A Logjam For Iel Squads

Talk about balance.

The Inland Empire’s boys basketball teams are in a logjam in the Border League.

It’s seemingly a carbon copy of the Border girls.

In early January, it was predicted here that the top-seeded North Idaho team could finish with six losses.

Two teams have five losses (Lake City and Sandpoint) and two teams (Moscow and Lewiston) have six.

At this point, five losses captures the top seed. And one of the teams currently possessing five defeats won’t finish there because LC and Sandpoint meet Tuesday at Sandpoint in a big showdown.

But an even bigger game looms before then - at least as far as Lake City coach Jim Winger is concerned.

LC can bounce Lewiston out of the chase for homecourt advantage throughout the regional tourney when the teams collide Saturday at LC.

“The biggest game of the year for us,” Winger said matter-offactly. “If we win, we’re in the driver’s seat.”

If a team with six losses nabs the top seeding, you can knock Moscow out of the running.

And Moscow is probably playing the best ball of all North Idaho teams at the moment.

The Bears handled visiting LC 61-51 on Saturday and held off visiting Lewiston 40-33 on Monday.

But early losses have come back to haunt Moscow. If Moscow finishes in a tie with another IEL team, the Bears lose on tie-breaking criteria because they were swept by the two teams leading the conference, West Valley and East Valley.

LC is leading the cozy pack at 10-5. Sandpoint is next at 9-5, followed by Moscow (10-6) and Lewiston (8-6).

Here’s a possible scenario, with much weight given to where the remaining games will be played.

LC will likely finish 12-6 - with a win over Lewiston, a loss at Sandpoint and breather over Coeur d’Alene.

Sandpoint will likely finish 12-6 - a win at Post Falls, a victory over LC, a win at home over Moscow and a loss at Lewiston.

Moscow will likely finish 11-7 - a loss at Sandpoint and a win against Post Falls.

Lewiston will likely finish 11-7 - a win over CdA, a loss at LC and home wins over Post Falls and Sandpoint.

If that occurs, the top seed will come down to the last tie-breaking criterion - a coin flip between LC and Sandpoint. Both teams split or swept the same opponents.

So count Tuesday’s showdown between LC and Sandpoint as critical.

“It’s February, which means everything probably won’t finish according to form,” Winger warned.

Flight problems

West Valley’s Eagles apparently have trouble flying on this side of the state line.

The preseason favorite Eagles have struggled on the road in North Idaho in the Border League’s brief existence.

Last year, the Eagles went 0-5 in the Panhandle. The Eagles’ three losses this season have come on the road - at Sandpoint (72-68 in overtime), at Lewiston (60-57) and at LC (77-57).

WV got its first victory in North Idaho earlier at Moscow (70-58). The Eagles (2-9 in the Gem State) doubled their wins across the Border last Saturday, but had to hold off Post Falls (64-62) to do so.

Milestone for Gonzaga Prep

Gonzaga Prep wrestlers last week reached another milestone.

They finished the Greater Spokane League dual season undefeated and won outright possession of the league championship.

It was the crowning achievement of a remarkable four years.

“Every year, it seems we come up accomplishing some new goal,” said coach Phil McLean. “That’s a first for the school.”

Several wrestlers, including returning sixth-place state placers Kyle Gleason and Sean Malone, have been there every step of the journey.

Malone and Gleason are the remnants of McLean’s first kids program years ago. Others, said McLean, did not begin wrestling until high school.