Colville Knocks Off Cda Brown’s Free Throws Clinch Indians’ Victory

The Coeur d’Alene and Colville girls basketball teams were in the holiday giving spirit Friday night, giving up chance after chance to secure a victory at the free-throw line.

Finally, Colville’s Heather Brown made two free throws with 8 seconds left to lift the Indians to a 49-46 victory at Viking Gym in the opening night of the Coeur d’Alene/Lake City Classic.

Colville (2-4) will conclude its part of the tourney today when it visits Lake City at 2:45 p.m. Coeur d’Alene’s game with Orofino was postponed because of bad weather and moved to Tuesday at noon.

A minute before her win-securing free throws, Brown stole the ball at midcourt and drove for an uncontested layup that extended the Indians’ lead to 47-42.

Colville could have padded its lead prior to Brown’s foul shots, but the Indians missed five free throws, three on the front end of one-and-one situations.

It will be the Vikings (2-8) that lament over missed free throws, though. CdA shot 45 percent from the foul line, making just 15 of 33 attempts.

Even so, the Viks had plenty of opportunities.

CdA’s final lead came at 41-39 with 6:41 remaining when Andrea Wilkey made back-to-back foul shots - one of only two occasions the Vikings were able to do so.

Colville took the lead for good moments later. Melissa Wollan made a short jumper in the key to put the Indians in front 43-41 with 5:32 left.

“We kind of started to panic; we had a few mental lapses,” CdA coach Sheila Sharp said. “It seemed like we were a little bit winded at the end.”

The Viks went 6 minutes, 41 seconds between baskets in the final quarter. CdA still had a chance when Kellie Stern scored the Viks’ final bucket with 13 seconds left, cutting Colville’s lead to 47-46.

CdA had to foul, and in so doing sent Brown to the foul line for the game’s final points.

“We know we can play with anyone now,” Sharp said. “We just need to do the little things that will put us over the top.”

Wollan led Colville with 13 points. Stern and Amber Orr led CdA with 13 each, and Stern added 13 rebounds.

Colville 49, Coeur d’Alene 46

Colville 14 10 15 10 - 49 Coeur d’Alene 12 14 11 9 - 46

Colville - T. Brown 2, Entwistle 2, McConnell 1, Spies 6, Deardorff 6, H. Brown 8, Braff 0, Wollan 13, Lawson 4, Simpson 7.

Coeur d’Alene - Orr 13, Stern 13, Cultra 0, Davis 2, Vig 1, Stranger 3, Bradbury 0, Andre 1, Shirley 4, Wilkey 6.

West Valley Tournament

Post Falls 56, Moscow 49

Janelle Ruen’s 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals guided the Trojans (5-3) over the Bears (3-4).

PF forced 24 steals and withstood Moscow’s fourth-quarter comeback.

The other scheduled game, Bonners Ferry against the host Eagles, was cancelled because of poor travel conditions for BF.

Moscow 6 14 10 19 - 49 Post Falls 12 15 14 15 - 56

MOSCOW - Allen 7, Goetz 4, Griggs 13, Lathen 4, Makus 2, Shupe 1, Wilder 2, Workman 2, Mathews 10.

POST FALLS - Billetz 6, Brown 4, Edmonds 2, Foster 4, Glaser 5, Ruen 29, Swanstrom 2, Waltz 4.

Valley Christian Tournament

V.Christian 87, N.I. Christian 14

Carmen Evans scored 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting from the field to lead the Panthers (5-3) over the Lions.

Nicole Monforton made 8 of 19 from the field and Joyanna Hopson had 10 rebounds for VC.

N.I. Christian 6 0 1 7 - 14 Valley Christian 29 24 21 13 - 87

VALLEY CHRISTIAN - Monforton 19, Diaz 2, Meyer 0, Rosholt 10, Arnhold 10, Evans 34, Swenson 2, Hopson 3, Nichols 7.

NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN - Freeman 5, Dunning 5, Remmick 2, Grisham 2.

Rosalia Tournament Cancellation

Lakeside’s two-day schedule at the Spartans’ tourney was canceled because of bad roads.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo