Ferris, Shadle punch tickets to state

KENNEWICK – Opposition defenses dictated the outcome when Ferris and Shadle Park both won Friday in the Toyota Center to set up their fourth meeting in today’s 5 p.m. finals of the East 4A Regional boys basketball tournament.

Ferris’ Jared Karstetter took what he was given when Greater Spokane League opponent University packed back in its zone, scoring the first 13 Saxons points during a 78-50 victory.

Facing physical and active pressure against Richland, Shadle’s Highlanders ultimately made them pay in transition and at the foul line for their 62-47 triumph.

Tonight’s game between the Saxons and Highlanders is for seeding since the semifinal victories earned them state berths. Ferris is returning to Tacoma for the fourth straight year with a shot at repeating as state champions. It’s Shadle’s first trip since 2002.

“The most important thing, is it’s good to be going back,” Karstetter said.

U-Hi plays at 1 p.m. against Eisenhower, needing two victories to reach state.

Ferris 78, University 50: The Titans (11-14) scored first, one of their nine 3-pointers against the Saxons (24-0), but Karstetter neutralized it in a hurry with three 3-pointers for a 13-6 lead.

DeAngelo Casto scored the next five points and Ferris had the game in hand.

“They were packing their zone in pretty tight and Coach told us to put up shots and get them out of it,” said Karstetter of his outside shooting. “They were falling.”

By the end of the quarter he had a game’s worth of points with 17, and he and Casto accounted for more than half of the game’s total.

Casto wound up with 25 points and 17 rebounds, while Karstetter added two more baskets before the game was done.

U-Hi hung tough after falling behind by 12 points, with Mason Johnson and Trevor Wakem accounting for seven of the team’s nine 3-pointers and 33 of their 50 points.

But in the second half Ferris pulled away, leading by 22 in the third quarter and scoring the final eight points of the game.

Shadle Park 62, Richland 47: The Bombers (17-8) were relentless on defense for 32 minutes and constantly doubled-teamed Shadle fullcourt to create a frenzy.

“They were really, really physical. Really physical,” said coach Tim Gaebe. “But I thought the kids did a good job of adjusting, particularly in the second half.”

As has been customary, Shadle raced to a 16-5 first-quarter lead, then the hard-rebounding Bombers worked their way back in the second period, outscoring the Highlanders 17-4 to take the lead.

But Aaron Dunn proved hard to handle inside, and he and Anthony Brown scored the final points of the half for a 26-25 lead. Dunn also scored five straight points midway through the third quarter that put the Highlanders up 38-30 and Robby Douglas later made an uncanny running lob shot to maintain the advantage

Douglas, a sophomore in his first regional experience, seemed to come up with the biggest shots at the most timely moments.

He opened the second half with a 3-pointer and also hit a big basket midway through the fourth quarter when Shadle was nursing a double-digit advantage.

“They just pressed us a lot and we needed to attack the basket,” Douglas said.

Of his lob shot: “I saw them coming at me and had to do something.”

Richland ratcheted up the intensity and began fouling to get back in the game, but the Highlanders made 10 of 12 attempts (and 13 of 15 overall in the second half) to secure victory.

Zack Humphrey led scoring with 17 points and hit all six of his second-half free throws. Dunn had 15, Anthony Brown 14 and Douglas 11.

Eisenhower 67, Central Valley 44: Prior to the game, Bears coach Rick Sloan fretted about the athleticism of the Cadets. He had good reason. Eisenhower (16-9) bolted to a 22-7 first-quarter lead. After CV (11-15) cut the martin to seven points by intermission, Ike raced away again in the second half. The loss ended CV’s season. Luke Clift, in his final game of a four-year career, led the Bears with 10.