Jamil Miller, Henry Sandberg lead Gonzaga Prep boys over Ferris in early-season tussle; Bullpups girls handle Saxons

For coaches, a lot of early December basketball is getting their team into game shape, figuring out rotations and determining who can do what within the parameters of their system.

Part of that, also, can be some rough shooting nights and fouls – often a lot of fouls.

So it was Friday, when Gonzaga Prep hosted Ferris in an early nonleague game between Greater Spokane League rivals.

Jamil Miller scored 16 points with 11 rebounds, Henry Sandberg added 13 points and the Bullpups (4-0) topped the Saxons (2-2) 58-47 in the first of two meetings this season. They’ll run it back at Ferris on Feb. 3 in a league game.

Reese Snellman led Ferris with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Markham added 12 points for the Saxons.

Sandberg survived a three-foul first half to score 10 points in the second half. The teams combined for 38 fouls.

“The foul trouble early on got us out of rhythm,” Gonzaga Prep coach Matty McIntyre said. “I’m still messing with different lineups and trying to figure out people’s roles and we’re still uncertain, and that uncertainty led to turnovers and bad shots. The good news is it’s early and we’ll get a lot of it corrected.”

“Credit to them, they played better than we did tonight,” Ferris coach Sean Mallon said. “A lot of our stuff was self-inflicted. I don’t know how many layups we missed.

“It’s early, that’s how you gotta look at it. I thought our kids a good job of playing hard, we just didn’t play very well.”

McIntyre praised Miller for carrying the Bullpups in the first half with Sandberg on the bench.

“He’s had a tremendous start to the season,” McIntyre said. “He’s grown so much over the last year. It’s been really incredible to see. He’s come in as really a brand-new player this season and his efficiency is through the roof. His rebounding was incredible tonight.”

“We were just trying to move the ball around,” Miller said. “My job was just to really rebound every time. That really kept us in the game, rebounding, getting it to other players, getting their shots up.”

Miller made a 3 on the game’s first possession, but Sandberg picked up his third foul with 2 minutes left in the quarter and went to the bench.

The Bullpups led 12-9 after one quarter.

G-Prep freshman Dylynn Groves hit a pair of buckets, then Jace Swanson hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to eight. Both teams got into the bonus early in the half, and G-Prep led 29-18 at halftime.

Ferris scored the first five points of the third quarter, with Patrick Murphy hitting a 3, to bring it to single digits.

But with 21/2 minutes left in the quarter, Miller followed a Sandberg miss with a hard two-handed slam, then stole it back on the defensive end to restore an 11-point lead. Sandberg hit a 3 at the buzzer, and the Bullpups led 43-29 entering the fourth quarter.

“When we can get (Sandberg) seeing the floor and taking shots on balance, he’s a huge catalyst and huge piece of what we’re trying to do moving forward,” McIntyre said.

Carter Verrett’s follow-slam with just more than 4 minutes to go, followed by the free throw, made it a 17-point game.

Girls

Gonzaga Prep 56, Ferris 41: Lucy Lynn scored 18 points, Gillian Bears added 14 and the Bullpups (2-2) topped the Saxons (2-2) in the early game.

The Bullpups were missing a couple of players due to the flu, so G-Prep coach Geoff Arte was able to get some players extra playing time.

“We got to call on some kids to do some things they weren’t used to tonight, and I thought they did a good job of it, which hopefully helps us later in the year,” Arte said.

Bears, the Bullpups’ 6-foot-3 post, had six points in the third quarter after the Saxons had cut into the lead. She finished with 13 rebounds.

“We just are learning to play with her still,” Arte said. “Our spacing and all that stuff and when to get her the ball. But she’s so much more improved than last year and she’s more patient and looking really good.”

Kayla Jones paced Ferris with 16 points.