Vikings Sit Atop Border Ot Win Over Cheney Paves Way To First Place

Pat Stiffler tried to keep Cheney atop the Border League boys basketball standings, but Coeur d’Alene held on to win 75-71 in overtime Friday night.

Coming in, the teams were tied atop the league standings at 10-2.

With just over 5 seconds remaining in regulation, and Cheney trailing by three, Stiffler knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to knot the game at 61.

Coeur d’Alene started the overtime period pounding the ball inside, with Casey Hoorelbeke scoring six early points as the Vikings took a 69-62 lead.

The ninth-ranked Blackhawks responded with baskets from Darian Ervin and Stiffler to cut the Viking lead to three. But Cheney could get no closer as Jim Rupp hit four free throws in the final minutes to put the game on ice.

“He’s got a big heart in that little body of his,” said Cheney coach Denney Humphrey of Stiffler, his 5-foot, 8-inch point guard. “He’s the glue that keeps us together.”

Stiffler finished with 26 points and eight assists.

Coeur d’Alene dominated the paint, going to their big men, Hoorelbeke and Lukas O’Dowd. Hoorelbeke finished with a game-high 30 points. O’Dowd had 12, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“That’s what we were looking to do,” said Vikings’ coach Larry Bieber about going inside. “That’s our strength.”

Rupp kept the Vikings close to the Blackhawks in the first quarter. Cheney came out firing and led 20-16 at the end of the period. Rupp scored 11 of his team’s points in the quarter.

Both teams struggled in the second, as Cheney managed just eight points and CdA six. Hoorelbeke scored all of the Vikings’ second-quarter points.

Coeur d’Alene used an 18-1 run in the third to lead by five going into the fourth quarter, 43-38. But the Vikings saw it slip away as they missed free throws, and Cheney hit clutch baskets to keep it close enough for Stiffler to hit the buzzer-beater to send it to overtime.

Rupp finished with 25 points and 10 assists as the Vikings took sole possession of first in the Border League at 13-2 overall and 11-2 in league. Cheney is 13-4 and 10-3.

“We did what we had to do,” said Bieber. “This was big for us.”

, DataTimes