Post Falls’ Big Effort Can’t Stop Lake City

Girls basketball

The victory was never in doubt for the top-ranked Lake City High girls basketball team Saturday.

Still, Post Falls was never blown out of the Border League rematch.

Unlike most of its games, Lake City had to play hard to the end before topping the visiting Trojans 54-48.

“They were just hanging around, but I wasn’t worried at any point,” said LC coach Dave Stockwell, whose undefeated team moved to 13-0 overall, 9-0 in league. “We seem to bring the best out of a lot of teams. Every team would like to upset us.”

Post Falls fell to 7-5, 5-4. But the Trojans’ all-around effort was much improved over a 59-38 loss to the Timberwolves three weeks ago.

LC built its biggest lead at 40-24 with 2:51 left in the third quarter. But the Trojans got within 10 late in the period to keep the T-Wolves in eyesight.

The T-Wolves’ lead hovered near 10 points most of the final quarter until the Trojans’ late surge. Two free throws by Cindy Holland trimmed LC’s lead to 53-46 with 1:06 left.

The final margin was the closest Post Falls would get.

LC struggled at the free-throw line, and the T-Wolves also missed several easy shots in the key.

The T-Wolves made just 4 of 15 foul shots in the fourth quarter and 7 of 21 overall.

“We come away with a little more confidence,” Post Falls coach Chris Johnson said. “I’m sure we’ll play another time before the end of the season. My kids will be real eager to play them again because we don’t think we’ve played our best game yet.”

Although she didn’t score her first basket until late in the second quarter, LC’s Lindsay Herbert tied Alison Asher for team scoring honors with 14 points. Herbert added eight rebounds.

As usual, Post Falls’ Janelle Ruen had her hand in several statistical categories. She scored a game-high 15 points, had eight steals, five rebounds and five steals. Freshman Desiree Johnson added 14 points and six rebounds.

Lake City 54, Post Falls 48

Post Falls 10 9 13 16 - 48

Lake City 12 16 16 10 - 54

POST FALLS - Eberle 3, Billetz 3, Mills 0, Brown 2, Foster 6, Edmonds 0, Holland 2, Swanstrom 3, Ruen 15, Johnson 14.

LAKE CITY - Hayes 4, Hawn 3, Kendrick 0, Bro 2, Herbert 14, McCabe 8, Dodge 8, Asher 14, Stern 1.

Lewiston 47, Coeur d’Alene 29

The host Bengals (5-7, 5-3) steamed ahead 15-3 in turning back the Vikings (3-8, 2-5).

Melissa Allowatt had eight rebounds for CdA, which is missing three players because of injuries. The Vikings had 21 turnovers.

Coeur d’Alene 6 7 4 12 - 29

Lewiston 17 13 7 10 - 47

COEUR D’ALENE - Stranger 2, Bielic 6, Vig 5, Ruiz 7, Tatum 0, Roetter 0, Day 0, Allowatt 3, Davis 6, Griffitts.

LEWISTON - Gill 8, Zabel 0, Scharnhorst 0, Sullivan 6, Albright 6, Roberts 4, Paling 2, Wagner 14, Bausch 2, Ostheller 2, Presnell 3.

Non-league

Lapwai 65, St. Maries 21

Sophomore Jaci McCormack hit three 3-pointers and scored 29, and the Wildcats outscored the visiting Lumberjacks (1-9) 14-1 at the line to pick up the win.

Lapwai’s Jalene Powaukee added 10 rebounds. Nikki Gibson of St. Maries shot 4 of 6 from the floor and had seven rebounds.

St. Maries 4 4 4 9 - 21

Lapwai 26 18 14 7 - 65

ST. MARIES - Harpole 2, Cuvala 0, Holdahl 0, Boyd 0, Bond 3, Allen 3, Osier 0, Nelson 1, Gibson 8, Kunkel 4.

LAPWAI - Peery 1, D.Powaukee 2, Ellenwood 0, Dishion 0, Guillory 10, Spencer 11, J.Powaukee 10, Kachelmier 0, Whitman 0, McCormack 29, James 0, Battiste 3.

, DataTimes