Gonzaga Prep Girls One Win Away From Trip To State
Mead has been the standard bearer of Greater Spokane League girls basketball for the past seven years. Before that it was Shadle Park.
But it was a game between Gonzaga Prep and Ferris in the Coliseum 13 years ago that elevated the female sport to local marquee status.
And two surprising teams from those same schools, who faced each other again last week for district honors, are carrying the torch again.
Their upsets relegated league champions Mead and Central Valley to road games Tuesday night in the first round of Lamb Weston Regional play.
The Panthers lost 52-42 at Wenatchee and now must win three times to reach state for an eighth straight year. They begin the road back against Walla Walla at 7 p.m. Friday at Gonzaga University.
Gonzaga Prep beat Walla Walla 46-33 and is in Friday’s semifinals, 7 p.m. at Eastern Washington University.
Three teams from the tournament, which concludes Friday and Saturday at Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University, qualify for next week’s State AAA tournament in Seattle.
Shadle Park and Mead’s boys also play Friday.
The Highlanders, who opened with a 78-43 romp over Davis, play Richland at 5:30 p.m. at Eastern.
District fourth-place finisher Mead, which lost to Richland 47-27, plays Davis in a loserout game at GU, also at 5:30.
That Gonzaga Prep’s girls reign as district champion for the first time since its state trip in 1983, after finishing third in league, wasn’t a shock to coach Mike Arte.
“What happened is we felt after Christmas we could beat Mead and CV because our perimeter people were playing better,” he said.
Once they defined their roles, Prep played as well as any team in the league.
Initially, the team relied on college-bound posts Theresa Palmer and Jen Williams, who still are a major part of Prep’s success. Palmer scored 17 points against Walla Walla.
“We know whenever we need a basket we can go to the big girls,” said Arte.
Senior Lisa Bradley has become the defensive ace and an offensive threat.
“She might be one of the top three players in league,” said Arte. “She’s been playing well for so long.”
Joined by point guard Dani Thorn and 6-0 wing Paulette Jordan, they have kept opposition defenses more honest.
After losing twice to Mead during league, Gonzaga upset the Panthers 39-32.
“The girls believed from the beginning this was going to happen,” said Arte. “Mead and CV had been kings of the hill not only in league but in state for so long, if you finish third in our league you’re still pretty good.”
The GSL’s third place team and fourth place Ferris are unbeaten in regionals. Mead is scrambling.
But there’s still a lot of weekend left and Arte remains cautious.
“We had three goals, to finish high in league, get to regionals and see where we go from there,” he said. “We’ll see where we go from here.”
Riverside continues battle
Riverside’s girls basketball team needs two wins this weekend in order to qualify for the State AA tournament in Tacoma.
The Rams came close to an upset over Cheney last Friday, but misfired on early scoring opportunities during a 46-43 loss.
Behind by 10 points after a quarter, the Rams rallied and fell one three-point basket attempt short.
Loss by the Frontier League’s third-place finisher to the league runner-up came on the heels of a 59-38 romp over Colville.
Bernice Stime scored 32 points in the two games and Abbey Wood had 19.
Riverside plays Clarkston at 3 p.m. Friday at East Valley High. A victory will pit them either against Cheney or West Valley at 8 p.m. Saturday.
, DataTimes