Ault’s Play Off The Bench Helps CV Hold Off Ferris

GSL girls

Even though Ferris couldn’t stop Crystal Lee, the Saxons had a chance. When they couldn’t stop Jessica Ault, it was all over.

Ault came off the bench when Lee got into foul trouble then fouled out to score eight crucial points and lead the fifth-ranked Central Valley Bears to a 53-46 win at CV Friday night.

“I was scared,” Ault admitted. “Crystal is our big rebounder and the leading scorer in the league. I knew I had to step up. I don’t play in a lot of important games.”

The game reversed the result of the first meeting between the teams, won by the Saxons 51-40 at Ferris. It also knocked the Saxons (8-2 in the GSL, 11-3 overall) out of a first-place tie in the Greater Spokane League and into a tie for second with the Bears (9-2, 12-2) behind 10-1 Mead.

It’s one thing when you can’t stop Crystal Lee, it’s quite another when you can’t stop Jessica Ault.

That Ault scored on her two shots in the second quarter wasn’t a surprise. The Bears hit almost everything in opening a 29-14 halftime lead.

Lee, a 5-foot-10 junior, scored in the opening seconds of the second quarter, making her 4-for-4 with 11 points, but before the first minute was out she had her third foul. However, after a short dry spell, point guard Rikki Jackson fed Ault for two short jumpers.

“Jess just saved our bacon,” CV coach Dale Poffenroth said. “She’s capable. It’s just a matter of finding the right time, the right matchup, the right position.”

Ault said, “That’s usually what he likes me to do. Once I saw that I was on, I kept shooting.”

Ferris cut the cap to 36-27 entering the fourth quarter and Karie Pruett hit a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game. Lee then made four foul shots in a minute, giving her 19 points, before fouling out with 5:22 to play.

After four quick points by Jayme Morrisette, who led Ferris with 16, Ault hit two more shots. Then the Bears made enough free throws down the stretch to hold off the Saxons.

“I was determined to win this game,” Ault said. “I guess you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

CV made 11 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter, but four of the misses came in the last 13 seconds when the game was decided.

“We played a lot tougher team defense (than in the first meeting),” Lee said. “We applied a lot more pressure and we pushed the tempo more. We played our game.”

The Bears made 13 of 22 shots in the first half and finished 18 of 39. Ferris finished 18 of 53, plus a dismal 6 of 18 from the foul line, which offset a huge rebounding edge in the second half.

“We didn’t shoot nearly as well (as the first meeting),” Ferris coach Janet Skaife said. “We got off to a slow start again and against a good team like CV, you can’t afford to get down. We did show a little bit of character to come back, but we played too soft.”

That came just three days after knocking off third-ranked Mead.

“That (Ferris) win over Mead helped our kids,” Poffenroth said. “They were dead serious that this is a good team. The biggest difference was our kids realized they had to play or they’d get beat again.”

Central Valley 53, Ferris 46

Ferris 9 5 13 19 - 46

Central Valley 15 14 7 17 - 53

FERRIS Pruett 4 0-0 9, George 4 1-4 9, Jay.Morrisette 5 3-4 16, Martin 0 0-0 0, Rasmussen 1 2-7 4, Swinton 4 0-1 8, Jan.Morrisette 0 0-2 0. Totals 18 6-18 46.

CENTRAL VALLEY Carpenter 1 0-0 2, Ault 4 0-2 8, Clark 1 0-0 2, MacPhee 1 0-0 2, Sanders 4 2-2 10, Lee 5 7-8 19, White 1 3-8 6, Jackson 1 2-2 4. Totals 18 14-22 53.

3-point goals - Jay.Morrisette 3, Pruett, Lee 2, White 1. Total fouls - Ferris 17 CV 18. Fouled out - Jay.Morrisette, Lee, Sanders.

University 55, Rogers 43

The Titans (5-6, 7-7) doubled up the Pirates (2-9, 3-12) 18-9 in the third quarter to grab the win at the Arena.

