Inspired Saxons Top Mead

GSL boys basketball

Wayne Gilman was feeling good when his Ferris High basketball team tipped off at Mead Tuesday night.

He was feeling great when the Greater Spokane League game ended.

The seventh-ranked Saxons took about 4 minutes to warm up, then went on a 19-2 run that turned into an 84-60 win.

“I feel great. The treatment went great today,” Gilman said of his first chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer. “I’m excited to be in the battle. I’m just thankful, again, for all the support, the prayers I received.”

When Gilman’s name was announced before the starting line-ups, the Mead student body started a standing ovation.

“That was awful nice. Moving,” the veteran coach said.

After the starters were announced, the Mead team and staff all shook his hand. Then the Panthers jumped to a 9-2 lead. But Ferris was up 21-11 by the end of the first quarter.

Sean Mallon and Erik Benzel did the damage, with Mallon having 14 of his 18 points at halftime and Benzel 13 of his career-high 26.

Afterwards, Gilman told his team it was nice to see them break loose offensively, though they were a little lax defensively.

But not when it counted.

“From that early deficit, it was (defense) that got us into the game,” he said.

The team played like a weight was lifted off its shoulders. Gilman was diagnosed last week but the best-case scenario of colon cancer wasn’t determined until Monday.

“It was a huge shock,” defensive spark Jordan Bursch said. “We had no idea. It came out of the blue, it happened so fast. It’s tough, but we’re praying for him. It puts everything in perspective, how small the games are in life.”

Jacob Pounds, the only senior starter who had three 3-pointers and 13 points, said, “It’s been hard. I’ve known Coach Gilman for so long. … I think we’re kind of optimistic because coach is. It was hard at first, but he’s a really strong person and that helps us be strong, too.”

Benzel hit four 3-pointers and was a big reason Ferris was 14 of 24 from the field in the first half.

“I took it really hard,” Benzel said. “I just couldn’t believe it. He gives us a lot of confidence just by his attitude.”

Ferris 84, Mead 60

Ferris 21 27 18 18 - 84

Mead 11 19 13 17 - 60

Ferris (13-2) - Aronson 1 0-0 3, Lee 0 0-0 0, Benzel 9 4-5 26, Bursch 3 2-2 9, Clift 1 0-0 2, Mallon 4 10-11 18, Pounds 5 0-0 13, Lommen 2 0-0 4, Kasen 0 0-0 0, Fike 3 2-2 9. Totals 28 18-20 84.

Mead (4-12) - Stallings 0 0-0 0, Zelinski 4 0-0 9, Stucky 0 1-2 1, Dvorak 2 0-0 4, McNaghten 4 2-3 10, Leaf 2 3-4 9, Cwik 5 0-0 11, Williams 1 1-4 3, Fischer 5 3-3 13. Totals 23 10-16 60.

3-point goals - Aronson, Benzel 4, Bursch, Pounds 3, Fike, Zelinski, Leaf 2, Cwik. Total fouls - Ferris 13, Mead 14. Fouled out - None. Technicals - None.

Shadle Park 76, Central Valley 69 (OT)

Demetrius Scott scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and added four more in overtime to finish with 34 as the Highlanders rallied to defeat the Bears at CV.

Scott finished with five 3s, including the one that forced OT with 30 seconds left in regulation. Shadle hit four of five shots in OT while CV was two of eight. Shaun Rowe had 13 rebounds for the Highlanders.

Kyle Boast had 28 points and six rebounds for CV.

Shadle Park 20 13 6 23 14 - 76

C. Valley 10 17 15 20 7 - 69

Shadle Park (12-3) - Bishop 0 0-0 0, Scott 12 5-7 34, K. Johnson 1 0-0 2, Rowe 5 1-5 11, Pariseau 5 6-8 16, Weisner 2 2-2 7, McCracken 0 0-0 0, Gabriel 2 0-0 4, Doyle 0 0-0 0, J.J. Johnson 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 14-22 76.

