Lake City Girls Earn A Trip To State Timberwolves Overcome Sandpoint 52-48; Post Falls Stays Alive

Perfect timing is how Lake City High School girls basketball coach Dave Stockwell sees it.

In the first round of the A-1 Region I Tournament last week, Stockwell’s Timberwolves staged an incredible comeback in the final 3 minutes to knock off Lewiston.

In the regional championship game Monday, the Timberwolves staved off a last-minute comeback to earn the right to defend their state championship.

Winless in both Inland Empire League games against Sandpoint, Lake City fought off some late adversity to capture a second straight regional title, 52-48, before 900 fans at Bulldog Gym.

The Timberwolves (13-7) advance to state Feb. 8-10 at College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. Their first- round opponent will be determined later in the week.

Sandpoint (16-3) will meet Post Falls (13-10) in a loser-out game Wednesday night at 7 in Bulldog Gym to see which team will advance to a playoff for a state berth on Saturday.

In a game of regional-championship intensity prior to the featured contest, Post Falls eliminated Lewiston 57-55. Lewiston ends it season at 10-10.

Lake City 52, Sandpoint 48

On the same play with 2:50 remaining and his team ahead 50-43, Stockwell lost his top two players - point guard Katie Hatrock and wing Lindsay Herbert - to a sprained ankle and fouls.

Hatrock had to be carried from the court. Following a short delay, Sandpoint’s Tanya Allmaras made both free throws to tighten LC’s lead to 50-45.

“That was not in the game plan to lose both ballhandlers in one whack,” Stockwell said, smiling. “The kids just pulled together.”

Alli Nieman made the front end of a 1-and-1 12 seconds later, then rebounded her own missed 3-point attempt and made an 8-foot turnaround jumper in the key to pull the Bulldogs within two at 50-48 at the 1:48 mark.

Even with its best ballhandlers on the bench, LC spread the court and took 1:24 off the clock. The Bulldogs had to foul three times to eventually put LC in the bonus.

LC’s Laura Tolzmann was fouled with 23 seconds left. After a Sandpoint timeout, she swished both foul shots to secure the victory.

The T-Wolves survived two 3-point attempts and two missed foul shots by Sandpoint in the final 15 seconds.

LC, which fell to Sandpoint 53-46 and 60-58 during league, took control in the second quarter. A rebound basket by Nieman gave Sandpoint its final lead in the period at 16-15 with 4:05 before halftime.

Herbert completed a three-point play when she drove baseline and was fouled by Nieman. That sparked LC to a 15-1 run as the T-Wolves went up 30-17 at intermission.

Lake City 7 23 12 10 - 52

Sandpoint 10 7 14 17 - 48

LAKE CITY Jacobson 5, Hatrock 9, Tolzmann 12, Telford 0, Stetson 3, M. Asher 0, Herbert 11, Dodge 2, A. Asher 10. SANDPOINT Timblin 4, Verby 6, Ward 2, Allmaras 6, Nieman 28.

Post Falls 57, Lewiston 55

A tenth of a second, perhaps less, was the difference in the Trojans’ thrilling victory.

A putback by Lewiston’s Laura Bloom as the horn sounded was disallowed. Post Falls guard Lyndsy Klaudt hit what would prove to be the game-winning basket, a 9-foot jumper with 39 seconds left.

“That was the best game of her career,” Post Falls coach Chris Johnson said of Klaudt, who finished with 10 points. “She normally doesn’t look for the shot. She earned a little respect tonight.”

Post Falls 13 21 8 15 - 57

Lewiston 16 15 15 9 - 55

POST FALLS Umthun 24, Ruen 14, Klaudt 10, Waltz 8, Thomson 1, Beatty 0, Glaser 0. LEWISTON Roberts 3, Cain 0, Gomez 13, Cushman 4, McEachern 27, Bloom 6, Martin 2.

District I A-4: Mullan 44, Kootenai 43

Led by Katie Elwood and Trudi Flood, the Tigers (3-15) knocked off the Warriors (8-10) in Harrison to advance to a 6 p.m. Wednesday date against No. 1 seeded Lakeside (13-6) in Rathdrum.

Elwood had 12 points and Flood 10 for the Tigers.

Jamie Bornitz had 11 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots to lead Kootenai.

In the second game Wednesday, No. 2 Falls Christian (14-5) takes on No. 3 Clark Fork (9-10) at 7:30.

The winners advance to the district title game Friday.

It’s a single-elimination format for all but Lakeside. By virtue of winning the North Star League title, Lakeside must be defeated twice at district.

The district champion advances to state, Feb. 8-10 at Jerome High School near Twin Falls.

Mullan 10 12 14 8 - 44

Kootenai 15 9 10 9 - 43

MULLAN Renteria 5, Kr.Elwood 2, Reed 7, Noordam 2, Hegbloom 6, Ka.Elwood 12, Flood 10.

KOOTENAI Flint 8, Bornitz 11, Hunter 0, Goodson 6, L.Kraack 5, Ausman 4, Damiano 9, S.Kraack 0.

District I-II A-2 Tournament

The Intermountain League’s district tourney begins tonight with a pair of loser-out games at Post Falls.

No. 3 seed Priest River (10-8) takes on No. 6 Kellogg (7-13) at 6, followed by No. 4 Lakeland (3-14) meeting No. 5 St. Maries (6-13) at 7:30.

Bonners Ferry (13-6) takes on the Priest River-Kellogg winner at 6 p.m., followed by five-time league champion Moscow (18-1) meeting the Lakeland-St. Maries survivor Wednesday.

The district title game is Friday. The top two teams advance to state Feb. 8-10 at Wendell.

Game rescheduled

The Lewiston at Coeur d’Alene boys game, postponed because of weather Saturday, is tonight.

, DataTimes