Iel Boys Basketball Gets Off To Wild Start

If the first two weeks are any indication, Inland Empire League boys basketball fans would be wise to fasten their seat belts.

League play could have more ups and downs than bungee jumping.

Let’s recap briefly: Lewiston opens league by handling Coeur d’Alene 68-42; Lake City knocks off league favorite Post Falls 55-47; CdA bounces back to upset LC 73-58 in the first-ever game between cross-town rivals; Sandpoint trips visiting Lewiston 51-50; LC puts loss to CdA behind it by pummeling Sandpoint 77-54; Post Falls regroups in big way by sending CdA to an 85-39 deflating loss.

This week’s games feature Lewiston at LC and Post Falls at Sandpoint, both on Friday.

You can build an argument that Lewiston should beat LC because LC lost to CdA, which Lewiston beat. Or you can say LC should beat Lewiston because Lewiston lost to Sandpoint, which lost to LC.

In the other game, you can argue Post Falls should beat Sandpoint because Sandpoint lost to LC, which lost to CdA, which lost to Post Falls. Or you can say Sandpoint will win because it beat Lewiston, which beat CdA, which beat LC, which beat Post Falls.

Thoroughly confused? You’re not alone.

A loss Friday won’t end a team’s league title hopes. But the league winner most likely will finish with two losses.

This much is certain: Play will become increasingly intense because the teams want to avoid finishing fourth or fifth and having to play in the loser-out game to get into the regional tournament.

But if a team does stumble to a low-division finish, fourth would be much more desirable than fifth. The loser-out playoff will be played at the fourth-place team’s gym.

So, the object here may not be to limit the losses as much as it may be to maximize the wins. Before you say “Brilliant logic, Einstein,” consider that LC could pick up its third win and take a big stride ahead of the pack.

CdA, which has a league bye this week, and two of the three other teams will have just one win after Friday.

A final 3-5 league mark could be good enough to stay out of fifth, 4-4 could define third and three or fewer losses could guarantee two teams first-round host berths in the regional tournament.

Don’t be surprised if as many as three teams can claim the league title going into the final weekend.