Post Falls Steps Up, Downs Lc

Facing elimination from the chase for the league championship, preseason favorite Post Falls threw a log into what now promises to be a mad scramble the final two weeks.

Deflated by a loss the night before, the Trojans bounced back with 32 minutes of emotion to knock off the Lake City Timberwolves 67-62 in an Inland Empire League boys basketball game Saturday before 1,400 fans at Trojan Gym.

The win, coupled with Lewiston’s 51-36 win over Coeur d’Alene, forces a three-way logjam in first place. Post Falls raised its records to 3-2 in league and 13-3 overall, while the T-Wolves fell to 3-2, 9-6. Lewiston is also 3-2.

“It’s going to be a wild finish,” Post Falls coach Scott Moore said of league.

Wild also aptly describes the finish of the Trojans’ win. It was an entertaining game throughout as both teams played at a highly intense level.

Post Falls led most of the game after a hard-fought first quarter that ended deadlocked at 10.

But the Trojans could never pull away from the T-Wolves. Post Falls never led by more than eight points.

The Trojans made 7 of 9 free throws in the final 2:18 to stave off the T-Wolves, who upended the Trojans in a league opener earlier this month, 55-47.

The free throws were especially critical after Lake City had trimmed a 50-42 lead earlier in the fourth quarter to 58-56. Regan Wilson followed up a 3-pointer with a short jumper off a pass from Brian Russell to cut the Trojans’ lead to two with 3:18 remaining.

Wilson drove baseline to score again with :52 left to pull LC within three points at 63-60. But reserve Brett Hollenbeck, who hit two critical 3 pointers earlier in the quarter, made both ends of a one-and-one and Ryan Edmonds did likewise with 13 seconds remaining to secure the victory.

“These guys came fired up to play tonight. They weren’t real happy with the way they played last night,” Moore said, alluding to the Trojans’ 55-50 loss to Lewiston. “They came out with something to prove.”

The left-handed Hollenbeck drilled two 3-pointers within 45 seconds of each other midway through the final period that seemed to take some wind out of Lake City.

Edmonds took control in the second half from the point as he made four tough buckets driving off high-post screens from Darick Pope. Edmonds finished with a team-high 20 points.

LC coach Jim Winger praised the efforts of both teams.

“I thought we played well, I have nothing but praise for my kids,” Winger said. “I thought Post Falls did everything they had to do to win that game. They showed a lot of class. I thought we played hard, too. We just couldn’t get over the hump at the end.”

Russell played a gutty game, leading LC with 23 points. Wilson added 15.

Post Falls 67, Lake City 62 Lake City 10 16 16 20 - 62 Post Falls 10 21 15 21 - 67

LAKE CITY Thompson 4, Kelly 3, Russell 23, Wilson 15, Hoover 9, Miller 5, Shaw 0, Beadell 4, Keefer 0.

POST FALLS Roberts 5, Edmonds 20, Pope 7, Lee 12, McLean 7, Pichotta 4, Hollenbeck 8, Alexander 0, Cudmore 4.