U-Hi shot 23 of 46, led by Adrienne Wilson, who made 7 of 11 and finished with a game-high 15 points.

The Pirates were 13 of 46 from the field and 11 of 25 from the foul line. Mandy Flores had 10 rebounds for Rogers.

University 11 14 18 12 - 55

Rogers 6 17 9 11 - 43

UNIVERSITY - Stuenkel 2 0-0 4, Jamison 1 0-0 2, Vlahovich 1 0-0 2, Yost 1 2-2 4, Whitney 1 1-2 3, Conant 3 0-1 7, Wilson 7 2-3 15, Hinckley 4 0-0 8, Oglesbee 2 0-1 4, Perno 2 1-2 5, Andrizzi 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 6-11 55.

ROGERS Wells 2 0-0 4, Christensen 3 2-4 10, Tannehill 1 0-2 2, Bertholf 0 0-2 0, Delger 0 0-0 0, Abrahamson 2 7-9 11, Scott 5 0-5 10, Flores 0 2-3 2, Mullerleile 2 0-0 4. Totals 13 11-25 43.

3-point goals - Conanat, Christiensen 2. Total fouls - U-Hi 23, Rogers 16. Fouled out - Perno, Tannehill.

Shadle Park 52, LC 43

Joy Potter hit two 3-pointers and Sara Harchuck one midway through the third quarter to propel the Highlanders (7-4, 10-5) past the visiting Tigers (2-9, 6-9).

The teams combined to hit just 10 of 35 free throws.

Kelli Pilkington had 15 rebounds for Shadle to go with 10 points.

Lewis and Clark 10 15 10 8 - 43

Shadle Park 12 19 12 9 - 52

LEWIS AND CLARK Marquess 0 1-2 1, Barlow 0 0-0 0, Huddle 7 2-6 18, Davey 1 0-2 2, Giebel 3 0-0 7, Wendle 2 0-0 5, Springer 1 1-2 3, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Oeljen 0 0-0 0, Stillian 3 1-4 7. Totals 17 5-16 43.

SHADLE PARK Larkin 1 0-0 2, Christensen 4 1-4 9, Pilkington 5 0-4 10, Heimbigner 3 0-1 7, Drake 0 1-2 1, Olzendam 0 0-0 0, Alexander 1 1-2 4, Clary 1 0-0 2, Nelson 0 0-0 0, Potter 2 0-0 6, Johnson 0 0-2 0, Harchuck 4 2-3 11. Totals 21 5-18 52.

3-point goals - Huddle 2, Giebel, Wendle, Heimbigner, Alexander, Potter 2, Harchuck. Total fouls - LC 17, SP 16. Fouled out - none.

Mead 72, North Central 29

The third-ranked Panthers (10-1, 13-2) overcame a slugglish start to beat the Indians (0-10, 0-14) at the Arena.

All 11 players scored for Mead, but Stacy Clinesmith was the only one in double figures with 14 points.

North Central 13 9 4 3 - 29

Mead 19 18 21 14 - 72

NORTH CENTRAL Young 3 0-0 9, Schumacher 1 2-2 4, Nelson 2 0-0 4, Meredith 0 0-0 0, Emery-Cloy 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Wilson 1 0-0 2, Kostelecky 0 0-0 0, Hammond 0 0-0 0, Stotts-Johnson 1 0-0 2, Smith 2 2-2 6. Totals 11 4-4 29.

MEAD Lunzer 3 0-0 6, Beatty 4 0-0 4, C.Clark 4 1-2 9, Turner 3 0-0 8, Clinesmith 6 0-1 14, Roberts 2 0-0 5, Wakefield 1 0-0 2, Edburg 1 0-0 2, J.Clark 2 1-2 5, Bennett 1 6-8 8, Zelinski 2 0-0 5. Totals 29 8-13 72.

3-point goals - Young 3, Turner 2, Clinesmith 2, Roberts, Zelinski. Total fouls - NC 11, Mead 5. Fouled out - none.

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