Jack Pierce matches career high, Gonzaga Prep boys cruise past Hanford; Bullpups girls smother undersized Pasco | District 6 basketball

Gonzaga Prep senior Jack Pierce, an all-Greater Spokane League first-team defensive back, will be playing college football in the fall at Central Washington. But he still has some work to do with the Bullpups basketball team.

Pierce led four in double figures, matching his career high with 19 points, and the second-seeded Bullpups (17-5) handled visiting seventh-seeded Hanford (6-16) 76-22 in a District 6 4A first-round game on Saturday.

“Jack’s been terrific all season for us. He’s a really tough kid,” Gonzaga Prep coach Matty McIntyre said. “He is a gritty kid and great shooter, great all-around athlete. I think he’s got some incredible instincts that serve him well on both the football gridiron and on the basketball court.”

Gonzaga Prep hosts third-seeded Chiawana, which edged sixth-seeded Mead 60-54, in a semifinal on Tuesday. G-Prep entered play ranked No. 5 in 4A in the state’s RPI system, while Hanford finished ninth in the Mid-Columbia Conference this season.

Ryan Carney scored 18 points, Dylynn Groves had 13 and Carter Nilson added 10 for G-Prep. All are seniors.

“That’s amazing team basketball,” Pierce said. “It’s never just one guy doing the work. It’s all 10 of us coming together.”

There wasn’t much offense to talk about in the first quarter as Gonzaga Prep tried to shake off the rust of an eight-day layoff from the end of the regular season. Nilson hit a 3-pointer late in the period to give the Bullpups an 11-5 lead.

“That’s kind of what we’re based on. Like, defense is our first priority,” Pierce said. “It always feels pretty great to hold a high school varsity basketball team to under 10 points in the first quarter.”

McIntyre had no problem with the Bullpups decision making in the first period.

“The first six or seven minutes of the game, we took great shots. We just didn’t make very many shots, but that’s OK. We just leaned into our defense and kept doing what we’re doing.”

The Bullpups scored the first 20 points of the second quarter, allowed just one basket in the period and led 35-8 at the break.

“First quarter was a little bit rough,” Pierce said. “But, you know, it kind of comes with not playing for eight days. We started to figure it out and then kind of just played our game and we didn’t force anything. But we also didn’t let them have anything.”

Pierce scored a quick seven points early in the third, including a corner 3, and the Bullpups stretched the lead to 30. Pierce finished with nine in the quarter, and G-Prep led 58-19 entering the fourth with a running clock.

“Things started clicking,” McIntyre said. “We’re finally getting healthy. We’re getting organized. I think they’re starting to become in a little bit better rhythm on the offensive end, but I think so much of that was fueled by our defense. It’s always going to be defense first.”

Pierce didn’t play much of the fourth but went 1 for 2 at the line to equal his career mark.

“I wish I would have made that second free throw,” he said. “But no, it feels good. I mean, none of us really care about the points. Nobody forces anything. We kind of just take what we’re given.”

Girls

Gonzaga Prep 71, Pasco 16: Five scored in double figures, and the Bullpups (20-0) used a smothering defense to cruise past the Bulldogs (5-17) in a District 6 first-round game.

G-Prep hosts a semifinal on Tuesday.

Gonzaga Prep entered the No. 2 ranked team in 4A by the state’s RPI system – one of four undefeated 4A teams in the state . Pasco, which finished eighth in the MCC, averaged just less than 41 points per game this season – and didn’t have a starter taller than 5-foot-8.

“It’s one of those games where you still have to do things right,” Gonzaga Prep coach Geoff Arte said. “I thought Pasco played really hard. That’s a well-coached team. They were in the right spots all the time. We were just a little longer and a little more athletic in some spots.”

Charlee Peterson led G-Prep with 14 points. Reserve player Eva Malone added 10 points, scoring in double figures for the second time this season.

Arte relied heavily on his reserves in the second half after it went to running clock early in the third quarter.

“They’re gonna have to go in and play some key roles in these important games,” Arte said. “So yeah, anytime you can get them minutes against live fire, against people who don’t know what you’re doing, it always helps.”

Perhaps due to the noon start, G-Prep came out cold. But the Bullpups length and tenaciousness on defense completely smothered the Pasco attack. Belle Hernandez (10 points) hit a late 3 in the quarter for a 11-2 G-Prep lead.

The Bullpups warmed up in the second quarter. Peterson and Laura Thompson (11 points) hit 3s early to spark things, and G-Prep put up 27 in the period to lead 38-4 at half.

“If we can play defense like that, and make some shots … we’re going to be tough,” Arte said.