State 3A Boys: Rock Franklin provides unlikely spark; Mt. Spokane edges Bellarmine Prep to reach fourth straight semifinal

Everyone in the building watched Mt. Spokane’s 6-foot-8 junior Jaden Ghoreishi take over the Wildcats’ Round of 12 game on Wednesday, in what his coach called his “welcome to the Dome” moment. 

Ghoreishi completed that contest with 24 points and 18 rebounds in Mt. Spokane’s 48-39 season-saving win. 

Bellarine Prep was determined not to let that happen again. Their strategy for packing the paint worked in the first half, but the Greater Spokane League MVP was undaunted in the second, and he ultimately got help from an unlikely source.

Junior guard Rock Franklin hit a late 3-pointer to prompt overtime, then hit free throws to ice it in the extra session, and the second-seeded Wildcats (18-8) came from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the eighth-seeded Bellarmine Prep Lions (23-7) 52-48 in a State 3A quarterfinal at Tacoma Dome on Thursday.

“I just felt like, if I got (the ball), I knew I’d make it,” Franklin said of his game-tying 3. “I just have to have that confidence, you know?”

Mt. Spokane plays fifth-seeded Edmonds-Woodway (25-2) in a semifinal on Friday at 7:15 p.m.  Bellarmine Prep faces sixth-seeded Lincoln at 12:15 p.m. in a fourth-place bracket loser-out.

It’s the fourth straight season Mt. Spokane’s has reached a state semifinal.

“The guys knew we were down double digits, but they know that this is what we prepare for,” Wagenblast said. “For these guys to get a chance to do this when there was a lot of people who doubted them with the number of people that graduated, that’s what makes this really, really special for them.”

J.J. Bordeaux led Bell Prep with 18 points, going 3 of 11 from beyond the arc. The Lions were 9 of 31 (33.9%) as a team from 3.

Franklin, who turned an ankle in the Wildcats’ regional round game and didn’t practice this week, finished with nine points – all in the fourth quarter and overtime. Ghoreishi had 19 points with 12 rebounds for his second-straight double-double.

“To keep playing through that kind of an ankle sprain, and for (Franklin) to have a moment like that, I’m so happy,” Wagenblast said. “He helped take this team to the Final Four for the fourth year in a row.”

The Lions held Ghoreishi to four points in the first half and just four made baskets overall. But he went 11 for 11 at the line as he just kept attacking the rim during the comeback. Mt. Spokane went 21 of 28 at the line overall – Bellarmine Prep was content to shoot jumpers and went 1 of 5 at the line.

“Jayden was great throughout most of the game, and just kept us in it, kept us in it,” Wagenblast said. “He allowed that moment for Rock to knock down those big shots.”

Mt. Spokane trailed 37-29 entering the fourth quarter, but outscored the Lions 17-9, finishing with Franklin’s corner 3 with 18 seconds left. The Wildcats got a stop at the other end, and it went to overtime. 

Once there, Mt. Spokane smothered the Lions, allowing just one basket. Ghoreishi fought his way to the line for a pair, Nalu Vargas drove the lane for just his second basket of the game, and Franklin hit 2 of 4 free throws to make it a four-point game at the end. 

“It was nerve wracking with all the noise,” Franklin said of the free throws. “But you have to have the confidence to take them.”

Bordeaux led scorers with nine points in the first quarter, but Mt. Spokane’s Colt Kenison knocked down a 3 at the horn and the Wildcats led 14-11.

The Lions started the second with three consecutive 3-pointers – two by Bordeaux – for a 20-14 lead. Mt. Spokane made just one basket in the period – a Jake Lenberger 3 – and Bell Prep led 25-21 at the half.

Mt. Spokane had one basket through the first 4 minutes of the third and trailed 34-26. Birk Johnston’s 3 with 90 seconds left made it a 10-point game and Bellarmine Prep led 37-29 entering the fourth.

Mt. Spokane had just eight baskets through three quarters. 

Franklin’s three-point play made it 43-38 with 5 minutes left. The Wildcats got a pair of stops, then Franklin knocked down a free throw to make it a four-point game with 3 minutes to go. 

Ghoreishi scored a reverse layup to make it 43-41, but Johnson hit a corner 3 and Bell Prep led 46-41 with 1:22 remaining. 

Ghoreishi was fouled and made both to make it 46-43 with 62 seconds left. Mt. Spokane got a stop, Franklin buried a corner 3 with 18 seconds left and after another stop, it headed to overtime. 

On the first possession in overtime, Ghoreishi demanded the ball in the post. He was fouled and made both.

“That is part of the growing process as a young man,” Wagenblast said of Ghoreishi taking charge in overtime. “You’re growing into that role, and you’re trying to learn how to do it.”

The Lions blocked a shot and Gabe Gomez scored his only basket of the game at the other end to tie it.

It stayed that way until Vargas drove the lane for a layup with 80 seconds left. Mt. Spokane got a stop, then Bell Prep’s Ronnie Wiggins (10 points) missed a 3 and the Lions fouled on the rebound with 22.8 left. Franklin made one for a three-point lead.

Bordeaux’s 3 from the wing was strong, Franklin rebounded and was fouled again. He hit one for a four-point lead with 4.5 seconds left.