CdA, Post Falls girls cruise to title game

The Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls girls basketball teams showed clearly Friday why they’re the two top 5A teams in Region I.

Top seed and No. 1-ranked Coeur d’Alene suffocated fourth-seeded Lake City 62-36 and No. 2 Post Falls did likewise to No. 3 Lewiston, 60-44, in 5A Region I tournament openers before an estimated crowd of 900 at Elmer Jordan Court.

Defending regional champ Post Falls (16-5) will return to defending state champ Coeur d’Alene (21-0) on Tuesday night to decide the regional title, while Lake City (12-8) travels to Lewiston (13-7) in a loser-out game the same night. Both tip off at 7.

Coeur d’Alene 62, Lake City 36: The Vikings were relentless from the opening tip, streaking to a 17-0 lead and a 20-1 advantage after the first quarter.

LC didn’t score a basket until senior post Katie Baker made a 3-pointer at the 7:28 mark of the second period.

It was the fourth loss in four games against CdA for the T-Wolves, and the margins have become progressively bigger.

CdA didn’t miss a beat despite weathering sickness this week. Junior starter Dayna Drager sat on the bench in warmups because she missed three days battling the flu that hit CHS hard. Head coach Dale Poffenroth missed school the first four days before returning Friday.

Assistant coach Jamie Thacker ran practices through Wednesday. Poffenroth attended practice Thursday but kept his distance from the players.

Senior Natalie Stewart started in place of Drager, scoring five points in the first half. She finished with seven rebounds.

Poffenroth praised his team’s unselfish play and passing for CdA’s fast start.

Senior wing Kama Griffitts led the Vikings with 16 points and had eight rebounds. Sophomore post Carli Rosenthal had 13 points and four rebounds and junior post Kelsey Bybee came off the bench to score 12 points and get five rebounds.

“They’re just a great team,” LC coach Royce Johnston said. “They have no weaknesses.”

LC played CdA much tighter the final three quarters. But the 20-1 hole was too much to overcome.

Baker led LC with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

CdA is looking forward to the regional title game Tuesday. Post Falls upset the Vikings in the regional final last year before CdA bounced back to capture a play-in berth and eventually the state title.

Post Falls 60, Lewiston 44: Like the Vikings, the Trojans used defense to put the Bengals on their heels early.

Lewiston committed 17 of its 23 turnovers in the first half – 10 in the second quarter.

Post Falls coach Chris Johnson called his team’s first-half defense the best it’s played this season.

Kiki Edwards-Teasley hit a jumper that pulled Lewiston within 11-7 midway in the first quarter. Then the Trojans went on a 13-0 run that carried over into the second period.

An Edwards-Teasley putback finally broke Lewiston’s scoring drought at the 5:16 mark of the second quarter.

Two free throws by senior wing Aynslee Stuart gave the Trojans, who are 3-0 against Lewiston this season, their biggest first-half lead at 30-11 with 1:54 to go before halftime.

Lewiston couldn’t get closer than 13 points in the second half.

Four Trojans scored in double figures. Junior wing Katelyn Loper led with a game-high 21 points. Junior post Krysta Howard scored 11, senior guard Jordan Schoening made three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 11 and Stuart had 10 to go with three rebounds and two assists.

Edwards-Teasley, Jessica Kramer and Savannah Blinn each had nine points for Lewiston.