T-Wolves Pull Together To Dispatch Post Falls

Post Falls High School boys basketball coach Scott Moore is right. There is a lot more to the Lake City Timberwolves than just Jon Chatfield.

Chatfield still managed to score a game-high 16 points, but it was the supporting cast that helped the Timberwolves trudge past the Trojans, 69-50, in an Inland Empire League opener for both teams Friday at Lake City.

Post Falls held Chatfield to 10 points below his average, and nearly all were hard earned.

Trojans wing Brett Hollenbeck was assigned to guard Chatfield, and Hollenbeck defended Chatfield so tight one wondered if he shared the same uniform.

A physical defense by Hollenbeck and the Trojans sent the Timberwolves (7-3) to the foul line 40 times. Chatfield made 10 of 13 from the foul line, and LC combined to make 27 overall, 16 of 24 in the second half.

“I thought he (Hollenbeck) did a great job on Chatfield,” Moore said. “They’ve got a lot of guys who can do the job for them.”

Indeed. Five Timberwolves scored seven or more points, including Scott Hoover, who finished with 14.

The game had a bizarre atmosphere from the opening tip. Perhaps some of it can be attributed to it being a conference opener and perhaps some of the blame could be assigned to the preliminary activities. The game started 30 minutes late.

“I thought we played very tight. I think with an all-senior team you should be obviously a little tight with a big crowd and the first league game,” LC coach Jim Winger said. “But once you break a sweat you should go for it a little bit. There was certainly never any flow to the game so I don’t think you could probably break a sweat. But I was semi-disappointed with that.”

A late 9-2 run in the second quarter and good zone defense by the Timberwolves in the third period helped LC open a comfortable lead, 48-30 going into the final quarter.

“You always treasure a win, especially in league, but it’s not one of the proudest moments of our lives,” Winger said, laughing. “The biggest positive was we played very good zone defense.”

Post Falls (4-5) struggled against the zone, shooting just 11 of 33 from the field in the second half. LC, meanwhile, made 11 of 19 shots from the field in the final two quarters.

The Trojans cut LC’s lead to 14 points less than 3 minutes into the final quarter. But the T-Wolves widened it to 20 in a strange 6-point possession.

Trojans post Austin Lee picked up his fifth foul and was called for a technical as he left the floor. Chatfield made both free throws as a result of the foul and Hoover made the two technical shots.

In the possession following the free throws, Mike Asper hit an 18-foot jumper that put LC ahead 54-34 with 5:27 left.

LC’s biggest lead came at 64-39 before Winger started substituting.

“I look at the score and it’s not indicative of the game,” Moore said. “I wouldn’t count us out of any game this year.”

Lake City 69, Post Falls 50

Post Falls 10 12 8 20 - 50

Lake City 14 15 19 21 - 69

POST FALLS Bechel 2, Alexander 0, Quesnell 15, McLean 2, Hollenbeck 12, Lee 4, O’Briant 0, Campbell 10, Shepherd 3, Juhlin 2, Therrian 0.

LAKE CITY Chatfield 16, Hoover 14, Thompson 4, Keefer 9, Beadell 8, Asper 8, Camantigue 7, Walker 0, Bryan 0, Everson 2, Bemis 1, Scharnhorst 0.

, DataTimes