CV, WV boys aim for better shooting

Central Valley and West Valley boys basketball teams experienced similar results during early-season losses to fellow Greater Spokane League contenders and respective 4A and 3A playoff rivals.

The Bears (8-2, 2-1) were beaten Tuesday night 43-29 by Ferris which is off to an 11-0 start. It was only the second setback this year for CV and the first against a GSL foe.

Last Friday, the Eagles (8-2, 2-1) lost 50-47 in overtime for the second time to North Central, its major challenger in the 3A portion of the league.

Both games were alike in that the Valley teams, playing at home, seemed out of synch, resulting in poor shooting.

“Sometimes, when you fall behind, things tighten up a bit,” said CV coach Rick Sloan. “I think that’s what happened on our shots.”

The Bears trailed 6-0 early against Ferris, and although scoring eight points in the final 1 minute, 23 seconds of the first quarter to tie the game, it was as close as they got.

“To play that poorly offensively and really still be in the game is a tribute to our kids’ effort,” said Sloan. “We played good enough defense to win the game but have to eliminate scoring droughts.”

WV coach Jamie Nilles said the same thing.

The game with NC was played before a packed and enthusiastic audience that spilled into the cafeteria at WV and had to watch on video.

Like CV-Ferris, both teams matched suffocating defenses, but the Eagles hurried in offensive execution. Rebounds bounced off their hands early and myriad shots, inside and out, failed to fall.

Still, they had every chance to win, if not for missed layins at the end of the third quarter and regulation and 0-for-5 free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter.

WV rallied from a 13-7 first-quarter deficit to lead 25-19 at halftime, sparked by hustling substitute Maurice Swan and maintstay Tyler Hobbs.

It was an advantage the Eagles held into the fourth-quarter before NC rallied to tie with 2:04 left. Neither team scored again until overtime.

“You’ve just got to have guys step up and play,” said Nilles. “We missed a lot of bunnies, and where we thought we had the advantage, inside, we didn’t get it done.”

The Eagles certainly did during an 82-40 win Tuesday at University, getting 39 points and 25 rebounds from Hobbs and E.J. Richardson.

University (8-2, 3-0) and Central Valley (7-3, 3-0) girls had easy victories Tuesday night, a prelude to their Stinky Sneaker showdown Friday evening at the Spokane Arena. The Titans beat WV 78-17, the hot-shooting Bears, sparked by Justine Bowman and Tracy Goehri, outran Ferris 69-41.

The Titan boys (4-7, 1-2) need to win against the Bears Friday night or risk losing distance to the pack.

East Valley girls (5-6, 1-2) won their first GSL counter, beating Rogers 54-45, but the Knight boys (3-8, 0-3) remained winless in the GSL, losing 67-45.

•The season is over for West Valley sophomore Melissa Mauro, who underwent maintenance knee surgery and will concentrate on track. Mauro tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee about this time last year.

Titans win own meet

University wrestlers continue to enjoy a standout invitational tournament season even with some of its better athletes either out with injury, illness or withheld from competition for match count reasons.

Last weekend the Titans won their own Pacific Northwest Classic meet 172.5 to 156.5 over 2A defending state champion Lakeside.

Two weeks ago the Titans were second behind 3A champion Sedro Woolley at the Pacific Coast Championships in Vancouver.

State champion Brian Owen did not compete in either meet because of a back injury.

Trevor Robb, who captured the PNW 152-pound weight class 5-3 over East Valley’s Bryce Fisher, was held out of the PCC tournament as was PNW 125-pound runner-up Chase Fish who was ill.

Robb was one of two U-Hi champions at last weekend’s tournament. Mike Malsam won by major decision at 119 pounds. He had lost 8-6 for the title at the Pacific Coast championships to Sedro Woolley state runner-up Kevin O’Neil.

Other Valley champions were Nick Cambron (103), Lucas Chesher (140), 6-5 over Lewis and Clark’s Anthony Varnell, and Camren Ebat (160) from Central Valley. East Valley’s Tyler Jolley won at 275.

Fish (125) lost to Auburn-Riverside state runner-up Michael Mangrum 6-3 and Nick Zumwalt (171), champion at the PCC, lost to defending 2A champion Jon Millard of Lakeside 6-5 in the finals. Elliott Nay (140) and Dono Totten (275) finished third. They had been fifth and second respectively in the Pacific Coast tourney.

EV’s Jimmy Martin (215) was second to Olympia state placer Joe Silverman. Teammates Shelby Lawson (112), who returned to action last week from injury, and Clete Hanson (171) were third.

CV’s Jeff Croskrey (135), Nick Walker (145) and Tyler Cochran (189) placed fourth.

Gymnasts meet

Last week Central Valley and University’s gymnasts had nearly identical team scores.

The Bears (8-1 overall, 3-0 in league and tied for first) scored 156.175 while finishing second to league favorite Mead in a nonleague meet, but beating last year’s runner-up Shadle Park in a GSL counter.

The Titans (5-2, 2-1) scored 156.65 during league victories over Ferris, Rogers and a noncounter over Mt. Spokane. Both their losses have been to Mead (8-0, 3-0).

Their season bests, CV’s 159.425 and U-Hi’s 159.0, are comparable as well.

Tonight the two compete against each other at U-Hi in an important positioning meet. It is the only time they face each other during regular season and counts in the GSL standings.

Kayla McGahey was first overall last Friday at 34.06, winning and beam, finishing second on vault. Tatiana Garcia finished second during floor exercise and balance beam. Monica Marmolejo was third during floor exercise.