State 4A, 2A soccer begins

First round of state soccer begins today for two teams each from the Greater Spokane and Great Northern leagues.

Mead (12-2-2) plays host to Kentwood, second in its division of the South Puget Sound League, at 6 p.m. in Joe Albi Stadium. Regional No. 3 seed Ferris (14-3) is in Richland against the unbeaten regional champion Bombers at 7 in 4A openers

West Valley (13-6), which beat Cheney (16-3) for the first time in four matches, 1-0 in overtime, to claim the GNL top seed, is at home at 2:30 p.m. against East Valley of Yakima. Cheney travels to Selah for a 4 p.m. game in 2A play.

Winners advance to the quarterfinals. The losers’ seasons end.

Women’s basketball

Gonzaga University used a 21-2 burst the first 10 minutes to separate it from the visitors en route to a 74-48 exhibition victory over Eastern Oregon before 1,109 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

After the Mounties grabbed a 3-2 lead 44 seconds in, GU went on runs of 12 and nine points, interrupted by a lone EOU basket.

The Bulldogs got scoring from 11 of the 13 who played, including double-figure contributions from Tatriana Lorenzo (12), Katy Ridenour (10) and Maria Hassett (10). Hassett was 4 of 4 from the field and Lorenzo 5 of 7. EOU’s Tiffanie Ulmer scored 15.

“Julie Piper, a 6-foot forward from Roseburg, Ore., has committed to the Eastern Washington women’s team.

Piper, who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds as a junior, was first-team all-league after not playing as a sophomore because she was playing club soccer.

“I was originally planning to play college soccer but realized I love basketball more and had more of a future in it,” she said.

She was all-league in soccer three times and MVP as a junior.