Vikings Have Region Foes Playing Catch-Up Rupp’s 22 Points Lead Cda Past Lewiston, Into Title Game

Lewiston boys basketball coach Dick Richel is in a Catch-22.

Coeur d’Alene’s inside duo of Casey Hoorelbeke and Lukas O’Dowd blistered the Bengals’ defense two weeks ago in a Vikings’ win.

So Friday night, Richel’s club bottled up CdA’s inside game only to see point guard Jim Rupp, appropriately wearing No. 22, score 22 points in the Vikings’ 54-45 victory over the Bengals in the A-1 Region I Tournament.

“It’s kind of pick your poison,” Richel shrugged. “You can’t take away everything.”

No. 1-seeded CdA (18-4) took another step toward qualifying for state, but it has work to do. No. 2 Lewiston (17-5) entertains No. 3 Lake City tonight at 7 in a loser-out game.

That survivor returns to Viking Gym on Tuesday night to play for the regional title. As the tourney’s lone remaining unbeaten, the Vikings enjoy the luxury - if needed - of a second title game.

Lake City (12-10), boosted by Gabe Hern’s 20 points, remained alive by eliminating Post Falls 67-53. The Trojans finished 11-12.

Coeur d’Alene 54, Lewiston 45

Rupp was lethal throughout including toward his own team for a stretch in the third quarter.

His three 3-pointers lifted the Vikings to a 26-17 lead at half. But the Vikings left their intensity in the locker room as Lewiston pounded the offensive boards to trail 32-30 entering the fourth.

“We were like turtles that third quarter,” CdA coach Larry Bieber said. “He (Rupp) was part of the problem. When he gets in there and plays with too much emotion, sometimes it’s like spanking a little kid, you’ve got to get him out and let him watch the game for a while.

“We’ve done that with him all year long, but he answered the call when we put him back in.”

Clinging to a 37-34 lead, the Vikings were sharp in the last 5 minutes. Rupp’s jumper and layup pushed CdA in front by 7. He added another jumper and a free throw as the Viks maintained a 48-42 lead.

Carl Holmes’ trey trimmed the deficit to 48-45.

CdA senior David Wood, capping a steady performance, hit two free throws and Rupp added two foul shots and a layup to clinch the win.

“I wasn’t getting nervous because I knew we’d pull together,” said Rupp, who curiously wears one sock just below his knee and the other barely above his ankle. Why? Superstition. He did it in Wednesday’s win over Post Falls and scored 16 points in the final quarter.

The Bengals misfired from the perimeter, finishing 17 of 56 from the floor. Jason Eck scored 18 points, despite shooting 8 for 22.

“We usually flourish against a zone, but these guys are a little taller,” Richel said.

Hoorelbeke and O’Dowd combined for 12 points, 20 below their total in the win over Lewiston on Feb. 6.

“We beat a very good team,” Bieber said. “Whoever we play Tuesday it’s going to be a battle.”

Coeur d’ALene 54, Lewiston 45

Lewiston 9 8 13 15 - 45

Coeur d’Alene 13 13 6 22 - 54

LEWISTON - Pierce 3, Egland 12, Eck 18, Johnson 4, Klamper 5, Holmes 3.

COEUR d’ALENE - Jim Rupp 22, Hoorelbeke 9, O’Dowd 3, Wood 10, DeArmond 3, Chambers 2, Sigler 3, Jeff Rupp 2.

Lake City 67, Post Falls 53

Lake City buried the mistake-prone Trojans with an 18-0 run spanning portions of the first and second quarters.

The Timberwolves, paced by Gabe Hern’s 20 points and significant bench contributions from J.J. Barlow (11 points) and Griffin Rod (10), led 41-17 two minutes into the third quarter.

“We played great defense in the first half,” LC coach Jim Winger said. “Our bench really helped. You’ve got to have more than five guys when you play three regional games in one week.”

At one point, Post Falls had 11 turnovers and 11 field-goal attempts.

But the Trojans cut LC’s lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter. Barlow’s tip-in and jumper keyed a 9-3 spurt that pushed LC’s lead to 16.

“We were getting humiliated and we fought back within 10,” Trojans coach Wade Quesnell said. “My kids showed a lot of character all year.”

Post Falls 8 9 18 18 - 53

Lake City 17 15 20 15 - 67

POST FALLS - Quesnell 14, Fehling 4, Miller 7, Thornley 3, Klaudt 6, Leary 6, Christiansen 3, McArthur 4, Therrian 3, McKinnon 3.

LAKE CITY - Lenz 3, Hern 20, Cheeley 10, Nipp 4, Schuh 2, Reiswig 3, Barlow 11, Rod 10, Stroh 2, Thiringer 2.

, DataTimes