Lakeside, Kootenai Fall Short North Star League Entries Faces Ouster In State A-4

Sometimes you can’t sugarcoat the truth.

The North Star League’s two entrants in the State A-4 girls basketball tournament - Lakeside and Kootenai - lost openers they could have won Wednesday.

They face elimination today unless they do less beating of themselves and more beating of their opponents.

NSL and District I champ Lakeside had to expend so much energy playing from behind that it had nothing left at the end as Greenleaf Friends Academy knocked off the Knights 53-46 at Middleton High School.

Earlier, at the other site of the newly expanded 16-team tournament, Kootenai was rolling along comfortably before it seemingly forgot how to pass the ball. Rockland took advantage of the errant passes and clubbed the Warriors in an eventual runaway, 58-45, at Kuna High School.

In loser-out action today, Kootenai (10-11) will meet Raft River (17-9) at 12:45 p.m. PST and Lakeside (15-7) takes on Garden Valley (18-5) at 2:15.

Rockland 58, Kootenai 45

In one way Kootenai is thankful to be at state because of the new tourney format. Any other year, the District I runner-up would be packing away its gear.

Still, Kootenai coach Scott Shafer couldn’t help but wonder what might have been. Actually, he said it in stronger terms.

“We gave it to them; we made the mistakes,” Shafer said matter of factly. “We just came out and gave it to them (in the second half). We just beat ourselves, they didn’t beat us.”

The Warriors, after falling behind early, led by as many as seven points in a well-played first half. One wouldn’t have known Kootenai was making its first trip to state in 13 years.

Behind the strong inside play of junior Jamie Bornitz, Kootenai built a 30-24 lead after two quarters.

After fighting off one quick spurt by Rockland in the opening minutes of the second half, Kootenai pushed the lead to 38-33 when Bornitz made what would be her final basket with 4:03 left in the third quarter.

That’s when Kootenai collapsed. The Warriors committed 14 turnovers in the final 12 minutes.

Kootenai scored just seven points over the final 12 minutes, five in the fourth period. Bornitz scored 14 of her game-high 17 points in the first half.

“Usually the second half has been our strongest all season,” Shafer said. “Maybe we just relaxed, thought we had it made. But the girls cracked, and you can’t do it in a state tournament.”

Rockland coach Vern Nelson saw the team that has gone 12-2 since a 2-6 start in the second half.

“We just picked up the intensity,” Nelson said. “I think we were still on the bus in the first half.”

Greenleaf Friends 53, Lakeside 46

Knights coach Ron Miller was wondering where his team was too - especially after such a slow start.

Lakeside, which placed third last year, must have left its shooting touch in Plummer. Save for a 7-of-8 effort from the field by Alecia Hoffman, the Knights were ice cold.

Hoffman’s teammates shot 26 percent (14 of 54). With Hoffman’s numbers, Lakeside’s percentage was 34 (21 of 61).

“And we missed a lot of gimmies,” Miller said. “I think the pressure got to us. We came back twice but let it get away again.”

Greenleaf sped to a 13-2 lead before Miller took a timeout. The Knights calmed down thereafter, pulling within 15-10 by the end of the first quarter.

And Miller had to be thankful his team was within eight at halftime, too. Especially considering standout senior point guard Margaret SiJohn, making her third straight trip to state, was scoreless in the first half.

In a fast-paced third period, SiJohn finally scored her first basket. Her pullup jumper in the key trimmed Greenleaf’s lead to 33-31 at the 2:53 mark.

About 30 seconds later, however, SiJohn picked up her fourth foul for going over a Greenleaf player’s back. She had to sit down the rest of the period.

Strangely, Lakeside rallied within one, 34-33, to start the final period. But Greenleaf went on another spurt, extending its lead to 46-37 with 4:41 left.

Lakeside tried to rally one more time. The Knights had the ball and trailed 46-40 when they missed a short jumper and two cripples with 2:45 remaining.

“We missed those two layins and we were dejected,” Miller said. “And they come down and make a little runner. We had been running on courage for 2 to 3 minutes and that got us down.”

Freshman guard Jenny Binford led Greenleaf with 18 points. Hoffman led Lakeside with 14 and teammates Mary Kolar and Angela Flint added 11 and 10, respectively. SiJohn scored 5 before fouling out midway in the fourth period.

Rockland 58, Kootenai 45

Rockland 13 11 20 14 - 58

Kootenai 12 18 10 5 - 45

Rockland - McHargue 13, S. Nelson 5, J. Farr 5, May 15, Munk 0, Reaves 0, E. Nelson 4, Kress 4, E. Farr 6, Permann 6.

Kootenai - Hunter 6, L. Kraack 0, Bornitz 17, Conley 0, Damiano 8, Goodson 8, Andersen 0, S. Kraack 6, Reinhardt 0.

Greenleaf Friends 53, Lakeside 46

Greenleaf 15 10 9 19 - 53

Lakeside 10 7 16 13 - 46

Greenleaf - Binford 18, Marsten 4, Buskirk 0, Doramus 4, Whitenett 9, Gatton 11, Mackenzie 2, Fine 5.

Lakeside - SiJohn 5, Flint 10, Kolar 11, Hammons 6, McPeak 0, Hoffman 14, Kelley 0, Twoteeth 0.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: STATE A-4 GIRLS First-round scores Greenleaf 53, Lakeside 46 Rockland 48, Kootenai 45 Murtaugh 48, Cambridge 40 Hagerman 42, North Gem 27 Kendrick 67, Garden Val. 28 Troy 61, Raft River 34 Nampa Chr. 47, Richfield 26 Dietrich 51, Rimrock 30