Greg Lee

Mike Asper get the call when Timberwolves need to put some bite into their attack. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Jack Dyck, the Sandpoint High School boys basketball coach, said he aged 10 years in the final 3 minutes of his team's 64-58 win over Coeur d'Alene in an A-1 loser-out playoff game Tuesday. The good thing for Dyck, though, is his young players are also beginning to age. In a home game last month against Coeur d'Alene, the Bulldogs watched a 15-point lead dissolve before they eventually prevailed 81-79 in double overtime.

The Lake City-Borah game Saturday morning very well could have been a preview of next year's State A-1 girls basketball championship game. At the very least, it was an exercise of perseverance to see which team would gut it out just hours after both saw their hopes of a 1996 state title extinguished.

Sandpoint teammates Alli Nieman, right, and Amy Iverson share a final hug following the Bulldogs' title game loss to Centennial. Photo by Mike Salisbury/Special to The Spokesman-Review

The Moscow High School girls basketball team captured its fourth State A-2 championship in the past five years Saturday night. And the Bears' 67-61 victory over Preston also gave Moscow its fifth straight state trophy.

It was a last-minute decision. At least a last-day decision. Dave Fealko resigned last winter as Lake City High School girls basketball coach following his third state title in four years.

Four feet, nine inches. It boiled down to this for the Lake City High School girls basketball team Friday - a free-throw-shooting (from 15 feet) vs. 3-point-shooting contest (from behind the 19-9 arc).

Alli Nieman recovers ball in from of temmated Tanya Allmaras, far left, and Becky Timblin. Photo by Mike Salsbury/Special to The Spokesman-Review

Lake City's Allison Asher, top, fights Abby Markus of Nampa for a loose ball in the opening round of the State A-1 basketball tournament. Photo by Mike Salsbury/Special to The Spokesman-Review

Alli Nieman took an inventory of her body parts Thursday night following Sandpoint's 55-36 victory over Blackfoot in the first round of the State A-1 girls basketball tournament. Arms? Red and bruised, check. Legs? A quickly swelling knot on the inside of her left calf, check. Hands? Sore, check. Arms? Flushed but still attached, check.

The Lake City and Sandpoint girls basketball teams will take home trophies from the State A-1 Tournament this weekend. Lake City will finish second, Sandpoint third. You read it here first.

1. Lake City's Katie Hatrock is expected back from a sprained ankle. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review 2. Allmaras

The Lake City Timberwolves went into a hostile environment and walked out with an Inland Empire League boys basketball championship banner. Despite uncharacteristic turnovers and poor free-throw shooting, the Timberwolves took control early on their way to a 63-45 victory before a packed Viking Gym crowd estimated at 2,000.

Priest River's Jacey Vogrig takes a swipe at Danna Wilder of Moscow, getting only a small piece of the ball. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Jon Chatfield's return Thursday was nothing short of stellar. There was no rust in his stroke. In fact, Chatfield probably had to ice his shooting limb after Lake City throttled Sandpoint 84-53 in an Inland Empire League basketball game that wasn't that close.

Larry Bieber should probably erase the first 3 quarters of the videotape of Tuesday night's Coeur d'Alene High School boys basketball game. Lewiston coach Dick Richel will likely throw the tape away.

Perfect timing is how Lake City High School girls basketball coach Dave Stockwell sees it. In the first round of the A-1 Region I Tournament last week, Stockwell's Timberwolves staged an incredible comeback in the final 3 minutes to knock off Lewiston.

Jack Dyck most definitely will remind his Sandpoint High School boys basketball team that it blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. For a few days, though, he'll cherish how resilient his young team was when it counted most as the Bulldogs survived two overtime periods to knock off Coeur d'Alene 81-79 in an Inland Empire League game Friday night at Bulldog Gym.

Lake City's Katie Hatrock works her way around Lewiston's Brianna Martin. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Josh and Ben Davis of Coeur d'Alene are in the middle of the pack within their family of 10 boys. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Chatfield

Ryan Corbeill of Coeur d'Alene takes a stab at loose ball while Lake City's Jerid Keefer closes in. Timberwolves prevailed before 2,600. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Several reasons come to mind as to why it should be standing room only at Lake City High School for the first Inland Empire League game Friday night between the crosstown boys basketball rivals. And if no other reason was listed, the fact that the game involves rivals would suffice. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45. But here are a few other reasons why the Lake City-Coeur d'Alene contest should be the entertainment stop Friday:

Six-foot-7 Casey Fisher of Kellogg was disappointed in the Wildcats' early loss in the state tournament last season. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review