Timberwolves Trio Reflects Lake City Success State Finalists Joined On All-North Idaho Girls Team By Stars From Post Falls And Lewiston

They were three key reasons why the Lake City High girls basketball team was ranked No. 1 all season.

Although it fell short of that top ranking at the end, Lake City was very well represented on The Spokesman-Review’s annual All-North Idaho Team.

Timberwolves Katie Hatrock (senior, point guard), Lindsay Herbert (junior, guard) and Alison Asher (junior, post) were named to the All-North Idaho team in a vote of the region’s coaches.

Joining the Timberwolves on the team are Janelle Ruen (sophomore, wing) of Post Falls and Sara McEachern (senior, post) of Lewiston.

A handful of coaches received votes for Coach of the Year, and LC’s Dave Stockwell and Lakeside’s Ron Miller tied for the honor.

Most of the top talent returns next year. Hatrock has received interest from college coaches but has yet to decide where she’ll go. McEachern has committed herself to Lewis-Clark State College.

NCAA Division I schools can begin contacting next year’s seniors in July, so telephones at the homes of Herbert and Asher figure to be busy come midsummer.

Next winter, the Timberwolves return four of five starters and most of their key reserves after losing the 1997 state title game to Borah.

The player they’ll have to replace is Hatrock, a two-year starter. She averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 assists per game. But it’s her leadership, not her statistics, that will be most difficult for Stockwell to replace.

Herbert improved from her sophomore season, and at times was unstoppable. However, she must take her game up another step or two if she hopes to play major Division I college ball.

The 5-foot-11 Herbert has all the necessary ingredients to dominate at the high-school level: good footwork, silky smooth shot off the dribble or pass, 3-point range, ability to drive past defenders on the baseline, court savvy.

Easily the top vote-getter for the All-North Idaho team, Herbert was named first-team all-state and honored by Gatorade as Idaho’s Player of the Year. She averaged a team-leading 14.8 points and six rebounds per game.

Asher may have been the most improved player in the region. The 6-4-1/2 T-Wolf again was a menace in the key as she blew away her own school record for blocked shots with 152. Her three-year total is 354, and she’ll have a good opportunity to go over the 500 mark next season.

Asher averaged 10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.1 blocks per game. She also shot 60.1 percent from the field.

If she improves as much next season as she did this year, Asher may have Division I coaches drooling.

McEachern led Lewiston with 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field.

Ruen averaged a team-leading 14 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists per game.

Amber Paulson of Bonners Ferry, Allison Roberts of Lewiston, Anna Allen of Moscow, Missy Ennis of Priest River, Margaret SiJohn of Lakeside and Amy Lemon of Kellogg were named to the All-North Idaho second team.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ALL-NORTH IDAHO GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM Pos Name Ht Yr School W Janelle Ruen 5-11 So. Post Falls P Sara McEachern 6-1 Sr. Lewiston P Alison Asher 6-4 Jr. Lake City G Lindsay Herbert 5-11 Jr. Lake City G Katie Hatrock 5-7 Sr. Lake City Co-coaches of the year: Dave Stockwell, Lake City; Ron Miller, Lakeside