It’s A First For Lake City Timberwolves Make Initial State Trip One To Remember With Girls’ A-1 Championship

Patience perfected.

The Pocatello Indians may have had the tempo to their liking, but the Lake City High School girls basketball team heads home with the State A-1 championship trophy.

Playing with much resolve, especially after three starters got into early foul trouble, Lake City proved it can play at any pace as the Timberwolves handled Pocatello 44-32 Saturday at the Albertson Activities Center at Albertson College.

The state championship is the first in the new school’s brief existence. The Timberwolves, ranked No. 1 all season, finish with a 24-1 record with their 14th straight victory.

Pocatello ends its season at 23-3.

In earlier action Saturday, Centennial handled Blackfoot 52-35 for third place while Nampa earned the consolation title with a 39-34 win over Borah.

Lake City 44, Pocatello 32

If any team epitomized the true meaning of team, the Timberwolves did - especially at state.

For a second straight game, Lake City’s bench played a key role in victory.

With starters Melissa Dodge, Jennifer Kerns and Natalie Telford on the bench the entire second quarter, the supporting cast of Katie Hatrock, Kristi Jacobson, Lindsay Herbert and Laura Tolzmann did more than hold their own.

“If it wasn’t for those guys it would have been a different story - not necessarily us losing, but it would have been (tougher),” Kerns said.

With Lake City clinging to an 11-7 lead after one quarter, the reserve-led Timberwolves, with starters Nicole Nipp and Shannon Riggs providing critical senior leadership in the second quarter, pushed the lead to as many as 12 points before halftime.

Hatrock picked up where she left off behind the 3-point line the night before, making two treys in the first half. Her second 3-pointer, off a nice pass from Nipp during an especially patient offensive possession, gave the T-Wolves a 20-11 lead with 2:50 to go before halftime.

Then Tolzmann, fresh off the bench and seeing her first action in the game, got a big weakside rebound and was fouled as her high-arcing shot hit softly off the glass and landed in the net. She made the free throw, extending LC’s lead to 23-11.

LC led 25-14 at halftime.

“By being patient we got some good motion on our offense,” LC coach Dave Fealko said. “And I’ve got to sing the praises of our bench kids again.”

The LC starters took over in the second half.

It appeared, however, that Pocatello might cut deeply into LC’s lead early in the third quarter. The Indians got two baskets inside, but a 3-pointer by Kerns pushed the margin to 10 at 28-18.

Pocatello never got any closer than seven points as LC answered every Indian basket.

Sarah Lackey hit a 6-foot jumper in the key to trim LC’s lead to 35-28 with 6:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The T-Wolves’ next possession may have been the game-clincher. After Hatrock missed a 3-pointer, Nipp grabbed the long rebound in the corner, squared, set her feet and launched a 3-pointer that put LC ahead 38-28 at the 5:45 mark.

“We just kept our intensity up,” Nipp said. “None of us took (Pocatello) for granted, but we never thought we’d lose. We were real confident.”

Riggs and Dodge shared teamscoring honors with 10 points.

For Dodge, Kerns and Nipp the gold medal is their third in four years as varsity players for Fealko. They won two championships under Fealko at Coeur d’Alene High, including the crown last year when the Vikings finished 25-0.

The state title is also Fealko’s fifth in his 17-year coaching career.

Kerns, Dodge, Nipp and Riggs, the team’s four seniors, have played together since junior high. So their final state championship, Kerns said, is particularly special.

“We beat Pocatello (for state titles) our freshmen and senior years,” Kerns said. “It’s been one of our (the seniors) dreams to go out our senior year (with a title).”

Fealko was pleased with his team’s defense in the three state games. LC allowed 106 points in three games, a 35.3 average per game.

Nipp probably summed it up best for the seniors: “It’s a great ending to a long four years. No one will ever forget this.”

Lake City 44, Pocatello 32

Lake City 11 14 9 10 -44

Pocatello 7 7 12 6 -32

Lake City - Jacobson 3, Hatrock 6, Tolzman 3, Kerns 9, Riggs 10, Dodge 10, Nipp 3.

Pocatello - Radmall 8, Moon 9, Ralphs 3, Lackey 2, Humble 10.

Halftime-Lake City 25, Pocatello 14.