Post Falls Prevails In Wild, Crazy Iel Tilt Vs. Sandpoint

Post Falls High held an elaborate, well choreographed ceremony honoring its nine seniors before Tuesday’s boys basketball game with Sandpoint.

Then Sandpoint nearly spoiled the Trojans’ evening.

Sandpoint battled the Trojans into overtime - blowing a lead late in regulation - before Post Falls recovered for a 71-61 win in an Inland Empire League game at Trojan Gym.

This game, the Trojans’ last regular-season home game, went beyond wild and into frantic and madcap.

“That was pretty crazy,” understated Post Falls coach Scott Moore, after his team kept its IEL title hopes alive by improving to 5-2 in league and 16-3 overall. Sandpoint dropped to 1-6, 5-14.

Post Falls lost its grip on 51-42 lead with 5:30 left in regulation. The Bulldogs pulled in front on Jared Herrington’s 3-pointer and free throw at 54-51.

Sandpoint’s Dallas Spielman added a 3-pointer at the 2:30 mark to give Sandpoint a 57-53 lead.

Then it got zany.

In the span of 45 frenetic seconds, the Trojans missed 12 straight shots from the field and four from the foul line. During that same time span, Sandpoint didn’t attempt a shot.

“We couldn’t get a rebound,” said Sandpoint coach Jack Dyck, who could fault little else in his team’s gutsy effort.

“It got very physical there for a while.”

“We missed so many close-in shots, it was amazing,” Moore said.

Finally Mike McLean hit a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left to pull PF within 57-55.

After another missed free throw, Trojans forward Darick Pope hit a putback to tie it at 57 with 20 seconds left.

Sandpoint’s Brian Evans missed a one-and-one foul shot with 15 seconds remaining and PF’s Ryan Edmonds misfired on a trey to send it into overtime.

Pope, who left the game with a twisted ankle late in the third quarter, scored six of his 18 points in the extra session and Brett Hollenbeck also had six points as the Trojans finally pulled away.

The Bulldogs unraveled against Post Falls’ full-court trap in overtime, committing five turnovers. And, like Post Falls, Sandpoint went through a stretch where its shots hung on the rim before falling off.

Sandpoint had led 31-27 after a ragged first half.

Post Falls led 19-13 early in the second period, but Sandpoint pulled even at 27 on Herrington’s 3-pointer. Brian Trenholm, who led Sandpoint with 19 points, followed his own miss and then Spielman stole the ball and raced for a dunk just before halftime.

Symbolic of the first-half mistakes was Post Falls picking up five offensive fouls in the space of two minutes and the Bulldogs committing eight first-quarter turnovers.

Pope converted a dunk after a Bulldog turnover to tie it at 31 early in the third quarter.

The Trojans snuck in front 41-39 at the end of quarter when Tim Roberts scored five consecutive points.

Post Falls 71, Sandpoint 61

Sandpoint 11 20 8 19 4 - 61 Post Falls 15 12 14 16 14 - 71

SANDPOINT Herrington 12, Buckmaster 13, Jeffres 6, Luce 0, Spielman 7, Leffler 0, Bouse 0, Evans 2, Trenholm 19, Lindgren 0, Smith 2, Love 0.

POST FALLS Curtis 0, Alexander 0, Edmonds 3, Roberts 10, Hollenbeck 11, Pichotta 0, Pope 18, McLean 21, Cudmore 6, Lee 2, Froelich 0.

Idaho prep poll

Heading into the final week of regular-season Idaho high school basketball action, there are only two undefeated teams left, and they rank first and second among the state’s biggest schools in the latest Associated Press poll.

Both Centennial and Rigby are 18-0, but had close calls last week.

Centennial held off neighboring Meridian 86-78, dropping the Warriors one spot to No. 4 in this week’s poll. No. 2-ranked Rigby went into overtime against Hillcrest before winning.

Post Falls (14-3) moved into the No. 3 spot, while Lewiston remained No. 5 at 11-6.

Class A-2 has a new No. 1 team after previously fifth-ranked Weiser (13-4) toppled Payette 76-65. That helped Kellogg (13-3) into the top spot while Bonners Ferry (11-3) is No. 2. Payette (15-3) fell to third, followed by Weiser and Bishop Kelly (14-3).

Potlatch remained the unanimous No. 1 pick in Class A-3 as the rankings there were unchanged.