Vikings find way in 2nd half

When the small-but-quick Coeur d’Alene High girls basketball team finally got the game to its tempo, the taller Sandpoint Bulldogs couldn’t keep up.

Coeur d’Alene used an 8-0 spurt that began during the final 2 minutes of the third quarter and flowed into the fourth to open a 14-point lead as the Vikings pulled away 50-40 in an Inland Empire League game Friday at Elmer Jordan Court.

“I thought we played pretty well,” said first-year CdA coach Dale Poffenroth, whose team posted its sixth consecutive win to improve to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in league, a half-game in the win column behind Lake City.

Until they got their transition game untracked, the Viks were victims of their own mistakes – primarily committing too many fouls.

As Poffenroth pointed out, each time CdA fouled and sent Sandpoint to the foul line, it stopped the game’s flow.

“When we got the push and the lead, we relaxed a little bit,” Poffenroth said. “It’s a game of runs and you hope you have more than they do.”

Sandpoint coach Scott Salesky thought his team blew an opportunity to take a lead into halftime. He pointed to poor free-throw shooting and turnovers as his team’s two most critical faults.

Still, the Bulldogs rallied from a 25-15 deficit with 4:09 remaining before halftime to trail 25-24 at intermission. Sandpoint made just 5 of 10 foul shots in the first half and that percentage didn’t improve much in the second half as the Bulldogs finished 13 of 23 overall from the line.

Sandpoint (3-3, 1-2) committed 23 turnovers, 15 coming in the first half.

“It was a lot like Tuesday against Lake City – too many turnovers,” Salesky said, alluding to the fact that LC scored the winning basket off a steal for a 49-48 decision. “It’s a common theme, apparently. We’ve got to deal with pressure because most teams are smaller and quicker than we are. One of the things I said to the girls in pregame was (to) value the ball.”

CdA helped itself with better care of the ball for the final two quarters after committing 14 turnovers in the first half. The Viks had just three turnovers in the second half.

The Viks received a solid all-around effort from senior Jenna Griffitts, who poured in a game-high 19 points and tied teammate Jenna DeLong with a team-high six rebounds. Freshman point guard Ali Johnson, who had to sit out 10:36 of the first half with two fouls, added 10 points.

CdA played tough defense on point guard Ashleigh Mire. The Viks limited Sandpoint’s leading score to six points, which came on two 3-pointers in the third quarter.

“Mire’s a good basketball player,” Poffenroth said. “She knows how to clear space for herself, she shoots well and she shoots off the dribble. You’ve got to stop her. But where she’s dangerous is she makes those backside passes.”

A couple of times the Viks pushed their defense too far to the perimeter and Mire alertly found her taller posts inside for easy baskets, especially in the first half.

Senior Bulldogs post Elle Carne had team highs in points (14) and rebounds (10). Post Caitlin Free added nine rebounds.

Griffitts said the Viks, who were 2-19 last year, are headed in the right direction.

“We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer every game,” Griffitts said. “We have so much potential. It’ll come eventually.”

Sandpoint returns to action Tuesday when it travels to Lakeland.

CdA is off until it meets crosstown rival Lake City for the first time this season, Thursday at home. LC has won four consecutive games and plays on Tuesday.