Panthers down Mt. Spokane

Consistency has been elusive for Mead boys basketball this year, coach Glenn Williams likening the season to a mechanic tinkering with an automobile to keep it operating smoothly.

The Panthers at home against Mt. Spokane were no exception for the better part of three quarters, but then they hit on all cylinders for the final 10 minutes of their 50-34 victory.

“They were killing us on the boards, it was 20-9 the first half and we were shooting 24 percent,” said Williams. “But I told the kids at halftime we must be doing something right because we were only down two points.”

They trailed 26-22 when Matt Dorr hit a 3-point basket with 2:05 left in the third quarter, but something about the basket seemed to inspire Mead.

The rest of the team joined Jeremy Brett in gathering in rebounds, the Panthers’ full-court press flustered the taller and burlier Wildcats, and they finished off the game with a 28-8 scoring flourish that added further drama to the Greater Spokane League playoff picture as the season winds down..

Four teams, Central Valley (12-7 overall), Mead (9-10), Mt. Spokane (9-10) and Shadle Park (8-11) are all tied for fifth at 6-6 in league, with a game remaining next Tuesday. Only two will qualify for district and a playoff is likely.

“We didn’t even talk about that,” said Williams. “We never talked about needing to win, we needed to have constancy of effort and they gave that effort tonight. Winning is frosting.”

Early in the game, however, neither team could get a handle on consistency, particularly the Panthers who hurried shots and let Mt. Spokane dictate a slow-paced tempo.

The work inside of Curtis Justice and Edwin Miller helped the Wildcats rally from an early 9-4 deficit to lead 15-13 at half. But when Dorr hit his second basket in nine attempts for the 26-22 lead, Mead seemed to gather inspiration.

Zach Nichols hit his second 3-point basket of the quarter and added two more baskets for 14 total points as the Panthers took a 34-28 lead.

Then Nick Harter hit a 3-pointer, Mead gained a boost from Mt. Spokane turnovers, and the momentum was all Mead’s.