Guards carry G-Prep
Advantage: backcourt.
Led by Houston Stockton, Gonzaga Prep’s guards outdid the best efforts of West Valley’s posts during a 74-67 Greater Spokane League boys basketball triumph on Tuesday night at West Valley High School.
The victory left the Bullpups (15-3, 10-1) tied for first with Ferris and North Central and a win away from securing an automatic regional playoff berth.
The loss dropped West Valley (14-4, 7-3) into a three-way tie for fourth place with Shadle Park and Central Valley.
Stockton sliced up the Eagles with a variety of head fakes and bursts of speed. He scored a career-high 28 points and seemingly provided every critical basket.
He hit a 3-pointer during an 11-point run, almost all off turnovers, forging a 22-13 lead within the first minute of the second quarter.
Another 3-pointer helped slow a WV rally shortly thereafter.
In the second half, after WV had taken a 41-39 lead, Stockton again stemmed the tide with three third-quarter scores and a 45-42 lead.
When the Eagles went up 57-54 with 4:55 remaining in the game, Stockton scored his final eight points as G-Prep pulled away for good.
“We were just trying to score at that point, we hadn’t been hitting for a while,” Stockton said. “They were helping an awful lot on Mike (Johnson) and Ian (Parry) and I had a lot of open shots.”
But as huge as Stockton was – West Valley coaches called him the difference in the game – he wasn’t a one-guard show.
G-Prep guards scored every first-half point, including Johnson with eight and Travis Walker with a season-high 11.
Only once before this season had Walker scored more than four points in a game.
At one point they were 9 for 11 from the field when Gonzaga Prep built its nine-point lead. Overall, the guards finished with 57 points.
“We knew we needed great guard play with the pressure they put on you,” said Bullpups coach Mike Haugen. “I thought in the third quarter they got a little frantic, but, boy, did they do a nice job of coming back and picking and choosing.”
By contrast, two-thirds of WV scoring came from its two big men. Tyler Hobbs scored 23 points and E.J. Richardson 21. The team also made 19 of 25 from the free-throw line, an Achilles’ heel for WV.
“I thought we did enough stuff to have a chance to win it,” said Eagles coach Jamie Nilles. “Top to bottom, their guards were way more solid than ours.”
Three guards, in this instance, were better than two posts.
Ferris 68, Mead 44
The Saxons (18-1, 10-1) scored 23 points off turnovers and had four double-figure scorers who combined for 54 points. On defense, they thwarted scoring leader Brendan Ingebritsen, but Nick Harter led the host Panthers (7-11, 5-6) with 14.
North Central 61, Rogers 51
Damal Neil scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds for the Indians (16-2, 10-1). Neil’s key offensive rebound of a missed free throw midway through the fourth quarter hurt the host Pirates (7-11, 3-8). They were down by just five points entering the final period. Scotty Livengood scored 23 and had seven rebounds for the Pirates.
CV 56, Mt. Spokane 45
The visiting Bears (14-4, 8-3) got nine fourth-quarter points from Luke Clift and Central Valley made 14 of 19 free throws. Clift was one of three Bears in double figures, led by Kevin Cameron”s 16 points. Matt Dorr had 23 for the Wildcats (11-7, 6-5).
Shadle Park 55, University 49
The Highlanders (12-6, 8-3) led by 24 points, 46-22, with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game. The host Titans (5-14, 3-8) scored 27 points thereafter to close to within five with 12 seconds left. Shadle’s Josh Landsverk scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds.
Cheney 59, East Valley 56
Matt Brunell’s 12th rebound, an offensive putback of a missed free throw with 4 seconds left, saved the host Blackhawks (5-13, 2-8) in a win over the Knights (4-14, 1-10). Brunell finished with 15 points.
Lewis and Clark 67, Clarkston 47
The Tigers (4-14, 3-8) went on a 25-5 third-quarter tear to subdue the home-standing Bantams (1-17, 0-11). T.J. Lee Hill led LC with 18 points.