Post Falls all business

The momentum continued for the Post Falls High girls basketball team Friday.

Give Post Falls credit, too, for keeping its 5A Region I victory in perspective. The second-seeded Trojans handled No. 3 Lake City 56-40 at Coeur d’Alene’s Elmer Jordan Court.

It was the Trojans’ second win over the defending state champs in a week. Post Falls earned the second seed with a 55-51 win over visiting LC last Friday.

Post Falls (18-3), which has won five in a row and 15 of its last 16, advances to the regional championship game Friday. LC (14-6) advances to a loser-out game, also Friday.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader – No. 4 Lewiston (10-10) against No. 1 Coeur d’Alene (18-2) – had to be pushed back to this afternoon at 1 because icy roads kept Lewiston from being able to travel.

Post Falls coach Chris Johnson was pleased with his team’s subdued celebration afterward.

“We went in there (the locker room) and someone said, ‘We’re not very loud for just winning a regional tournament game,’ ” Johnson said. “Right away a couple of girls said we’re not to state. This is just one step. Our seniors that have been here before know; they know it’s a long haul. The first game is just a first game.”

Behind hot shooting and good defense, Post Falls took a 33-12 lead into halftime. The Trojans shot LC out of its 2-3 zone, making 12 of 23 shots from the field in the first half.

Sophomore Katelyn Loper almost single-handedly shot LC out of its zone. Loper sandwiched two 18-foot jumpers around a 3-pointer to open the second quarter. Couple that with a layup by Jordan Schoening off a nice pass in transition from Loper, and a jumper from Jenny McVeigh, and the Trojans used an 11-2 run to blow open the game in the first 4 minutes of the second period. McVeigh’s basket extended the Trojans’ lead to 28-9 with 4:26 left in the quarter.

“I thought we were playing so well,” Johnson said. “It’s very hard to come out in the second half and pick right up where you left off.”

LC trailed by 10 points at half last week, and the T-Wolves fought back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. They never got that close Friday, but they made things interesting in the fourth quarter.

A putback by Katie Baker, a steal and a basket from Emma Hawn and back-to-back 3-pointers by Jacie Estes allowed LC to creep within 47-38 with 3:17 remaining.

LC had possession and an opportunity to pull closer when the T-Wolves committed a costly turnover with 2:47 to go. They finished with 24 turnovers.

The T-Wolves’ momentum came to a screeching halt 38 seconds later. Freshman guard Sydney Butler was called for her fifth foul. When the referee came over to tell LC coach Darren Taylor that it was Butler’s fifth foul, Taylor was called for a technical. The referee then told Taylor he had 20 seconds to replace Butler. The substitute didn’t report in time and LC was called for another technical.

Taylor was told to leave the game. He thought he had been ejected. It was later learned he was incorrectly ejected and that he would be allowed to coach in the next regional game.

By the time the foul shots and four free throws for the technical had been awarded, Post Falls led 52-38.

“Chances of winning were not in our favor, obviously, nine down with (2:09 remaining), but I just wanted a call here and there so we might get a bonus free throw,” Taylor said. “How can you not get into bonus in a game like that when both teams are playing it up and down (the floor) and bumping? All I said to him was, ‘Make a call.’ I didn’t cuss.”

Loper scored a game-high 23 points. Baker led LC with 13 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Weather woes

The 4A Region I girls opener – Moscow at Sandpoint – was postponed for a fourth straight day. They will try to play this afternoon at 3, but the game has been moved from Sandpoint High School to Sandpoint Middle School because of concern of snow on the high school roof.

Other girls games that were either postponed or canceled:

•Kootenai at Clark Fork. The game will only be made up if it’s necessary for seeding for the North Star League’s district tournament, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

•The Bonners Ferry at St. Maries game was canceled. St. Maries will be the third district seed. Bonners Ferry will be the fourth seed and play host to No. 5 Timberlake in a loser-out opener Monday at 6.

St. Maries also canceled a game today at Kellogg.

•Boys games postponed: Lakeland at Sandpoint has been rescheduled for Tuesday; Post Falls at Moscow will be made up Feb. 11; Mullan at Clark Fork (no makeup date); and Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy at Kootenai (no makeup date).

The St. Maries at Kellogg game scheduled today will be played Tuesday.

•The Lake City at Coeur d’Alene game that was postponed Thursday has been rescheduled for Feb. 11.