G-Prep Squeezes By Improving Rogers

GSL girls basketball

The Rogers girls basketball team is so close to taking the next step that Gonzaga Prep coach Mike Arte is worried about his team getting a footprint on its back.

Prep eked out a 49-48 victory at Rogers Tuesday night to end the first half of the Greater Spokane League season.

So far, the standings are right where they were expected to be with Mead, Central Valley, Prep and Ferris in the top four. However, Rogers is right behind despite a two-point loss to Ferris a week earlier. A first-ever regional berth is a realistic goal.

“Obviously, we aren’t happy with the loss, we feel like we could beat them. We’re right there. We’re this close,” Rogers coach Drew Vanderpool said, holding his thumb and index finger close together.

The Pirates got Arte’s attention.

“We were lucky. We were fortunate defensively in the last 40 seconds,” he said. “Rogers is by far the scrappiest team (in the league).”

Although the shorter Pirates (6-6, 4-4) held their own rebounding against the taller Bullpups (9-3, 6-2), it was a rebound by Jennifer Williams that saved the game.

Prep’s Dani Thorn was at the foul line for two shots with 6 seconds left. She missed both, but Williams grabbed the last one and the Bullpups ran out the clock.

Thorn should feel no worse than the rest of the Bullpups, who were 1 of 11 from the line in the fourth quarter and 6 of 22 for the game.

Ironically, Lisa Bradley made the second of two free throws with 15 seconds left to put Prep up 49-46.

Although Prep didn’t dominate the boards, the Bullpups scored most of their points inside. Theresa Palmer, a 6-foot-1 post, had 15 points, all in the first half when Prep led 25-14, and 11 rebounds. Williams, also 6-1, had eight points and 13 rebounds. Both had foul trouble, but Bradley helped out with nine second-half points.

That countered Rogers guards Jaime Christensen, who had 13 of her 19 in the first half, and LeMandy Tannehill, who had 14 points.

Gonzaga Prep 49, Rogers 48

Gonzaga Prep 12 13 10 14 - 49

Rogers 8 16 11 13 - 48

GONZAGA PREP Bloom 0 0-0 0, Green 0 0-0 0, Bradley 3 3-6 9, Machtolf 1 0-0 2, Kendrick 2 0-1 4, Thorn 4 0-5 13, Jordan 1 0-0 3, Williams 4 0-6 8, Boren 0 0-0 0, Palmer 6 3-4 15. Totals 21 6-22 49.

ROGERS Christensen 6 3-5 19, Tannehill 7 0-0 14, Delger 0 0-0 0, Abrahamson 1 3-9 5, Hatch 0 0-2 0, Logue 3 0-0 6, Fairbanks 0 0-0 0, Mullerleile 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 6-16 48.

3-point goals - Jordan, Christensen 4. Total fouls - GP 19, Rogers 18. Fouled out - Fairbanks.

Mead 79, Shadle Park 36

Holly Turner was perfect on five 3-pointers, scoring a career-high 22 points, and the fifth-ranked Panthers (11-1, 8-0) outscored the Highlanders (5-7, 2-6) 23-0 in the first quarter.

Sara Harchuck had 16 for Shadle Park, which made just 9 of 22 free throws. Mead was 12 of 23 from the foul line.

Shadle Park 0 14 9 13 - 36

Mead 23 17 26 13 - 79

SHADLE PARK Larkin 1 1-2 4, Caldwell 4 1-3 10, Potter 0 0-0 0, Harchuck 4 6-8 16, Stockman 0 0-0 0, Olzendam 1 0-0 3, Buckley 0 0-0 0, Drake 1 1-1 3, Nelson 0 0-0 0, Etter 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 9-22 36.

MEAD Gentry 0 0-0 0, Zelinski 3 0-0 8, Kehl 3 0-0 7, Turner 6 5-5 22, Bailey 3 0-0 6, M.Bennett 3 2-3 8, Leaf 3 0-1 7, Wakefield 1 0-0 2, Schuerman 2 2-6 6, Myers 2 3-6 7, J.Bennett 3 0-2 6. Totals 29 12-23 79.

3-point goals - Larkin, Caldwell, Harchuck 2, Olzendam, Zelinsky 2, Kehl, Turner 5, Leaf. Total fouls - SP 12, M 18. Fouled out - none.

CV 77, Lewis and Clark 52

Rikki Jackson scored a career-high 21 points, opening the game with three 3-pointers, and Andrea Kallas added 20 as the seventh-ranked Bears (10-2, 7-1) defeated the Tigers (4-8, 2-6).

Crystal Lee added 18 points for CV, which who shot 45 percent. Becki Huddle had a career high 28 for LC.

Lewis and Clark 10 13 13 16 - 52

Central Valley 20 15 27 15 - 77

LEWIS AND CLARK Marquess 1 0-0 2, Giebel 0 0-0 0, Wendle 0 2-2 2, Huddle 7 11-13 28, Davey 0 0-0 0, Weiler 0 0-0 0, Hansen 1 0-0 2, Thompson 4 1-2 9, Oeljen 3 0-2 6, Storey 1 1-2 3, Ford 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 15-21 52. CENTRAL VALLEY Phinney 0 0-0 0, Donaldson 0 1-2 1, Grafos 0 0-1 0, Clark 5 1-2 11, Kallas 8 2-2 20, Coyle 0 0-0 0, Jackson 8 2-2 21, Lee 6 5-8 18, Bragdon 1 0-0 2, Liepman 1 2-2 4. Totals 29 13-19 77 3-point goals - Huddle 3, Kallas 2, Jackson 3, Lee. Total Fouls - LC 19, CV 17. Fouled Out - Huddle.

University 66, North Central 31

Crystal Conant scored her four 3-pointers in the second half and contributed five assists to boost the Titans (3-9, 2-6) over the Indians (2-10, 0-8) at U-Hi.

North Central 8 10 9 4 - 31

University 11 19 16 20 - 66

NORTH CENTRAL Harris 0 0-0 0, Emery-Cloy 3 0-0 6, Bowers 0 0-0 0, White 4 2-3 10, Neilson 2 0-0 4, Stearns 0 0-0 0, Hayes 1 0-2 2, Bibb 1 0-0 2, Brockie 0 0-0 0, Ellenwood 1 2-8 4, Carter 1 1-3 3. Totals 13 5-18 31.

UNIVERSITY Gazaway 3 0-0 8, Schroeder 3 0-2 6, Frost 2 1-3 5, Whitney 5 1-1 11, Fryer 6 0-2 12, Conant 4 0-0 12, Nelson 4 0-0 8, Oglesbee 2 0-0 4, Parker 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 2-8 66.

3-point goals - Gazaway 2, Conant 4. Total fouls - NC 11, U-Hi 14. Fouled out - Stearns.

, DataTimes