GSL girls: Titans take care of business, roll

For 3 minutes in their Greater Spokane League girls basketball game Thursday, University allowed a young Central Valley team hope.

The Bears, most playing in their first Stinky Sneaker spirit game in the Spokane Arena, led 5-4 early in the first quarter.

But it was an illusion. The Titans ran off the next 18 points and ran away with an 80-35 victory.

Sixteen straight points to end the second quarter put U-Hi (11-2) ahead by 30 points at intermission. And an 18-2 burst in the third quarter put the Titans in front 64-18.

Seniors Dara Zack and Angie Bjorklund combined for 51 points and 23 rebounds. They scored 20 of U-Hi’s 25 points in the third quarter as the lead ballooned.

Zack, who finished with 24 points and a dozen rebounds, had a particularly active night, hustling for the ball inside against a young Bears team.

“The team blocked out well tonight and I just got my legs back,” said Zack, who had been slowed this past week with the flu.

Bjorklund finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter. Nine different Titans scored points.

CV scored nine points in the first minute of the final period. Six came from Justine Bowman, who finished the game with 17. But U-Hi pulled away again

“Their kids are just young,” said U-Hi coach Mark Stinson, explaining the Titans ease of win over a team made up primarily of sophomores and freshman. “This is a tough atmosphere in which to perform your best.”

University and Mead, tied for second in the GSL, will break the tie at U-Hi on Tuesday. The first time they met the teams were separated by just a point with 2 minutes left in the game.

Mead 61, East Valley 34: The Panthers (11-2) kept pace with University with an easy road win over the Knights (4-7). Mead shot 24 for 57 from the field while EV was just 10 for 35. Leading by 16 points at intermission, the Panthers outscored the Knights 20-7 in the third quarter. Panthers guards Jazmine Redmon and Alysha Green and post Alexis Olgard all scored 13 points. Ashley Grater scored 12 for EV.

Ferris 48, Rogers 47: The Saxons (7-6) barely avoided an upset when the host Pirates (2-11) missed a shot to win with 2 seconds remaining. The teams were tied at halftime and again after three quarters. Jenna Galloway scored a season-high 23 points, nearly half Ferris’ total, to help her team hang on. Denisha Whitehead had 18, including four 3-pointers, and Rikeya Crossley 17 for Rogers.

Shadle Park 58, Mt. Spokane 43: The host Highlanders (8-4) got scoring balance from seven players to go with the 20 points of Lexi Bishop for a home win over the Wildcats (2-10). A 16-5 third-quarter scoring advantage was the difference in the game after Shadle led just 28-25 at halftime. Mt. Spokane’s Sam Patrick scored a game-high 22 points.

Gonzaga Prep 62, North Central 41: Jenna Sayman scored 22 points, her season high, as the visiting Bullpups (8-4) remained tied with Shadle for fourth in league. She made three 3-pointers and was 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. Tara Cronin added 12 points. The Bullpups outscored NC 21-10 in the second quarter for a 35-18 lead at intermission. Mariah Alexander scored 10 for the Indians (0-12).