Area basketball preview: Shadle Park boys face Gonzaga Prep in a battle for first in GSL

With league races heating up, here’s a look at some of the biggest prep basketball games in the area this weekend:

Greater Spokane League

Shadle Park (11-1, 9-1) at Gonzaga Prep (11-1, 9-1): The big one. The top two teams in the GSL meet for a chance to exert some dominance in a very tight race.

The Bullpups have won four in a row, including a 40-point rout of Rogers earlier in the week. Anton Watson has led G-Prep in scoring the past three games, gathering 55 points.

Shadle is riding an eight-game win streak. Tanner Groves, an Eastern Washington commit, has scored an even 20 points in each of his last three games.

Central Valley (9-3, 7-3) at Lewis and Clark (8-4, 7-3): With G-Prep and Shadle at the top of the heap in the GSL, these two-loss teams can’t afford to slip any further behind, making this an intriguing matchup.

CV has lost two of its last three – to the aforementioned Bullpups and Highlanders – while LC has won three in a row, allowing 50 or fewer points in four of its last five.

Great Northern

East Valley (7-6, 2-3) at West Valley (8-5, 3-2): Traditional rivals face off with plenty on the line. Clarkston leads the league at 6-0 and West Valley, winners of two in a row, can’t really afford another loss it hopes to track down the Bantams.

East Valley had won six in a row before a loss last time out against Clarkston. Jeremiah Hillard has 50 points in his last three games.

Northeast A

Newport (7-5, 4-2) at Lakeside (WA) (6-6, 4-2): The winner of this game with still have just two losses in the league, striking distance to league leader Freeman (11-1, 6-0), which plays at Chewelah (5-5, 2-4).

Newport has won two in a row after a three-game losing streak to get back into contention. Koa Pancho scored 30 points combined in those wins.

Northeast 1B

Selkirk (10-2, 7-1) at Almira/Coulee-Hartline (11-2, 8-0): The North Division leading Rangers travel to face the South Division leading Warriors.

Selkirk hasn’t topped 50 points in its last two games – a loss to Odessa-Harrington and a win over Republic. Jacob Couch had 17 points in the O-H game and 21 points with 13 boards against Republic. Mac Isaak and Payton Nielson are the 1-2 punch for ACH.

Girls

Central Valley (12-0, 10-0) at Lewis and Clark (6-6, 6-4): The Bears are perfect this season, but only lead Mt. Spokane in the GSL by one game. They travel to face the up-and-down Tigers, which have lost two of three after winning three in a row. CV is paced by Lexie and Lacie Hull, who have scored 90 points between them the past three games.

Selkirk (11-2, 6-2) at Almira/Coulee-Hartline (10-3, 6-1): The Rangers are two games behind Republic (12-1, 8-0) in the Northeast 1B North division, while ACH leads the south side by two games over Valley Christian, though the Warriors have split their last four games. Selkirk had won eight in a row before a loss to Republic earlier this week.

Oakesdale (8-3, 4-1) at Colton (10-1, 5-0): The Wildcats put their perfect Southeast 1B record on the line against the Nighthawks. Colton has won its past two games by a combined 132-33, with Dakota Patchen scoring 23 and 19 points in those games.