Shadle Park, Mead roll in first round

Star power didn’t necessarily translate into staying power Tuesday night.

With the respective standout players from Shadle Park and Gonzaga Prep effectively canceling each other out, it was the Highlanders’ superior depth that lifted Shadle Park to a 49-43 win in a loser-out District 8 4A tournament game.

The fourth-seeded Highlanders (16-6) advanced to the district semifinals and will face No. 1 seed Lewis and Clark at Central Valley High on Thursday at 7:45 p.m.

In the second game of the night, No. 3 Mead (17-4) eliminated Ferris 62-50 and will open semifinal play against University at 5:45.

Lexi Bishop scored 14 of her 19 points in the first half to lead Shadle Park. That total matched that of G-Prep’s Tara Cronin, whose storied prep career ended with the defeat. The two future collegians neutralized each other and left the game in the hands of their teammates.

That battle never was close.

With no other Bullpup scoring more than seven points, Gonzaga Prep couldn’t find a complement for Cronin offensively. That allowed SP to stretch its lead to as much as 15 in the second half. Nicole Cantu erupted for 10 points in the third period to turn the Highlanders’ six-point halftime lead into a 42-27 advantage entering the final quarter.

“Nicole Cantu stepped up and took some big shots,” Shadle Park coach Chad Dezellem said. “She was looking for open opportunities. You could see the fire in her eyes that we was determined to get it done.”

Cronin’s final tally may suggest she had her way with Shadle Park’s defense. The truth is that she had to work for most of her points, and her output was enough only to keep the game within reach for the Bullpups.

Dezellem charged sophomore Lindsay Niemeier with the task of shadowing Cronin on the defensive end. Niemeier’s length and agility prevented Cronin from driving the lane and attacking the basket.

“She’s a great player, an all-around shooter who can drive,” Niemeier said. “I had to step up my game, but I also had to know my teammates had my back.”

Dezellem said Niemeier presents a tough matchup for opponents, and she gives the Highlanders another option at the top of the defense.

“Lindsay is an incredible athlete and a smart basketball player,” Dezellem said. “She’s very quick with her feet and able to keep people in front of her. Bishop does a nice job, too, but we didn’t want to wear her out (chasing Cronin). Lindsay did an outstanding job.”

Mead 62, Ferris 50: Alysha Green scored seven points more than her previous season high, 24, to lead the host Panthers. She also had four assists and four rebounds.

Fellow guard Jazmine Redmon also had four assists and 10 rebounds.

Kelli Valentine scored in double figures for the Panthers, who played without a couple of regulars, freshmen Alexis Olgard and Kristina Puthoff.

Mead had built a 30-18 lead before the visiting Saxons made 9 of 16 shots in the third quarter to cut the deficit to two points. But Mead got away again as the game progressed.

Sophomore Ashley Lockmer scored 14 points to lead Ferris scorers and junior Courtney Hatch added 11.