Full Court Press Join us this season as we bring you almost-live commentary from select boys and girls basketball games.

December 14, 2004

Final: Seattle Prep 60, O'Dea 56

Last-minute heroics not enough to put Fighting Irish past the Panthers. Martell Webster dominated the final five minutes of the game and finished with my unofficial tally of 23 points. Mitch Johnson had 22 by my count. Two great teams and this won't be the last of some of the great Full Court Press Webcasts this season. Stay tuned and thanks for coming!

Posted by Spike at 08:57 PM

Update

Mitch Johnson makes a short layin off the glass with 28 seconds left. Irish trail 56-53.

Posted by Spike at 08:51 PM

In the final minute

Relatively quiet in the second half, Martell Webster has scored 8 points in about two minutes, including a steal and open-court break for a slam dunk. Seattle Prep fans go wild. Conor Mullen hits a basket, then a 3-pointer on the next trip down, and the Fighting Irish trail 56-51 with 1:10 left to play.

Posted by Spike at 08:49 PM

Webster is back

Mitch Johnson pads the stats with a layin and converts the free throw off the foul. Jordan Bremand makes a huge 3-pointer to give Seattle Prep its lead back by 1 point. Martell Webster makes a pair of free throws to give the Panthers a 48-45 lead with 3:25 left to play. Both teams are flying to the ball. The fans are on their feet. Webster makes another baket and O'Dea can't get a shot to fall on two consecutive possessions. Panters lead 50-45 with 2:18 left to play.

Posted by Spike at 08:44 PM

Fighting Irish take the lead

Martell Webster is now covering Mitch Johnson when O'Dea has possession. Apparently Panthers coach Michael Kelley thinks the key to winning lies in stopping Johnson. Conor Mullen hits two free throws and the Fighting Irish take the lead for the first time in the game, 42-41.

Posted by Spike at 08:36 PM

Intensity picking up

Both teams have shifted into another gear now, heading into the fourth period. Mitch Johnson hits a jumper to cut the deficit to 41-40 for O'Dea. Johnson leads all scorers with 15 points, followed by Spencer Hawes with 12 for Seattle Prep. Martell Webster has been relatively silent in the second half, and after getting poked in the eye, is catching a breather on the bench.

Posted by Spike at 08:32 PM

Fighting Irish stealing the show

O'Dea trails 39-38 with 1:23 left in the third period. They have held Seattle Prep to 5 points in the third while scoring 17. Momentum is with the Irish and Jamelle McMillan misses a free throw to tie it up. Peter O'Neil has hit two 3's for O'Dea.

Posted by Spike at 08:26 PM

Update

Spencer Hawes scores for Prep, O'Dea hits a 3-pointer and trails 39-34 with 2:50 on the clock.

Posted by Spike at 08:19 PM

Here comes Mitch

When the Fighting Irish need a lift, Mitch Johnson has stepped up to the plate time and again. He's got 4 points and trimmed the Seattle Prep lead, then Conor Mullen gets a bucket, followed by a backside layin from another teammate and O'Dea is rolling and trails by 6, 37-31 with 4:09 left in the third.

Posted by Spike at 08:17 PM

Looking at the numbers

At the half for Seattle Prep, I've got Martell Webster with 12 points, teammate Spencer Hawes with 8. O'Dea's leading scorers are Mitch Johnson with 9, Jamelle McMillan 11 and Conor Mullen 4. The stands are so packed that the press bench is squeezed up against Seattle Prep fans, who have been on their feet every tick of the clock, cutting off my view of the game so I have to stand up each time the ball is on the left side of the court, to see what happens. There is no way all the people in line outside tonight got in here. This game could draw a couple thousand people if it was played on a neutral site. It's the start of the third period and O'Dea is 13 points down with few answers so far to make up for Seattle Prep's potent inside game, which has opened up holes left and right. The Fighting Irish are no strangers to situations like this however and they should come out firing.

Posted by Spike at 08:08 PM

At the half

Mitch Johnson scores two baskets in the last minute and a half of the second period. But the heroics are quickly erased as Martell Webster slams home a stretched-out dunk on a fast break. He hangs onto the rim and slides around with his hands before returning his feet to the floor. On the other end of the court, he blocks a shot, sending the ball well out of bounds. Panthers fans erupt to a 34-21 lead at the half and have taken their seats for one of the first times since tipoff.

Posted by Spike at 08:00 PM

Prep leads by 10

Right now O'Dea is getting beat on the boards. They haven't got much going inside and perimeter shooting seems a bit off. Panthers lead 24-14 with 5:20 left in the first half.

Posted by Spike at 07:48 PM

End of first quarter

Jamelle McMillan has hit two 3-pointers to help keep the Fighting Irish in this thing. Conor Mullen only has 2 points so far for O'Dea and his team counts on him to put up more points than this so he'll need to chip in here pretty soon and get closer to his 18.5 ppg average this season. Prep leads 19-14.

Posted by Spike at 07:43 PM

Panthers take a bite

Martell Webster converts a three free throws for his 11th point of the night and Seattle Prep leads O'Dea 19-11 with 1:12 left in the first.

Posted by Spike at 07:39 PM

Prep comes out strong

Martell Webster grabs a rebound off a blocked shot on Spencer Hawes to start the game. Webster puts it up for a pair and comes back down court on the next possession and hits a 3. Mitch Johnson fights back with a field goal and pair of free throws. O'Dea hangs in there though and leads 8-7 with 4:30 left in the 1st.

Posted by Spike at 07:33 PM

We're rolling

Seattle Prep takes the junior varsity prelim leading up to the big showdown here at O'Dea High School. The Irish, last year's sweetheart in the state tournament, capped their 24-5 2004 season with a 68-64 upset over two-time champion Rainier Beach. Along the way, guard Mitch Johnson was electric, averaging 19 points per game last season and coming up big against Beach with some clutch shots and 27 points when it mattered most. O'Dea entered the season ranked No. 1 but a loss to Jefferson of Portland, Ore. knocked them to the No. 2 position. They're here on their home turf tonight facing the newly ranked No. 1 Class 3A team, Seattle Prep. Johnson's coach from Stanford is here as is Washington coach Lozenzo Romar, last seen standing outside, apparently waiting with a line of 100 or so other fans, for room in a backed Irish gymnasium. This place is a pressure cooker here tonight with Martell Webster and Spencer Hawes looking to make a statement. Webster, a recent commit to the Huskies, is one of the top-ranked high-school players in the nation coming off an ankle injury last seaston. It's time to play ball.

Posted by Spike at 07:23 PM

Coming up at 7:30

No. 1 Seattle Prep takes on No. 2 O'Dea in a huge early-season showdown. Stay turned as we give updates throughout the game.

Posted by bpayne at 05:18 PM

December 03, 2004

Coming soon

We'll be Webcasting select basketball games this season leading up to the playoffs and state championships at the Tacoma Dome so stay tuned!

Posted by Spike at 10:48 PM