Addison Wells Morrison takes charge in Mead girls win over Gonzaga Prep; Brogan Howell hits winner for G-Prep boys

The Mead and Gonzaga Prep girls teams both reached state title games last year – Mead in 3A and G-Prep in 4A. This year’s teams are different, of course.

Mead’s career leading scorer and two-time Greater Spokane League MVP Teryn Gardner and G-Prep’s 6-foot-3 all-league post Gillian Bears both graduated, and Bullpups first-team all-league sophomore guard Aylah Cornwall has missed the entire season due to injury.

This year’s squads are both poised again for the postseason. But with Mead’s move back up to 4A, District 6 only moves two to state out of 4A, and with the Mid-Columbia Conference’s Chiawana at No. 3 in the state’s RPI, a good team out of the district – a likely RPI top-15 team – will be left out of the tournament.

So, Friday’s showdown set up to potentially determine the GSL’s top seed to district – with the privilege of hosting the title game – and which team might have to travel to Chiawana for an elimination game.

Addison Wells Morrison scored 17 points, Caroline Spink and Reese Frederick added 14 apiece and the visiting Panthers (8-4, 3-0) defeated the Bullpups (9-5, 1-2) 66-47 to gain a huge advantage toward district playoff seeding.

Sophomore Quinn Pederson led G-Prep with 18 points and Kara Wilson chipped in 10.

“That’s a great team, and I think it just gave us the confidence going into the rest of the season seeing that we can compete and play well against those teams,” Morrison said.

“This was the last 4A opponent we’re playing in league. And we want the No. 1 seed,” Mead coach Quantae Anderson said. “We still have work to do in league, with the rest of our schedule, but this was a pivotal point. (Gonzaga Prep) is so good and so disciplined and that we had to come ready. And, you know, we were ready.”

Morrison, who came in averaging 15.1 points per game, has scored 57 points in her past three games – all against GSL 4A opponents.

“She’s so unselfish, and she has a very high basketball IQ,” Anderson said. “And with that unselfishness, it’s just like, ‘Girl, sometimes you gotta hold that ball and you gotta score.’ ”

“That’s my goal this season, especially losing Teryn last year, I want to try to fill her role and help the team and take good shots,” Morrison said.

Morrison scored seven points, Spink added six in the first quarter as the Panthers jumped to a 17-10 lead. Mead scored the first seven points of the second quarter as the lead grew to double digits. Mead led 33-22 at halftime.

“This is (Spink’s) best game of the season on both ends of the court,” Anderson said of the junior’s season high in points. “She is just getting more confident with the ball in her hand.”

Morrison hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter, Gracie Wenkheimer hit one late and Mead led 49-32 entering the fourth. Frederick hit a pair of 3s midway through the fourth quarter and the lead hit 20.

Boys

Gonzaga Prep 58, Mead 56: Brogan Howell scored 17 points, including a runner with 3 seconds left, and Bullpups (13-2, 3-0) beat Panthers (9-4, 2-1).

Ryan Carney scored 15 points and Hudson Floyd added 14 for G-Prep. Nash Dunham led four in double figures for Mead with 17 points.

The boys teams are in the same boat as the girls with regards to state – two teams from District 6 move on and MCC leader Richland (11-0) is rated No. 2 in the state.

“Great energy, great crowd,” Gonzaga Prep coach Matty McIntyre said about the full gym. “There was a lot on the line for the 4A teams.”

Mead’s Bryce Lynd hit a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to tie it at 56, but Howell drove the lane and his contested, off-balance runner hit the glass and went it to give the Bullpups the win.

“He’s such a great athlete, and he’s so quick with the ball in his hands,” McIntyre said of Howell. “We just wanted to give him a little room to operate, and he found a way to get it in.”

G-Prep led 32-25 at halftime. In the third quarter, Dunham hit a couple of 3-pointers and a breakaway bucket to give Mead its first lead (38-37). The Bullpups replied, and Carter Nilson’s 3 at the buzzer put G-Prep up 44-38 entering the fourth quarter.

The lead grew to double digits, but Mead went on a 6-0 run to make it a two-point game with 2:08 left. Mead’s Karson Maze (11 points) tied it at 53 with a pair of free throws, but Howell got loose for a layup. G-Prep got a stop at the other end and a foul resulted in a four-point lead with 45 seconds to go.