Prep Leaps As Rogers Lets Down Bloom’S 26 Points Dominate Offense As Unbeaten Bullpups Win Handily

Logic dictates that Rogers boys basketball coach Craig Ehlo would know something about shutting down a high-powered opponent, considering his somewhat legendary battles with some guy named Jordan during his NBA days.

And the Pirates did that Friday night - temporarily. But when the Pirates couldn’t convert on the offensive end, their defense wilted and Andy Bloom led Gonzaga Prep to a 64-46 victory.

Bloom, who had nine points in the first quarter, added 14 in the fourth quarter as the Bullpups pulled away to remain perfect in the Greater Spokane League. Still, his 25 points were three below his average.

“I don’t get caught up with the attention that I have to make shots,” Bloom, a 6-foot-2 senior, said. “As you can see in the third quarter … we have other players who can score. I think I started to go to the hole more. When the 3 won’t go down, I need to get shorter, easier shots.”

Bloom got off to a quick start and the Pirates struggled to protect the ball. Prep scored 10 points after six Rogers turnovers to lead 17-10 after one quarter.

The second quarter started the same way as the lead reached 11 points. Then Rogers hit all five of its shots, including a pair of 3s and a 3-point play, and Prep missed its last seven shots for a 23-23 halftime score.

While Rogers (1-5) was perfect in the second quarter for a 10-of-15 first half, Prep (6-0) went 2 of 14 for a 10-of-30 half.

When Ryan Simpson, who finished with 17 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second half for Prep, the Pirates came apart. Prep closed the quarter with an 11-3 run to go up 42-31.

“In practice, we talk about how we have to come down and execute (after the opponent scores),” Ehlo said. “We’re making the same mistakes over and over. (Turnovers) kill us.”

Rogers had 19 turnovers and the Bullpups got 28 points on the free possessions.

Danny Cox got a putback basket and a 3 to start the run and closed it with a fastbreak layup. Alec Pawlusiak and Phil Lenoue had the other baskets.

“That’s the thing as a coach I can’t figure out right now,” Ehlo said. “We talk about it every day. We have to put together 32 minutes. That’s our only problem right now. It seems there’s always one quarter we have a letdown.”

And this one came despite Bloom missing all four of his shots. But in the first quarter, he hit all five, with two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws.

Bloom averaged just under 10 points a game last year for a state-qualifying team, but he and Simpson are the only returners.

“Last year, we had so many weapons I didn’t have to take so many shots,” Bloom said. “This year, as seniors, Simpson and I are kind of the go-to guys. It’s fun. I like being a senior leader.”

Still, the points are more than he dreamed.

“I’m surprised,” he said. “I didn’t expect to score that much. It’s just the way it has worked out. It’s the rest of the team. The offense is based on screens. I couldn’t do it without my big guys and all the other guys getting me open.”

Chris Berend had 20 points for Rogers. Justin Vaughan added 14.

“We’re so close,” Ehlo said. “I wish they would realize that. Maybe once we get over the hump it might click.”

Gonzaga Prep 62, Rogers 46

Rogers 10 13 8 15 - 46

Gonzaga Prep 17 6 19 22 - 64

Rogers (1-5) - Cody 0 0-0 0, Baker 0 0-0 0, Mullerleile 3 0-1 7, Seipp 0 0-0 0, Olson 0 0-0 0, Perez 1 0-0 3, Smith 1 0-0 2, Proctor 0 0-0 0, Berend 9 0-0 20, Vaughan 6 2-3 14, Apelskog 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 2-4 46.

Gonzaga Prep (6-0) - Velis 2 0-1 4, Bloom 10 3-4 25, Simpson 7 0-0 17, Pawlusiak 2 0-1 4, Lenoue 1 3-4 5, Rogers 0 0-0 0, Cox 3 2-2 9, Phillips 0 0-0 0, Nickol 0 0-0 0, Holbrook 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 8-12 64.

3-point goals-Mullerleile, Perez, Berend, Bloom 2, Simpson 3, Cox. Total fouls-Rogers 13, Gonzaga Prep 11. Fouled out-None. Technicals-None.

East Valley 77, North Central 67

At EV, Austin Brown and Joe Hirst had career-high games as the Knights hit 14 of 17 free throws in the second half to beat the Indians.

Brown had 20 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Hirst had 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

For NC, Josiah Roloff had 16 points and Danny Garrett 15, also both career highs.

North Central 21 20 12 14 - 67

East Valley 16 23 19 19 - 77

North Central (1-6) - Repp 0 0-0 0, Peterson 2 0-0 6, Roloff 4 8-9 16, Beal 4 0-0 11, Garrett 6 3-3 15, Rijon 2 1-3 6, Stroyan 2 5-8 9, Steele 1 2-6 4. Totals 21 19-29 67.

