Pups Trim Panthers In Thriller

GSL boys

The playoffs aren’t settled with two games left in the Greater Spokane League boys basketball season, but if every game was like Friday night’s Mead-Gonzaga Prep contest, no one would care about the playoffs because they wouldn’t want the season to end.

Before a turn-away, standing-room-only crowd of 1,200 at Gonzaga Prep, the Bullpups beat the Panthers 78-72 in double overtime in the best GSL game of the season.

“That was a very good high school basketball game,” Mead coach Jim Preston said. “We knew we were in tough. Prep had to win and they were playing in their gym with a great crowd situation. They really elevated their game and we matched them.”

The Panthers (11-7, 9-5 GSL) are still in second place, which carries an automatic bye in the district tournament and guarantees a spot in the regional. Ferris defeated Rogers to wrap up its seventh crown in Wayne Gilman’s 12 years.

The Bullpups (11-7, 7-7) stayed a game ahead of University in the loss column in the race for the last district tourney spot.

“I don’t think we were thinking about the situation because we were so into the moment,” Gonzaga Prep senior Brian Herrin said. “The crowd really excited us, got us going. We played four quarters, I think, with intensity.”

There was much more than survival at stake.

“The kids felt they really needed to prove something,” Prep coach Mike Haugen said. “There were expectations on us we really haven’t met. They wanted to prove they are for real.”

Prep had the first chance to win but didn’t get a good shot after running out the last 45 seconds of regulation when the score was 67-67.

Mead had the second chance, playing out the final 1:30 of the first overtime with the score at 69. The Panthers didn’t get a good shot, either.

“We didn’t get the shot we wanted,” Preston said. “I probably called a play I shouldn’t have.”

Damian Long hit from the foul line, giving him 33 points, to put Mead up quickly in the second overtime, but Prep scored the next five to lead for good.

Herrin fed Joe McFarland for a basket with 57 seconds left to make it 76-72 and then iced it with a pair of free throws with 16 seconds remaining.

“We were just so up for this game,” Herrin said. “We didn’t let ourselves get out of it mentally. We were mentally tough.”

Herrin had 22 points, 14 in the first half, which ended with Prep up 37-31 after 11 lead changes.

The crowd, which included a row of students sitting on the floor in front of the stands, never sat down from the midpoint of the fourth quarter. By the overtime, the principals of both schools were standing side by side in the front row at midcourt.

Sweeny had 13 points, McFarland had 16 and 13 rebounds.

Prep was 29 of 54 from the field, which made up for 20 turnovers.

Ralph Castaneda had 16 points for Mead and Matt Armitage matched his career high with 13, 11 in the second half, including two clutch free throws in the first overtime.

G-Prep 78, Mead 72 (2OT)

Md 18 13 16 22 4 1 - 72

GP 21 16 13 17 4 7 - 78 MEAD Morris 1 4-6 6, Klaus 0 0-0 0, Armitage 4 4-7 13, West 2 0-0 4, Long 13 1-3 33, Walton 0 0-0 0, Castaneda 7 1-3 16, Myers 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 10-19 72.

GONZAGA PREP Kocharhook 1 0-0 3, Dixson 2 0-0 5, Thielman 2 2-2 7, Powell 4 0-0 8, P.Sweeny 5 2-4 13, Herrin 8 6-7 22, McFarland 6 4-7 16, Hartnett 1 2-4. Totals - 29 16-24 68.

3-point goals - Armitage, Casteneda, Long 6, Kocherhook, Dixson, Thielman, Sweeney. Total fouls - M 17, GP 14. Fouled out - none. Technicals - Mead bench.

Ferris 71, Rogers 36

Scott Stocum scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the first quarter as the second-ranked Saxons (17-1, 13-1) jumped to a big lead and coasted to a win over the visiting Pirates (1-17, 0-14).

Ferris made 30 of its 60 2-point shots, but was 0 for 8 from 3-point range. Rogers made just 16 shots in 45 attempts, including 0-for-8 shooting from long distance.

Rogers 8 14 9 5 - 36

Ferris 18 22 17 14 - 71

ROGERS Browning 2 0-2 4, Loffredi 1 1-2 3, Cuculich 3 0-0 6, Oglesbee 1 1-1 3, Mosby 4 1-4 9, Hassett 0 0-0 0, Dainty 1 1-2 3, Pugh 1 0-1 2, Smith 2 0-0 4, Hemphill 1 0-0 2. Totals - 16 4-12 36.

FERRIS Bursch 1 0-0 2, Schuchart 0 0-0 0, Jess 0 0-0 0, Servine 3 1-1 7, Brown 0 2-2 2, Hardan 2 3-4 7, Lucke 3 0-0 6, Henneberry 4 2-2 10, Sandberg 1 0-0 2, Harmon 3 1-3 7, Stocum 10 1-1 21, Weatherred 3 1-1 7. Totals - 30 11-14 71.

3-point goals - none. Total fouls - Rogers 11, Ferris 16. Fouled out - none.

Central Valley 60, Shadle Park 43

Carson May scored 10 fourth-quarter points to spark the Bears (12-7, 9-6) to a 22-8 advantage en route to a victory over the host Highlanders (8-10, 7-7).

The win clinches a district playoff berth for the Bears, who have won four straight. Shadle Park, with its five-game winning streak halted, drops into a fifth-place tie with Gonzaga Prep.

Chris Anderson scored 16 to pace the Highlanders. Corby Schuh added 15 points for the Bears.

Central Valley 9 15 14 22 - 60

Shadle Park 12 16 7 8 - 43

CENTRAL VALLEY Nesbitt 2 0-0 6, Smith 3 5-7 12, Schuh 3 7-8 15, Abrams 1 0-0 2, Allen 0 2-2 2, Platt 0 0-0 0, Hinckley 3 1-2 7, McFarlane 0 0-0 0, May 5 6-7 16, Schulz 0 0-0 0. Totals - 17 21-26 60.

SHADLE PARK Dunham 3 0-0 7, Cook 2 3-3 7, Kingsbury 1 2-4 4, Pate 1 2-2 5, Baune 0 0-0 0, Anderson 6 2-2 16, Mohr 1 0-0 2, Hann 0 2-2 2, Hipps 0 0-0 0. Totals - 14 11-13 43.

3-point goals - Nesbitt 2, Smith, Schuh 2, Dunham, Pate, Anderson 2. Total fouls - CV 16, SP 21. Fouled out - Dunham, Kingsbury.

, DataTimes