T-Wolves Make Quick Work Of Turnover-Prone Viks, 71-22

Girls basketball

The relentless, harassing Lake City defense overwhelmed crosstown rival Coeur d’Alene, as the host Timberwolves coasted to a 71-22 girls basketball victory Thursday night.

Lake City, ranked No. 1 among Idaho teams, ran its record to 6-1 in Inland Empire League play and 18-1 overall. The Vikings dropped to 0-7 and 3-16.

The win ensures the Timberwolves of at least a tie for the title.

“(Defense is) 75 percent, or even 80 percent, of their offense,” Coeur d’Alene coach Sheila Sharp said of the Timberwolves.

“The thing that really hurt us is we froze against the half-court trap,” Sharp added. “We didn’t play together… . Where do they want to trap us - half court. We were like magnets right to the trap.”

Lake City coach Dave Fealko simply said, “Our pressure is up a notch. We get into people’s faces.”

Coeur d’Alene turned the ball over 50 times, including 20 times in the decisive second quarter.

Actually, it took just 5 seconds for the Vikings to throw the ball away, and Lake City senior Nicole Nipp scored off the baseline 20 seconds into the game. It was the start of a 9-0 Timberwolves run.

A bank shot by junior guard Jill Pederson 45 seconds before the end of the first quarter pulled Coeur d’Alene within seven points at 17-10, but Pederson picked up her third personal foul with just 2 seconds remaining.

With Pederson watching the entire second quarter from the bench, the roof fell in on Coeur d’Alene.

Lake City reeled off 12 unanswered points, extending its lead to 29-10 with 4:01 left in the half. Andrea Wilkey’s rebound conversion at 3:09 broke the ice for the Vikings, but it marked their only points of the quarter.

The Timberwolves scored 15 of their 18 second-quarter points off Coeur d’Alene miscues for a 35-12 halftime lead.

“We really do work a lot (on pressing),” Nipp said. “Coach always says our opponent’s eyes get real big when we come out in it.”

The going didn’t get any easier for the Vikings in the second half. Pederson scored all five of Coeur d’Alene’s third-quarter points, but they came in the last 1:32.

Lake City started to rotate players in the last 2 minutes of the third quarter, and took a 50-17 advantage into the fourth.

Nipp’s 15 points and seven steals led Lake City. Senior center Melissa Dodge added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Pederson’s 12 points and seven rebounds topped Coeur d’Alene.

Lake City closes out regularseason play at home Saturday afternoon at 2:30 against IEL foe Lewiston. Coeur d’Alene travels to Sandpoint for a league game that night at 8.

Lake City 71, CdA 22 Coeur d’Alene 10 2 5 5 - 22 Lake City 17 18 15 21 - 71

COEUR d’ALENE Murphy 2, Orr 0, Pederson 12, Corey 0, Wilkey 6, Cultra 0, Pearson 2, Hansen 0, Gatten 0.

LAKE CITY Jacobson 8, Hatrock 4, Tolzmann 2, Telford 7, Kerns 6, Herbert 9, Riggs 8, Dodge 12, Nipp 15.

Sandpoint 65, Post Falls 55 Alli Nieman scored 35 and went 3 of 3 from the field during a 21-11 fourth quarter that sent the visiting Bulldogs (4-3, 13-5) over the Trojans (3-5, 7-12).

Ann Sheppard of Post Falls scored 22, including five field goals in the second quarter. Sandpoint outscored the Trojans 16-10 from the line and shot 57 percent from the floor.

Sandpoint 16 13 15 21 - 65 Post Falls 16 16 12 11 - 55

SANDPOINT Verby 1, Raiha 9, Timblin 2, Ward 4, Allmaras 14, Nieman 35, Zirkle 0.

POST FALLS Byxbee 9, Goodwin 2, Shan. Olson 2, Shaw. Olson 0, Sheppard 22, Umthun 18, Thompson 2, Beatty 0, Waltz 0, Klaudt 0, Glaser 0.

Intermountain Kellogg 43, Priest River 38 (OT) Laura Rauenhorst had 11 rebounds and nine points and the host Wildcats (6-3, 11-6) scored the first eight points of overtime to avoid an upset bid by the Spartans (0-8, 5-12).

April Rasmussen had nine points and eight rebounds for Priest River, which forced OT when Abbie Stensland had a rebound and putback with 3 seconds remaining.

Priest River 6 10 11 8 3 - 38 Kellogg 8 13 5 9 8 - 43

PRIEST RIVER Duley 2, Ennis 2, Stensland 3, Duley 11, Suchocki 7, Ruiz 4, Rasmussen 9, Vogrig 0, Brooks 0.

KELLOGG Derbyshire 10, Lemon 12, Shiplett 0, Mercado 9, Hei 0, Rauenhorst 9, Lemieux 3, Delcomte 0.

Bonners Ferry 62, Lakeland 49 Jana Nearing scored eight of her 10 points in the first quarter and the host Badgers (5-2, 10-6) jumped ahead 8-0 on the way to avenging an earlier loss to the Hawks (3-5, 3-11).

Denelle Ripatti had 16 points and five rebounds, and Nearing added nine rebounds, five steals and four assists for Bonners Ferry. The Badgers had a 29-24 rebounding edge and held Lakeland to 7-of-19 shooting from the field in the first half. Teresa Viebrock of Lakeland scored 19.

Lakeland 6 14 12 17 - 49 Bonners Ferry 20 17 11 14 - 62

LAKELAND Boone 0, Jamison 4, Wallace 18, Holt 2, Schaffer 2, Viebrock 19, Chiappe 4.

BONNERS FERRY Bateman 2, Regehr 10, D.Ripatti 16, Cartwright 7, Nearing 10, Paulson 6, K.Ripatti 5, Mulvaney 6, Walter 0.

North Star Mullan 38, Falls Christian 35 Kristina Elwood scored 12 and Katie Elwood had 13 rebounds as the host Tigers (2-4, 3-9) avenged an earlier loss to the Eagles (3-3, 6-11).

Sarah Peterson of Falls Christian had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Falls Christian 11 5 8 11 - 35 Mullan 12 6 14 6 - 38

FALLS CHRISTIAN Sweet 0, Teall 4, Walker 2, Peterson 17, Taylor 2, Wallace 6, Pang 4, Reasor 0, Runkle 0.

MULLAN Renteria 6, Kri.Elwood 12, M.Hegbloom 8, A.Hegbloom 2, Kat.Elwood 6.

Non-league Deary 58, Kootenai 30 At Harrison, North Idaho College recruit Sabrina Sanowski scored 13 as the visiting Mustangs defeated the Warriors (4-9).

Tori Kraack of Kootenai had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Deary 14 11 19 14 - 58 Kootenai 7 8 9 6 - 30

DEARY Warner 8, Pratt 8, Brown 10, Sanowski 13, Wight 2, Herrmann 4, Proctor 5, Perezchica 4, Funke 4.

KOOTENAI Courtemanche 0, T.Kraack 12, Andersen 2, Ausman 0, Flint 6, Hunter 2, L.Kraak 2, Damiano 6.