East Valley (1-5) - Lennick 3 7-7 15, Pflanz 0 0-0 0, A. Brown 5 8-10 20, J. Brown 3 1-2 9, Duncan 0 2-2 2, Lindstrom 2 0-0 4, Breneman 0 0-0 0, Hirst 6 4-5 16, Mathison 5 1-2 11. Totals 24 23-28 77.

3-point goals-Peterson 2, Beal 3, Rijon, Lennick 2, A. Brown 2, J. Brown 2. Total fouls-North Central 26, East Valley 27. Fouled out- Roloff, Beal, Lindstrom, Hirst. Technicals-None.

Mead 68, Shadle Park 57

Sophomore Adam Morrison had a perfect night shooting for a career-high 14 points and Josh Dvork added 14 as the visiting Panthers, who hit 18 of 21 free throws, beat the Highlanders.

Mead scored the last eight points of the first half to get some breathing room. Dvorak hit 5 of 6 shots.

Shadle put three players in double figures.

Mead 9 18 18 23 - 68

Shadle Park 13 8 15 21 - 57

Mead (5-2) - B. Williams 0 4-4 4, Wilponen 1 0-1 2, Dvorak 5 4-4 14, Lunzer 1 4-5 6, Leaf 1 2-2 5, Cwik 2 0-0 5, Morrison 6 2-2 14, E. Williams 5 0-2 10, Fischer 3 2-2 8, Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 18-21 68.

Shadle Park (4-2) - Bishop 0 1-2 1, Logwood 1 0-0 2, Pariseau 4 5-8 14, Weisner 3 5-9 11, McCracken 5 0-0 13, Bell 3 1-2 7, Dozier 0 1-2 1, Alexander 3 2-2 8. Totals 19 15-25 57.

3-point goals-Leaf, Cwik, McCracken 3, Pariseau. Total fouls-Mead 21, Shadle Park 20. Fouled out-Bishop. Technicals-Bell.

Central Valley 49, Lewis and Clark 46

Chris Rodgers had five points in the final 2 minutes as the Bears held off the Tigers at LC.

Back-to-back baskets by Rodgers, who led all scorers with 13 points, and sophomore Ryan Heacock midway through the fourth quarter put CV up by five, and LC never caught up. The Bears were 5 of 8 from the line in the final minutes.

Jacob Domit had 12 points and 11 rebounds for LC.

Central Valley 10 12 12 15 - 49

Lewis and Clark 18 8 9 11 - 46

Central Valley (3-3) - Liepman 4 2-2 10, Rodgers 5 3-4 13, Zyph 1 0-0 2, Weisen 0 0-0 0, Taylor 4 0-0 8, Bright 0 0-0 0, Wagner 1 1-5 3, Heacock 5 1-1 11, Nagel 0 2-2 2. Totals 20 9-14 49.

Lewis and Clark (2-5) - Zellers 3 2-2 8, Webb 0 0-0 0, Adolphson 3 0-0 8, Denbeigh 2 2-2 6, Defour 0 0-0 0, Shaw 4 0-0 8, Fry 2 0-0 4, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Domit 5 2-4 12. Totals 19 6-8 46.

3-point goals-Adolphson. Total fouls-Central Valley 10, Lewis and Clark 16. Fouled out-Shaw. Technicals-None.

Ferris 73, University 47

The Saxons shot 60 percent from the field and three players scored in double figures to beat the Titans at Ferris.

Erik Benzel hit 7 of 12 shots to finish with a season-high 19 points, Kirby Fike hit 8 of 11 2-pointers for 17 points, and Sean Mallon hit 7 of 9 shots for 14 points to lead the Saxons.

University 9 8 18 12 - 47

Ferris 21 14 20 18 - 73

University (1-6) - Ellersick 1 0-0 3, Christensen 4 0-0 11, Florence 1 0-0 3, J. Bright 2 0-0 5, Thompson 1 1-1 3, D. Bright 2 0-0 5, Johnson 2 0-0 5, Grondel 4 2-4 10, Cox 1 0-2 2, Paxton 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 3-7 47.

Ferris (5-1) - Parker 3 2-3 8, Lee 2 1-2 5, Benzel 7 2-2 19, Fike 8 1-2 17, Jensen 0 0-0 0, Clift 1 0-0 2, Mallon 7 0-0 14, Lommen 1 0-0 2, Seaburg 2 0-0 4, Sloan 1 0-0 2. Totals 32 6-9 73.

3-point goals-Ellersick, Christensen 3, Florence, J. Bright, D. Bright, Johnson, Benzel 3. Total fouls-University 15, Ferris 14. Fouled out- None. Technicals-None.