Mead Handles Prep, Stays Tied For Lead

GSL boys

Perspective has a lot to do with analysis, but the bottom line is Mead stayed tied for the Greater Spokane League boys basketball lead with a surprisingly easy 77-59 win over Gonzaga Prep Tuesday at Mead.

“We shot well,” Panthers coach Jim Preston said, “but we shot a lot of good shots because we made the extra pass.”

Gonzaga Prep coach Mike Haugen offered a different spin: “Defensively, you can determine how comfortable an offense gets, and we didn’t make it that hard on them to score.”

The defending league-champion Panthers (5-1, 7-3) made 33 of 56 shots (59 percent), including 28 of 44 (64 percent) through three quarters, and had assists on 20 of the baskets.

Prep (3-3, 7-3) hit two 3-pointers and had a 10-6 lead in the first quarter when Mead suddenly reeled off 17 straight points. Damian Long had eight points in the run and Ralph Castaneda had seven. By the time the first quarter ended, all five Mead starters had scored, hitting 10 of 15 shots, and the Panthers led 25-12.

“This team has played together a long time,” Castaneda, a 6-foot-5 forward, said. “We’re getting more comfortable as the season goes along. We know where each other is. We’re an unselfish team. There’s not anyone out there who can dominate - we have to do it as a team.”

Castaneda finished with 21 points. Long matched that and added five assists, matching point guard Adam Morris, who also had 13 points.

“I don’t have to score, I have to play defense,” Castaneda said. “Everyone on the team can score.”

Defense was a little easier for Castaneda and the Panthers because Prep was without leading scorer Paul Sweeny, who missed the game with flu. Mead starter Matt Armitage missed his third straight game because of a leg injury.

Preston was satisfied with his team’s defense even though the Bullpups are the first team in seven GSL games to score more than 48 points against the Panthers.

Shane Hartnett, a 6-foot sophomore, started in Sweeny’s place and had career highs in points (11) and rebounds (eight). Brian Herrin led Prep with 18 points.

Mead 77, Gonzaga Prep 59

Gonzaga Prep 12 16 17 14 - 59

Mead 25 19 21 12 - 77

GONZAGA PREP Kocharhook 1 2-2 5, Dixson 2 0-0 5, Kordash 0 0-0 0, Thielman 0 0-0 0, Ryan 1 1-2 3, Powell 3 0-2 7, Herrin 7 4-6 18, McFarland 3 2-4 8, Egger 0 2-2 2, Hartnett 5 1-2 11. Totals 22 12-20 59.

MEAD Morris 6 0-0 13, Klaus 0 0-0 0, Inderrieden 1 0-0 2, Riccelli 1 0-0 2, West 2 2-2 6, Long 8 3-3 21, Eggers 2 0-0 4, Walton 2 2-3 6, Castaneda 10 0-0 21, Wyrick 1 0-0 2, Myers 0 0-0 0. Totals 33 7-8 77.

3-point goals - Kocharhook, Dixson, Powell, Morris, Long 2, Castaneda. Total fouls - GP 10, Mead 16. Fouled out - none.

Ferris 64, Rogers 40

Leonard Harmon matched his career high with 24 points as the third-ranked Saxons (5-1, 9-1) rolled past the Pirates (0-6, 1-9) at Rogers despite leading scorer Scott Stocum sitting out his second game with a wrist injury. De’Andrey Mosby had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates, who played without Nathan Smith.

Ferris 17 18 15 14 - 64

Rogers 6 6 16 12 - 40

FERRIS Bursch 3 0-0 7, Schuchart 1 2-3 4, Jess 0 0-0 0, Servine 4 2-2 11, Brown 1 0-0 2, Hardan 1 0-0 2, Lucke 5 0-0 10, Henneberry 0 2-2 2, Sandberg 0 0-0 0, Harmon 10 4-7 24, Weatherred 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 10-14 64.

ROGERS Browning 1 0-0 2, Loffredi 1 0-0 3, Goldsmith 0 0-0 0, CuCulich 4 2-2 10, Oglesbee 1 0-0 3, Mosby 6 3-5 15, Hassett 0 0-0 0, Dainty 2 2-3 7, Pugh 0 0-0 0, Hemphill 0 0-0 0, Selgado 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 7-10 40.

3-point goals - Bursch, Servine, Lofreddi, Oglesbee, Dainty. Total fouls -Rogers 14, Ferris 11. Fouled out - none.

CV 71, Shadle Park 41

The Bears (4-3, 7-4) led by 20 in the first quarter and the visiting Highlanders (2-4, 3-7) never threatened.

CV had a big edge in the backcourt, with sophomore Ryan Smith getting 19 points, three assists and three steals, and Corby Schuh scoring 17.

Shadle Park 3 18 10 10 - 41

Central Valley 24 14 17 16 - 71

SHADLE PARK Dunham 3 2-2 8, Cook 3 2-4 9, Kingsbury 0 1-2 1, Pate 0 0-0 0, Baune 0 0-0 0, Anderson 3 0-0 7, Mohr 2 0-0 4, Augistine 2 0-1 4, Hann 1 4-6 6, Hipps 1 0-0 2. Totals - 15 9-15 41.

CENTRAL VALLEY Nesbitt 0 0-0 0, Millar 1 0-0 2, Smith 7 4-4 19, Schuh 7 1-1 17, Abrams 0 2-4 2, Allen 2 5-7 9, Platt 1 2-2 4, Hinckley 2 0-0 4, Jochim 1 0-1 2, McFarlane 1 0-0 2, May 3 1-2 7, McElvain 1 0-1 2, Schulz 0 2-2 2. Totals - 25 18-25 71.

3-point goals - Cook, Anderson, Smith, Schuh 2. Total Fouls - Shadle Park 20 CV 18. Fouled out - none.

NC 47, University 43

Marshall Kuhlman continued his hot long-range shooting and Troy Kapelke made two free throws with 15 seconds left to lift the Indians (2-4, 5-5) past the visiting Titans (3-4, 6-5).

No more than five points separated the teams throughout the game, but a couple of steals and layups by Brandyn Blanchat sparked the Indians.

University 11 12 12 8 - 43

North Central 11 13 8 15 - 47

UNIVERSITY Jefferies 1 0-0 2, Fryer 1 0-0 2, Massey 2 2-2 7, Wetzel 0 0-0 0, Heineman 6 2-3 15, Carlson 5 0-2 10, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Allen 3 1-3 7. Totals 18 5-10 42.

NORTH CENTRAL Plaster 0 0-0 0, Blanchat 2 3-5 7, Blotsky 0 0-0 0, Kuhlman 5 1-2 14, Holdren 4 2-4 10, Hieb 3 0-1 6, Kapelke 4 2-2 10, Eschenbacher 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 8-14 47.

3-point goals - Massey, Heineman, Kuhlman 3. Total fouls - U 14, NC 13. Fouled out - Jefferies.

, DataTimes