Sandpoint Knocks Off Lake City

Girls basketball

It was a throwback game for the Sandpoint High School girls basketball team Thursday.

No, the Bulldogs didn’t wear skirts and long-sleeve jersey tops, but Sandpoint played like the Sandpoint teams of the early 1980s - back when it was a state power.

Sandpoint made fewer mistakes - and certainly fewer critical errors - as the Bulldogs knocked off defending State A-1 champion Lake City 53-46 in an intensity-laced Inland Empire League contest at Bulldog Gym.

Lake City committed seven turnovers in a key 5-minute span of the fourth quarter, and Sandpoint took advantage. With the game tied at 38-all through three quarters, Sandpoint outscored the Timberwolves 13-6 through the pivotal portion of the period.

A free throw by Alli Nieman with 39 seconds left put the Bulldogs ahead comfortably at 52-44. The 6-foot-1 University of Idaho-bound Nieman finished with a game-high 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Sandpoint, playing in its league opener, raised its record to 7-0. LC dropped to 2-1 in league, 7-4 overall.

“With defense you’ve got to work at it and work at it and work at it … and sometimes (teams) don’t make many mistakes but sometimes those mistakes come at pivotal times in a game - and the hard work and intensity pays off for you,” said first-year Sandpoint coach Duane Ward. “We’ve had prettier wins, but not more satisfying wins.”

In fact, one would have to go back to the early 1980s to find a win at Sandpoint of equal importance. Sandpoint was the lone team to beat Lake City last year.

The game was back and forth through three quarters. Going into the final period, the score had been tied 10 times and there had been 17 lead changes.

The teams were tied at 14 after one period, Sandpoint took a 26-25 lead into halftime, and LC knotted the game at 38-all after three quarters.

Until the fourth quarter, the biggest lead by either team was three points.

IEL coaches predicted league play would be tight, especially among the three teams which figure to contend for the league title - Sandpoint, LC and Lewiston.

At least Thursday the game was as advertised. But it left a sour taste in LC coach Dave Stockwell’s mouth.

“We didn’t play very well. Plain and simple we didn’t play to our potential,” Stockwell said. “Anytime we let a team dictate the game to us we have trouble with it. The four losses we’ve had it’s been the same result all four times.”

Stockwell also expressed concern about not getting to the free-throw line. LC never got into the bonus and made 5 of 11 foul shots to Sandpoint’s 13 of 26.

LC was led by Lindsay Herbert’s 14 points. Kristi Jacobson added 10.

Sandpoint turns around and plays this afternoon against Troy in the Les Schwab Holiday Hoop Classic at Moscow. LC returns to action Saturday when the T-Wolves host Lewiston.

Sandpoint 53, Lake City 46

Lake City 14 11 13 8 - 46

Sandpoint 14 12 12 15 - 53

LAKE CITY Jacobson 10, Hatrock 2, Tolzmann 3, Telford 5, Stetson 4, M. Asher 0, Herbert 14, A. Asher 6, Dodge 2.

SANDPOINT Timblin 5, Verby 3, Gunter 0, Ward 3, Allmaras 11, Nieman 31.

Coeur d’Alene 46, St. Maries 29

Amber Orr and Jill Pederson each scored 14 points as the visiting Vikings handled the Lumberjacks.

Amy Sotin led St. Maries, which shot just 20 percent from the field, with eight points. Teammate Jolie Kunkel grabbed 11 rebounds.

Coeur d’Alene 10 8 12 16 - 46

St. Maries 5 8 8 9 - 30

COEUR d’ALENE Chambers 0, Orr 14, Pederson 14, Cultra 0, Tatum 2, Wilkey 6, Stern 8, Janke 0, Pearson 0, Hansen 2.

ST. MARIES Reynolds 2, Sevilla 5, Wolfe 1, Kunkel 2, Babgett 0, Sotin 8, Tams 11.

Priest River 64, Wallace 32

Guard Sara Suchocki led three Spartans in double figures with 14 points in an easy victory over the visiting Miners.

Krissi Ruiz added 12 points and Missy Ennis had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Priest River guard Teya Go finished with eight points and five steals.

Joy Sperry powered her way to 15 points for Wallace, and Lucia Gregory added 10.

Wallace 8 11 4 9 - 32

Priest River 24 18 13 9 - 64

WALLACE Sperry 15, Hopper 0, Rose 0, Gregory 10, Calabretta 0, England 5, Hayes 0, Karst 2, Branstetter 0, Sleezer 0, Jayme Nipp 0.

PRIEST RIVER Go 8, M.Ruiz 6, Stensland 4, Reed 2, K.Ruiz 12, Ennis 10, Suchocki 14, Duley 4, Rasmussen 1, Vogrig 0, Cary 0, White 3.

Lakeside 49, Clark Fork 39

The visiting Knights scored 17 straight fourth-quarter points to surprise the Wampus Cats.

Jennifer Niebuhr and Margaret SiJohn led Lakeside with 11 points apiece. Angela Flint added 10 points and Harmony Hammons had nine.

Lakeside 13 11 6 19 - 49

Clark Fork 11 8 16 4 - 39

LAKESIDE (PLUMMER, IDAHO) - Brand 8, Niebuhr 11, Campbell 0, SiJohn 11, Hammons 9, Hoffman 0, Middleton 0, Flint 10, Holton 0.

CLARK FORK Culcasi 0, J.Miller 1, Manderscheid 0, K.Miller 0, Haller 5, Longstreet 10, St. Clair 0, Storaasli 4, Scofield 13, Hager 6, Mellum 0.

, DataTimes