Hard Work Pays Off For G-Prep Boys With First Title In 9 Years

Thu., Feb. 24, 2000

By Janie McCauley janiem@spokesman.com

Gonzaga Prep senior Greg Johnson didn’t know how to feel after the Bullpups clinched their first Greater Spokane League boys basketball title in nine years last week.

“Right now I can’t really say,” Johnson said following Prep’s emotional 56-52 victory over Ferris before a near-capacity crowd at Spokane Falls Community College. “This has been a dream for me since I was coming in as a freshman. It feels good to know all the hard work has paid off.”

It also felt good after Prep had lost its first league game to Shadle Park four days earlier. That setback was a “wakeup call,” Johnson said.

“We knew we were the best team in the city,” he said. “It was a matter of unity and staying together.”

The Bullpups (19-1) open the District 8 4A Tournament at 9 tonight against East Valley (13-8) in the Arena.

Senior Chris Bond, who transferred from Cheney, had never played in front of such a big crowd as the one for the Ferris game.

He said he was nervous shooting free throws down the stretch. But he came through with 24 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.

Experience was the difference for Prep, Bond said.

In search of a complete game

First-year Lakeside boys basketball coach Ron Cox knows his team is as good as any in the Great Northern League when it plays well for the entire 32 minutes.

But that hasn’t always been the case this season.

“We play a good 24, 26, 28 minutes and a bad 2 to 4 minutes,” Cox said. “We dig ourselves into a hole and spend too much energy digging ourselves out of that hole.”

The GNL fifth-seeded Eagles (7-12) open the District 7 2A tournament Friday against fourth-seeded Pullman in a loser-out game at 8:45 p.m. at Mt. Spokane.

Senior Luke Stillar has been a spark off the bench in recent games, Cox said. Stillar moved into a reserve role when sophomore Matt Peterson was called up from junior varsity a few weeks ago and moved into the starting lineup.

“He plays with a lot of enthusiasm,” Cox said of Peterson. “We’re living through a few of his mistakes but we’re coming along.”

Cox said he tries to give his athletes personal challenges every day at practice. One challenge the Eagles had was to break out of a five-game losing streak this season, the coach said.

Eagles need consistency

Lisa Schultz is looking for five or six players who will be steady contributors for the Lakeside girls basketball team during the postseason.

The Eagles coach said there is no favorite to win the district tournament, which begins Friday at Mt. Spokane High. Lakeside, Riverside and Pullman will battle for two berths to the State 2A Tournament from March 8-11 in Yakima. The Eagles lost a tiebreaker to Riverside on Tuesday and will be the No. 3 seed.

Schultz said games like Lakeside’s recent 42-35 loss to Pullman are good preparation.

“These close games get our young kids experience and get them more seasoned,” Schultz said. “I love these kinds of games. It’s the reason we play basketball, to play under pressure and test our resiliency.”

NWC boys try to peak for playoffs

Northwest Christian boys basketball coach John Edwards says his team’s goal each year is to play its best at the end of the season.

The Crusaders (19-5), the No. 2 team from the Panorama League, defeated Bi-County No. 3 Ritzville 58-46 on Tuesday night in a District 7 B tournament opener at Spokane Falls Community College. The Crusaders play top-ranked and undefeated Valley Christian at 7 p.m. today at SFCC for a berth to next week’s State B at the Spokane Arena. The district championship game is Saturday.

NWC lost by two points to 2A Deer Park in its second to last game of the season Feb. 1. It was a good game to have right before the playoffs, Edwards said.

Senior forward Doug Malott is averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game and 6-foot-7 senior center Gabe Goldman is averaging 15 points and eight rebounds.

“Gabe has really been coming on strong as we’ve been getting closer to the playoffs,” Edwards said.

The Crusaders lost for the second time this season to Curlew on Friday, 68-51, in the league tournament.

“Going into the district tournament as the No. 2 seed is not a bad thing,” Edwards said.

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