Mead, Ferris Hold Key Gsl Foes Win, To Face Each Other In State Aaa Semifinal At Keyarena

Two totally opposite games produced identical results and an all-Greater Spokane League semifinal at the State AAA girls basketball tournament.

“KeyArena, that’s all I want to say,” Mead senior Allison Beatty said after the Panthers rallied to beat Bothell 70-59 in overtime.

The Ferris girls were in agreement after the Saxons held off top-ranked and previously unbeaten Mountain View 53-49.

Both games were at Mercer Arena but when the two teams meet tonight at 6:30 to decide which one plays for the state championship, the game is on the Sonics’ big floor.

To get there, Mead had to rally from a 14-point deficit with 1:18 to play in the third quarter and Ferris had to stop Mountain View’s rally from 13 down with 7:22 to play.

Both teams also got huge contributions from unsung heros.

Beatty scored a career-high 12 points, sparking the offense with her determination, and Jennifer Clark and Jennifer Bennett combined for 18 points and 19 rebounds against a team that was just as big on the front line.

Ferris sophomore Jannelle Morrisette made three clutch free throws in the final 12 seconds after Mountain View had closed within one with 24 seconds to play.

“I was calm,” Morrisette said. “I was just concentrating on my form, snapping my wrist and making them go in. I consider myself average (on free throws) but I usually hit them in clutch situations.”

In three meetings with Ferris, Mead won twice, sandwiching 53-33 and 69-55 wins around a 64-44 loss.

In the other semifinal, Foss of Tacoma, a 50-35 winner over Federal Way, plays the Kamiakin-Lake Washington winner.

Mead 70, Bothell 59 (OT)

Stacy Clinesmith got the Cougars’ (24-4) undivided attention and it wasn’t until her teammates decided they didn’t want to lose that the Panthers (24-3) got into the game.

“The whole time it was like, ‘We’re not going to lose,”’ Clinesmith said. “I did a little but I just put it in my teammates’ hands. I have a lot of confidence in them.”

The Cougars used several different zones and several different players to limit Clinesmith to three points through the half and 10 through regulation.

“We practiced against (the trick defenses) but we’ve never really seen them in a game,” Mead coach Jeanne Helfer said. “It took a while to adjust, we weren’t patient. We talked at halftime and we still liked what it gave us.”

After eight lead changes, Bothell went on a 12-0 run to close the half to open a 29-22 lead. It also scored the first four points of the third quarter. Beatty then took the initiative on offense and the Jennifers gave Mead control of the boards.

A 9-0 run that started in the third quarter and turned into a 16-1 surge over 5:24 put Mead up 47-46 with 4:17 to play. The lead changed hands five times before Bothell’s Jennifer Babin made a three-point play to tie the game at 53. It was also tied at 55 with 29 seconds left when the Panthers went for one shot.

Clinesmith missed a decent shot from the foul line but Chelsea Clark rebounded, then missed the short putback.

After both teams traded two free throws in the overtime, Holly Turner drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 60-57 and the younger Cougars panicked.

“I thought from there we’d start pulling away,” Turner said. “Once we start rebounding and play defense our shots will fall.”

This was the first time all year four players scored in double figures. Clinesmith’s accuracy from the foul line gave her 17 points and Turner added 16.

Babin had 21 for Bothell.

Mead 70, Bothell 59 (OT)

Mead 15 7 14 19 15 -70

Bothell 12 17 16 10 4 -59

MEAD Lunzer 0 0-0 0, Beatty 5 2-3 12, C.Clark 0 2-2 2, Turner 5 2-4 16, Zelinski 0 0-0 0, Clinesmith 4 9-11 17, Leaf 0 0-0 0, Roberts 1 0-0 3, Wakefield 0 2-4 2, Edburg 0 0-0 0, J.Clark 4 0-0 8, Bennett 1 8-8 10. Totals 20 25-32 70.

BOTHELL Ashbaugh 2 6-7 11, Butler 0 0-0 0, Babin 8 5-5 21, Nichols 1 4-4 6, Krell 3 1-4 7, Fitzer 2 3-4 7, Raynor 1 5-7 7. Totals 17 24-31 59.

3-point goals - Turner 4, Roberts, Ashbaugh. Total fouls - Mead 21, Bothell 22. Fouled out - J.Clark, Ashbaugh, Babin.

Ferris 53, Mountain View 49

The Saxons (23-5) put on an impressive display, scoring the most points against the Thunder (23-1) this season and holding them to one of their lowest outputs.

“We thought they were going to press,” Ferris point guard Jayme Morrisette said. “They thrive in that fast-paced game, that’s when they play their best. I thought if we missed they would go out and run, but they didn’t.”

Besides controlling the tempo on offense, Ferris put on a clinic of patient and efficient offense.

A 13-2 run to close the half put the Saxons up 27-22. Morrisette hit from the outside and dished to Jennifer Swinton. Morrisette had nine points and Swinton 10.

In the third quarter, Ferris pushed the lead to 41-30 behind two Morrisette 3’s and three Swinton baskets.

After Swinton scored to start the fourth quarter, the Saxons never got another basket, but hit 10 of 14 free throws. The Thunder clawed back, making 9 of 14 from the line and a couple desperation 3s.

“I thought we got a little conservative,” Ferris coach Janet Skaife said. “In trying to control the tempo we quit attacking.”

Swinton, a 6-foot-1 post, scored 20, hitting some long shots from the outside, and Morrisette had 17 with six assists.

“What I wanted to do was get some dribble penetration to get some open shots inside for Jennifer,” Morrisette said.

With some help, Swinton held 6-3 Angelina Wolvert to nine points and five rebounds.

“I wanted to prove I can play with the bigger people,” Swinton said. “I think I did. (Defensively) everyone talked, the guards dropped in and everyone had a hand in the passing lanes.”

Ferris 12 15 14 12 -53

Mountain View 14 8 8 19 - 49

FERRIS Pruett 1 2-2 5, George 2 0-0 5, Jay.Morrisette 5 5-8 17, Martin 0 0-0 0, Rasmussen 0 0-0 0, Brown 0 0-0 0, Swinton 9 2-2 20, Jan.Morrisette 1 4-6 6. Totals 18 13-18 53.

MOUNTAIN VIEW Brough 4 7-10 18, Abrahamsen 2 3-4 7, Beveridge 0 3-4 3, Newton 0 0-0 0, Wilson 5 0-0 12, Wolvert 4 1-2 9, Schott 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-20 49.

3-point goals - Pruett, George, Jay.Morrisette, Brough 3, Wilson 2. Total fouls - Ferris 11, MV 17. Fouled out - Pruett, Abrahmsen. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo