CdA, Post Falls girls could meet again

Round 3 between the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene girls basketball teams could happen in the 5A Region I championship game Tuesday.

First, though, the teams have a little business to take care of Friday when the regional tournament tips off at Post Falls.

In the opener, Coeur d’Alene (16-4) takes on defending state champ Lewiston (15-5) at 5:30. Lake City (10-10) meets Post Falls (19-1) at about 7.

CdA and Post Falls split their league games, with the Trojans winning 48-45 Friday to clinch the league title outright. The Vikings split with Lewiston, falling in overtime at Lewiston 43-41 in early December.

Just the regional champ is guaranteed a state berth. The runner-up can earn a berth in a play-in game.

Rising average

So how much do you think Brett Bailey of University raised his Greater Spokane League-leading scoring average with that record-setting 47 points he scored Tuesday?

You might be surprised. It went up just a smidge – from 22.9 points per game to 24.5.

Bailey broke a 42-year-old record (46) set by Dave Wood of Rogers, who knocked Mike Gomez of U-Hi off the top of the scoring list. Gomez scored 45 in 1966.

Wood’s performance came about 15 years before the 3-point shot was adopted.

Bailey also leaped past two modern GSL players – Adam Morrison (Mead), who scored 45 against U-Hi in 2003, and Sean Mallon (Ferris), who scored 44 against Rogers in 2001.

Interestingly, Bailey and Wood both took 32 shots, with Bailey making 20 and Wood 18. And they each took 11 foul shots, Wood making 10 and Bailey five.

U-Hi coach Garrick Phillips took Bailey out with 36 seconds to play at Rogers. He had played nonstop for 31 minutes, 24 seconds. The Pirates’ scoreboard lists the points players have scored.

“The crowd was chanting ‘50, 50,’ ” Phillips said.

Bailey filled up the stat line, grabbing 11 rebounds to go with four assists and four blocked shots.

He said he’s thrilled to be atop the scoring list, no doubt. But he wants something more than a record.

He wants to lead the Titans, who were third at state last year, back to Tacoma.

• What is the all-time best single-game scoring effort in the area?

It happened in 1996 when East Valley’s James Spotted Horse had 60 in a Frontier League game against Clarkston.

Open jobs

It seems the GSL goes through a purging in volleyball coaching positions every couple of years.

At Mead, they have to replace a legend in Judy Kight, who stepped down after 23 years. There are also vacancies at Central Valley, University and Gonzaga Prep.

When Kight talked about her retirement from coaching, she felt good about how she was leaving the program. Yes, 11 of her 16 varsity players were seniors, but she liked the remaining talent and the younger players in the system.