Down, Not Out

Ferris’ playoff loss to Mead leaves them with one last opportunity against U-Hi to advance to Regionals.

Ferris experienced déjà vu in Tuesday’s first round Districts game against Mead. The Saxons jumped out to an early lead and were able to extend it to over 15 points in the first half, just as they did in the teams’ last meeting. And, just is in their last contest, Mead was able to overcome that lead by halftime and squeak out a close-cut victory. However, it is not all bad news for the Saxons. The GSL will advance three teams to the Regional tournament. University lost their qualifying game to number one seed Gonzaga Prep, so Ferris will play the Titans in a consolation game, fighting to stave off elimination and earn the last spot in Regionals. So while the mighty Saxons are down, they are not out.

The game at Mead on Tuesday was a high-intensity showing throughout. Both teams had a noticeable playoff mentality and played at a high tempo all game. The first half was highly offense-based, and the second half had much less in store in terms of scoring. Ferris got out to a 26-20 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. After a few minutes had elapsed in the second quarter, the Saxons had expanded their six-point lead to nearly 20. However, the Panthers refused to go into halftime at such a deficit, or any deficit at all. A number of three-pointers aided the second-quarter charge by the home team, as Mead mounted a comeback to take a two-point lead by halftime. The score at the conclusion of the offensive first half was 40-42. The Panthers had the lead, and all the momentum with thanks to their rowdy home crowd. Halftime gave the visiting Saxons a chance to regroup, but some of that momentum from the closing minutes of the first half may have carried over for Mead, as they continued to outplay Ferris. Mead built a lead that exceeded 10 points. But what was even more impressive was the stout defense displayed early in the third quarter by the Panthers. Ferris managed only two points in the first six minutes of the quarter following halftime, and concluded this quarter of play with just 9 points – a huge downturn from the 26 they dropped in the opening quarter. It didn’t get much better for Ferris in the fourth when they improved by slight margins, scoring 10. Their first quarter offensive production eclipsed that of their entire second half.

 Despite their poor offensive production in the second half, Ferris held their ground. They kept their counterparts from improving their lead to any sort of unmanageable situation. In fact, the Saxons were never considered out of victory’s reach until there were less than 10 seconds left. The game was a nail-biter of sorts, though not nearly as intense as the last meeting between these teams (resulted in an overtime victory for Mead).

Top scorers for the Saxons were Jordan Tonani with 18, Jason Bates with 15, and Riley Stockton with 12. Bates had three three-point buckets as he continues on his offensive tear. In the past four games, Jason has turned on his after-burners, scoring 18, 11, 29, and now 15. This high-scoring version of Jason’s game did not become so clear until just a few weeks ago, but its appearance could not come at a better time for Ferris. Riley and Jordan each had one three-ball apiece as well, meaning the Saxons totaled out with 5 threes. However, the Panthers shot lights out from beyond the arc. The home team drained a total of 9 threes as a team, 5 of which came from their point guard, Myers, and 3 that came from Bo Tully. Between the impervious long-range shooting and tough post game in Aaron Dunn, Mead had put together quite the offensive attack that Ferris fell short of stopping.

But whether the Saxons will be eliminated or not is yet to be seen. The Scarlet and Silver will face off with U-Hi on Thursday to determine their fate. Ferris beat the Titans by 5 in their last meeting but lost to them earlier in the season. In this third and final meeting between Ferris and University, the winner will clinch the last spot from the GSL for the Regional tournament, and the loser will be eliminated. The game is scheduled for Thursday at 7:15 at the Ferris High School gym. Good luck Saxons!