Lc Puts It Together In Win
Individual highlights aside, the Lake City High School girls basketball team’s play Saturday exhibited two of coach Dave Fealko’s favorite words: intensity and team.
Playing what Fealko called their best game in easily a month, the No. 1-ranked Timberwolves ran and pressed the Post Falls Trojans silly 65-44 in an Inland Empire League game.
The victory raised LC’s league record to 4-1, tied with Sandpoint in the loss column for first place. The T-Wolves moved to 16-1 overall. Post Falls, coming off a 38-36 win over Lewiston on Thursday, goes to 2-3 and 5-10.
“Our intensity was to the point that we really like it tonight,” Fealko said. “We talked about being active, getting our hands in the passing lanes. And I think our kids finally did that again. It was really a great team effort as far as active hands. We were on an attack mode.”
Indeed. LC’s fullcourt and halfcourt pressure caused the greater majority of Post Falls’ 29 turnovers. The T-Wolves, meanwhile, committed just four miscues in the first half and were at seven as they took a commanding 47-30 lead into the final quarter.
Commensurate with LC’s overall near-flawless play was the all-around effort by senior point guard Jennifer Kerns, easily her best game since an early four-game suspension.
Kerns scored a game-high 24 points, dished out 10 assists and bagged seven steals.
But the play of her team was what impressed Kerns most.
“Finally, today’s the first day really that our entire team did well,” said Kerns, who had five breakaway layups off Trojans turnovers. “Our subs (played well), our press was good, everything was good. Our defense was awesome. Hopefully from here on out we’re going to jell.”
Though the Trojans were too careless with the ball for coach Chris Johnson, he was pleased that his club tightened the margin from an earlier 71-30 shellacking by LC.
“I thought we played hard for the most part, but it’s the same situation. Their pressure is the toughest we face all year,” Johnson said.
LC’s biggest lead, 57-32, came when Melissa Dodge sank a short shot in the key with 5 minutes remaining. Dodge finished with 17 points, six steals and five rebounds.
Ann Shepard led the Trojans with 12 points. Heidi Umthun added 11.
The T-Wolves’ improved play is timely as far as Fealko is concerned. They travel to Sandpoint next Friday. Sandpoint upset LC 63-60 in midDecember, and the rematch could determine the league title and top seed to the regional tournament.
“We just have to play our type of game; that’s all we have to do up there,” Fealko said. “It’s a conference game, we both have one loss and that shows the importance right there.”
Lake City 65, Post Falls 44 Lake City 12 20 15 18 -65
Post Falls 7 15 8 14 -44
LAKE CITY Kerns 24, Herbert 5, Ddoge 17, Nipp 8, Telford 6, Riggs 1, Hatrock 0, Jacobson 2, Tolzmann 2.
POST FALLS Goodwin 3, Stutzke 0, Umthun 11, Thomson 2, Shepard 12, Byxbee 2, Klaudt 0, Shannon Olson 2, Beatty 4, Finney 0, Shawna Olson 6, Owen 2.
Lewiston 51, CdA 42 Visiting Lewiston converted 23 firsthalf turnovers by Coeur d’Alene into a comfortable 24-15 halftime margin, then held off the pesky Vikings 51-42 in an Inland Empire League game at Coeur d’Alene.
Laura Bloom led Lewiston (3-2, 12-3) with 12 points. Jill Pederson scored nine for the Viks (0-5, 3-13). Kim Pearson and Corey Hansen added eight each for CdA.
CdA coach Sheila Sharp said the Viks played as well as they have all season in the second half. Unfortunately, they dug themselves a deep hole in the first half.
Lewiston 15 9 14 13 - 51 Coeur d’Alene 3 12 10 17 - 42
LEWISTON Acord 6, Couch 0, Roberts 4, Hunt 0, Wimer 8, Gomez 7, Martin 0, Cushman 4, Asker 2, McEachern 6, Bloom 12.
COEUR d’ALENE Murhpy 0, Meek 0, Orr 5, Pederson 9, Corey 4, Wilkey 4, Cultra 0, Pearson 8, Hansen 8, Gatten 4.
Wrestling
Despite notching five pins, visiting Moscow had to settle for a 33-33 tie with St. Maries in an Intermountain League opener.
Nathan Cuvala (112), Ben Schilling (145) and Jack Allman (275) had pins for St. Maries, which lost every match from 152 on except for Allman’s. Moscow’s Tony Matson, a state runner-up last year, trailed Jeff Tweedy 4-2 after one round but responded with a third-round pin.
St. Maries (3-0-1) also defeated visiting Clearwater Valley 57-15. Nick Epler (130), Tyson Clyne (135), Bryce Aktepy (145) and Allman had pins for the Lumberjacks, who also picked up four forfeit wins.