Central Valley (8-7) - Brown 0 0-0 0, Rodgers 2 0-0 4, Nylund 4 1-1 9, Field 0 0-0 0, Boast 8 9-10 28, Mosby 5 1-2 11, Filice 2 1-2 5, Walls 4 2-4 12, Stewart 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 14-19 69.

3-point goals - Scott 5, Weisner, Boast 3, Walls 2. Total fouls - Shadle Park 17, Central Valley 19. Fouled out - Weisner, Nyland. Technicals - None.

Lewis and Clark 59, Rogers 44

Jonathan Hook hit four of his five 3s in the first quarter on his way to a career-high 26 points as the visiting Tigers beat the Pirates.

Lewis and Clark 27 10 12 10 - 59

Rogers 4 19 8 13 - 44

Lewis and Clark (9-7) - Morgan 0 0-0 0, Hook 9 3-3 26, Denbeigh 0 0-0 0, Erik Coleman 8 0-0 17, Erin Coleman 1 0-0 2, Fry 0 0-0 0, Hurd 0 0-0 0, Binger 0 0-0 0, Domit 1 0-0 2, Black 3 2-3 8, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Nelson 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 5-6 59.

Rogers (0-15) - Mobbs 1 0-0 2, Worley 2 1-1 6, Baker 0 1-2 1, Mullerleile 3 0-2 7, Bogle 0 0-0 0, Olson 2 0-0 4, Perez 1 0-0 2, Smith 0 0-0 0, Vaughan 6 0-0 12, Berend 3 0-0 8, Reed 1 0-0 2, Gaffaney 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 2-5 44.

3-point goals - Hook 5, Erik Coleman, Worley, Mullerleile, Berend 2. Total fouls - Lewis and Clark 10, Rogers 7. Fouled out - None. Technicals - None.

North Central 44, Mt. Spokane 33

The Indians survived a late field goal attempt to hold on against the visiting Wildcats.

Matt Tabisz, one of the top scorers in the league, hit a 3 with 44 seconds left to make it a one-point game, but he couldn’t get a shot to fall with 10 seconds left and the Indians recovered the ball.

Mt. Spokane 12 8 14 9 - 43

North Central 9 11 11 13 - 44

Mt. Spokane (5-11) - Lessig 3 0-0 9, Swanson 0 0-0 0, Hornstein 0 0-0 0, Franklin 3 0-0 7, Tabisz 3 6-8 14, Vessey 5 2-4 13, Proett 0 0-0 0, Lewis 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 8-12 43.

North Central (6-10) - Moffitt 0 0-0 0, Peterson 3 0-0 8, Roloff 0 0-0 0, Donovan 3 0-0 7, Lattin 0 0-0 0, B. Johnson 0 0-0 0, Martyn 6 1-2 15, Smith 4 4-4 12, Cheek 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 5-8 44.

3-point goals - Lessig 3, Franklin, Tabisz 2, Vessey, Peterson 2, Donovan, Martyn 2. Total fouls - Mt. Spokane 13, North Central 12. Fouled out - None. Technicals - None.

East Valley 77, University 64

The Knights led the Titans by 38 after three quarters at U-Hi.

University hit 28 of 32 free throws, but they didn’t help as EV was 20 of 25.

East Valley 13 25 23 16 - 77

University 8 14 17 25 - 64

East Valley (8-7) - Burgess 5 4-4 16, Lennick 0 3-4 3, Quirk 4 0-0 8, Brown 0 0-2 0, Paul 6 3-4 16, Duncan 2 7-8 11, Horgan 4 0-0 8, Hansen 2 0-0 4, Mathison 4 3-3 11. Totals 27 20-25 77.

University (5-11) - J. Bright 0 4-4 4, Christensen 1 2-2 5, Benefield 1 11-11 13, Ellersick 1 3-4 5, Moore 2 3-3 9, D. Bright 3 1-2 10, Johnson 4 3-4 11, Weaver 0 0-0 0, Neal 2 0-0 4, Thompson 0 1-2 1, Turner 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 28-32 64.

3-point goals - Burgess 2, Paul, Moore 2, Christensen, D. Bright 3. Total fouls - East Valley 20, University 22. Fouled out - None. Technicals - Horgan.