Shadle works overtime
Shadle Park’s Anthony Brown played like the athlete who has committed to play at Washington State in a couple of years and, as a result, the Highlanders will play in the ConAgra Foods/LambWeston 4A East Regional basketball tournament semifinals Friday in Kennewick.
Brown scored 26 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and displayed college-worthy athleticism in the Highlanders’ 72-67 overtime victory over rugged Eisenhower Tuesday night at Spokane Falls CC.
The victory was one of three by Greater Spokane League boys over their Columbia Basin League counterparts.
Ferris (23-0) routed Walla Walla (14-9) 69-37 and will play late-surging University (11-13), a 73-61 winner in Wenatchee (17-6). The two meet at 7 p.m. Friday in the Toyota Center. Shadle (20-3) plays Richland (17-7), a 66-55 victor over Central Valley (11-14), at 9.
Shadle’s win wasn’t necessarily a work of art. The team squandered leads of 12 points in the first half and eight in the second half as it went cold at the free-throw line, necessitating the extra 4 minutes. It had coach Tim Gaebe shaking his head.
“We just can’t stand success,” Gaebe said. “We were so careless with the ball, which is out of character, that led to turnovers and we couldn’t make our free throws and we’re usually good at that.”
But this has been The Year of Living Dangerously for the Highlanders, who certainly displayed resiliency in forcing the OT, then making just enough shots from the line to survive.
Brown was brilliant from the outset, making double-pump moves inside that produced “and-one” opportunities and jumping high for rebounds. Then Zack Humphrey got hot in the second quarter and Shadle raced to a 32-21 lead midway through the second quarter.
The lead was short-lived as the team visibly lost intensity, turned the ball over and got beat on defense. Eisenhower (15-9) went on a 15-2 run for a halftime tie.
Shadle again put the game in gear to go up 48-40 in the third quarter, only to surrender 10 points in a row. As free-throw misses mounted, the Highlanders trailed 63-60 with 1:46 to go.
“We definitely made it hard on ourselves,” said Brown. “We’re not playing as hard as we should when we get a lead.”
He scored three points and made a pretty back-door assist to Taylor Pettersen for a two-point lead with a minute left, although the Cadets tied the game. In overtime he finally put Shadle ahead for good, 2 for 6 at the line (Shadle made just 15 of 28 free throws in the game) was good enough to hang on.
“Anthony was huge,” said Gaebe. “It was his best effort so far and we needed it.”
Ferris 69, Walla Walla 37: The Saxons found themselves in a game with the visiting Blue Devils for a half, leading by a mere point. But then Ferris got untracked and outscored Walla Walla 43-12 for its 52nd straight win. DeAngelo Casto led all scorers with 24 points, and point guard Shawn Stockton directed the show with eight points, six assists and seven rebounds. Jeff Minnerly added 15 points. Sophomores Gary Winston, who had 13 first-half points, and Michael Weisner combined for 30.
University 73, Wenatchee 61: The late-blooming Titans roared to a 17-6 first-quarter lead and were up 40-23 at half to upset the CBL’s regular-season champion and district second seed. It was a decidedly balanced effort as five players scored between 13 and 16 points. Mason Johnson and Trevor Wakem each scored 16, and Andrew Pirttima, Curt Smith and Ryan Dixon had 13 apiece. Austin Bryan carried the Panthers’ load with 28.
Richland 66, Central Valley 55: A bad third quarter did in the visiting Bears in their game against the Bombers. CV trailed just 35-34 at intermission and outscored Richland in the fourth quarter. But the 21-8 advantage in the third period proved too much to overcome. CV shot better than 50 percent from the field and had one more basket. But the Bears were outshot 28-8 at the free-throw line and outscored there by 12.
William Davis continued his hot scoring streak during the postseason with 22 points. Luke Clift added 16.
Richland had three double-figure scorers, led by Tom Sanford’s 19.