GSL basketball: Inaugural East vs West Preseason Shootout sees Mt. Spokane, Gonzaga Prep boys defend East Side

Mt. Spokane and Gonzaga Prep play a robust nonleague schedule every season to prepare the two traditional basketball powers for the rigors of district and state play later on . Usually, this means traveling out of the area to find like-sized schools to battle before league play.

But Mt. Spokane coach David Wagenblast thought, “Why not have the competition come to us.”

Thus, was born the East vs West Preseason Shootout, held for the first time this year at Mt. Spokane High School.

With the Wildcats and Bullpups as the local teams, organizers were able to attract Camas and Bellarmine Prep – both state participants last year – to come across the state for some high-level boys basketball on the first weekend of the season.

Friday’s opening matchup featured the defending State 4A champion Gonzaga Prep against Camas, with Mt. Spokane taking on Bellarmine Prep in the late game. On Saturday, the GSL foes will switch opponents.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than to have two great teams from the West Side come over,” Wagenblast said. “I hope this is something we can keep going. A lot of people came that are basketball fans that might not otherwise come to our games. Two high-level games and for us to not have to go over the mountain and to bring people here is a real testament to our basketball on the East Side.”

“I give a lot of credit to coach Wagenblast,” Gonzaga Prep coach Matty McIntyre said. “He put this whole thing together. It’s been top-notch, super organized. I’m just very grateful we got invited to participate. This has been a terrific event.”

Gonzaga Prep 70, Camas 59: Jackson Mott led all five starters in double figures with 16 points and the Bullpups (2-0) held off the Papermakers (2-1) in the evening’s opening game.

Jack Pierce had 15 points, Carter Nilson added 12 and Ryan Carney and Vincent Moore scored 11 points apiece.

Camas was led by Max Rehrer with 15 points. The Papermakers’ 6-foot-8 all-state star Ethan Harris finished with 14 on four 3-pointers.

“It was a great team effort,” McIntyre said. “We knew we had our hands full. Camas is a great program with obviously one of the best players in the state. We did it as a team and I’m really proud of the big season win.”

The Bullpups raced out to a 9-2 lead, but Camas got a 3 by Harris and G-Prep led 20-19 after one. Camas scored the first five points of the second quarter, but Harris picked up his third foul midway through the frame and went to the bench. Carney’s late 3 helped Gonzaga Prep lead 36-34 at intermission.

Mott and Pierce hit back-to-back 3s in the third quarter to open a seven-point lead. Harris hit a pair from distance, and G-Prep led 55-48 after three.

“It’s never a good idea to let Harris shoot it,” McIntyre said. “I wish we would have gotten a little more pressure on him. He’s a great player and hit a lot of 3s tonight. But we did do a pretty decent job on the boards, and we’ll grow from this.”

Camas cut it to four early in the fourth, but Nilson hit a 3 from the wing and the Bullpups weren’t threatened down the stretch.

“He’s got ice in his veins,” McIntyre said of Nilson. “No shot is too big. But we’ll just let anybody shoot it when the time is right. (Nilson) is a willing scorer and he really stepped up. The shot wasn’t too big for him.”

Mt. Spokane 59, Bellarmine Prep 48: Reigning GSL MVP Jaden Ghoreishi scored 25 points and the Wildcats (2-0) outlasted the Lions (0-1) in the late game.

“We played them in the (State 3A) quarterfinals last year,” Ghoreishi said. “They were coming, they were hungry. But we battled and we got the job done.”

Mt Spokane held BP to five points in the fourth quarter.

“Anytime you can hold a team to a single-digit quarter – that’s really hard to do,” Wagenblast said. “Especially a team as good as Bellarmine Prep. … Our kids were really locked in and did a great job of challenging shots.”

Bellarmine Prep led 30-27 at halftime, but Mt. Spokane sophomore Tysen Lewis gave the Wildcats a spark. His third bucket of the quarter gave the Cats their first lead since early in the first quarter.

Mt. Spokane was up four with about 4:30 to go, and senior Jace Reijonen (10 points) hit a 3 and a put-back to make it 53-46. The defense clamped down as Bellarmine Prep forwards fouled out, and the Wildcats held on for the win.

“I’m so happy for that kid,” Wagenblast said of Reijonen. “He’s a kid who has put in his time … that’s what you want from seniors. Guys who are gonna step up.”

Ronnie Wiggins (18 points) hit a pair of 3s late in the first quarter and Bellarmine led 17-14 after one. The Lions stretched their lead to 30-22 with about 4 minutes left in the half on another Wiggins 3, but Ghoreishi answered from the corner on the other end.

It stayed that way until 30 seconds left in the quarter when Reijonen’s put-back made it a three-point game, and Mt. Spokane trailed by three at the break.