled with his rebounding, turned the tide. LC outscored the hosts 30-14 in the second half. The Wildcats’ Chaz Johnson tallied 22 points.

Mead 77, NC 64: The visitors scored 50 points in the first half, 30 during the initial quarter to lead by 17 and were ahead by 24 points at intermission. Scoring was evenly distributed among seven Panthers who tallied between eight and 14 points, led by Erik Hansen. North Central’s Lucas Evans, a 6-8 junior, scored 18 and Nathan Pelton added 17.

Rogers 65, University 59: Pirates senior Jesse Vaughan scored 23 points, had eight rebounds and five assists and the hosts broke a halftime tie with a 15-6 third-quarter spurt, thanks to solid defense. Junior Dillon Franklin added 19. U-Hi closed to within three points in the second half. Ali Alshahrani scored a season-high 20 for University.

Gonzaga Prep 57, East Valley 46: The host Knights (0-6) hung tough, trailing by single digits in the fourth quarter after falling behind by 14 through three. The Bullpups played without point guard David Stockton. Ryan Nicholas scored 15 for the victors.

GSL GIRLS

A clutch 3-pointer by Shadle Park’s Lindsay Niemeier with 1 minute, 30 seconds remaining put distance between the Highlanders and Central Valley in a key Greater Spokane League girls basketball game Tuesday night.

The shot put Shadle (5-2) ahead by seven points and led to a 55-47 victory over the visiting Bears (4-2). The win moved the Highlanders into third place past CV entering the winter break.

They trail unbeaten teams Lewis and Clark and Mead, which both improved to 6-0 with wins.

Niemeier’s shot was her only basket of the game, but she was also 10 for 10 from the free-throw line to share team-scoring honors with Aleisha Hathaway, both with 13 points.

Shadle made 21 of 24 free throws to rally past the Bears, who had led after a quarter.

Kelsey Matthews hit three 3-pointers for CV and finished with 11 points.

Gonzaga Prep 57, East Valley 45: Sophomore Tia Presley kept her hot hand, scoring 23 points and pulling down 13 rebounds as the visiting Bullpups (4-2) pulled away from the cold-shooting, turnover-prone Knights (3-3) in the second half. Freshman Lindsay Stockton added 12 points. EV’s Morgan Manchester scored 15.

LC 69, Mt. Spokane 36: The visiting Tigers, led by Sarah Kliewer’s 15 points, shot well and led the Wildcats (1-5) by 15 points after a quarter. The score was 41-16 at half. Ten Tigers scored.

Mead 51, North Central 17: The Panthers played stifling defense and dominated rebounding to limit the host Indians (0-6) to single digits in each quarter. All nine Mead players scored, including Jazmine Redmon with 12.

University 65, Rogers 31: The visiting Titans (3-3) broke away from the Pirates (0-7) with a 20-point second quarter and Zoe Scott’s 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

---

---