Murphy musters big 3-pointer as Gonzaga Prep rallies past Titans

Gonzaga Prep’s Ryan Murphy is the first to admit that he’s a basketball player in a football player’s body.

But the burly Bullpups player knows his way around the court as readily as the gridiron. When it comes to making a clutch play, no one in the Greater Spokane League is better.

Murphy’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer at halftime Thursday night proved a catalyst in G-Prep’s 55-51 victory at University.

The win kept the Bullpups (6-3, 2-0) unbeaten in league while evening U-Hi’s (6-3, 1-1) GSL mark.

“He’s an athlete,” Titans coach Marty Jessett said of Murphy. “He makes plays for them and the other guys are all a lot more confident with him out there on the floor.”

U-Hi led by as many as seven points in the first quarter and was ahead 18-12 in the second quarter. But G-Prep’s Brandon Kennedy scored on a drive 8 seconds before halftime. Teammate Jake Sayman got a tie-up and possession following Kennedy’s missed free throw, and he found Murphy, who buried the 20-foot shot for a 20-all tie.

The basket inspired a 15-4 run in the third quarter that included two baskets by Murphy and 3-point shots from Kennedy and Michael Johnson for a 35-26 lead.

U-Hi rallied but never led again, despite the best efforts of Inderbir Gil, who scored all 15 of his points in the second half.

“We didn’t run our offense well, had too many breakdowns defensively and made stupid decisions with the basketball,” said Jessett. “They made us pay every time we did.”

It was a defensive game for the most part. Both teams made it difficult for their foe to generate much scoring.

The teams shot a combined 33 percent from the field in the first half. Neither team made a field goal in the fourth quarter until Travis Walker’s drive for a six-point lead with 3:09 left to play.

“We concentrated on stopping their penetration and obviously (Calvin Jurich) is always an issue,” said G-Prep coach Mike Haugen of U-Hi’s high-scoring post. “We gave up a ton of points against North Central on Tuesday, but with the quick turnaround did a nice job of correcting mistakes and getting it done.”

Jurich finished with 13 points, but he scarcely saw the ball in the second half as the Bullpups’ pressure on the U-Hi guards forced them into hurried outside shooting instead.

Murphy did not join the lineup until G-Prep’s fifth game, on Dec. 17. He’s averaging 15.0 points and scored 41 in this week’s two GSL counters.

“I’ve been on varsity three years and know what the routine is,” Murphy said. “I’d guess you could say I am the go-to guy, but there are other weapons on the team.”

It was G-Prep’s defense that he preferred to talk about.

“Our team is focused mainly on defense,” he said. “Defense wins ball games. That’s what sport is all about.”

Girls

University 55, Gonzaga Prep 43

The Titans (9-0, 2-0) had a difficult time with the visiting Bullpups, nearly squandering a 20-point lead before pulling away safely in the game’s final 5 minutes.

U-Hi led 39-19 with 3:20 left in the third quarter before going cold. The team scored one basket while G-Prep (6-2, 1-1) mounted a furious comeback, trailing just 41-36 on a Laura Christianson basket with 4:50 left.

Jami Bjorklund, who finished with 25 points, converted a three-point play and later hit a free throw midway through the quarter to help U-Hi regain a double-figures lead. Angie Bjorklund had 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Sophomore Tara Cronin sparked Prep’s comeback with six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter.