Lake City Foils Cda’S Plans Timberwolves Utilize Fast Start To Claim Regional Boys Opener

Coeur d’Alene’s plan was to slo-o-w-w-w the game dow-w-n-n-n.

But that’s hard to do when you’re trailing by six points in the first 90 seconds and by 11 midway through the first quarter.

Top-seeded Lake City dominated from the tipoff and crushed the sixth-seeded Vikings 71-34 in an A-1 Region I boys basketball tournament opener Tuesday at Lake City.

“When we’ve started out well, we’ve sure played well,” LC coach Jim Winger said. “This works out good for us because the other guys have to beat their heads against each other Thursday and we get to relax and prepare for Friday.”

In other openers, No. 2 Moscow beat No. 5 Post Falls 66-47 and No. 3 Sandpoint edged No. 4 Lewiston 60-52 in overtime.

CdA (4-17) will play a loser-out game at Post Falls (8-13) and Sandpoint (13-8) visits Moscow (13-8) in the winners bracket. Both games start at 7 on Thursday.

Lake City (14-7) will entertain the Sandpoint-Moscow winner Friday at 7. Lewiston (11-10) awaits the CdAPost Falls winner Friday in Lewiston.

Tuesday, the Timberwolves foiled CdA’s strategy with their quick start. Justin Nipp had four buckets in the first 5 minutes, and Connor Quinn and Jeff Schuh shared 10 points as LC took a 20-5 lead after one period.

“Our game plan was to hold the ball, be real patient and keep the ball out of their hands,” Vikings coach Larry Bieber said. “We couldn’t really do that when they’ve got that kind of lead. You can’t sit on the ball when you’re down 20.”

The Vikings were down 21, to be precise, at halftime. LC’s impressive depth was tested by the absences of Sam Stroh and Richard Novotny, who were ill. Reserves came up with 11 of 13 second-quarter points. Tom Dennis, another T-Wolf battling sickness, had four of his eight points, and backups Jack Reiswig, Chad Bramlet and Daryl Wilder also contributed.

The Timberwolves kept coming in waves - four players reached double figures and four others scored between five and nine points - as their lead grew in the second half.

“I didn’t think we let down,” said Winger, who attributed his team’s fast start to the LC-CdA rivalry. “I think the kids felt like the score should have been a little worse (56-43) in the last one (Thursday).

“I’m not really sure why but the kids were sure fired up in the locker room before the game.”

CdA, too, was short-handed. Starting guard Jason Rupp (ankle) and Alex Keil (toe) didn’t play. Freshman Zach Simon stepped in at point guard and performed well, scoring CdA’s first three points.

“I put him in a heck of a spot, but he’s a pretty heady kid,” Bieber said. “Like he told me tonight, `It’s a little different up here.”’ Bieber said it’s doubtful Rupp or Keil will be ready for Thursday.

LC scored the first 14 points in the second half and led by as many as 37.

Wilder had 12 points, Quinn 11 and Nipp and Schuh each had 10. Nipp owned the paint, pulling down eight rebounds.

“When he’s fully intense he can play like that,” Winger said.

The Vikings, who made just 12 of 43 shots, were led by Jeff Rupp’s eight points and Nathan Schmidt’s seven.

Lake City 71, CdA 34

Coeur d’Alene 5 7 8 14 - 34

Lake City 20 13 18 20 - 71

Coeur d’Alene (4-17) - Simon 2 1-2 5, Chambers 0 0-1 0, Je. Rupp 2 3-5 8, Schmidt 3 1-1 7, Alderman 1 0-0 2, Sather 2 2-2 6, Goodwin 0 0-0 0, Whiteman 0 1-3 1, Duplessis 0 0-0 0, Findley 0 0-2 0, Gittel 0 0-0 0, Batchelder 1 0-0 3, Wolfe 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 8-16 34.

Lake City (14-7) - Barlow 2 0-0 5, Schuh 4 2-2 10, Lenz 0 0-2 0, Nipp 5 0-1 10, Quinn 4 1-2 11, Reiswig 2 2-2 6, Dennis 4 0-0 8, Bramlet 3 2-3 9, Wilder 4 3-4 12, Keefer 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 10-16 71.

3-point goals - Je. Rupp, Batchelder, Barlow, Quinn 2, Bramlet, Wilder. Total fouls - Coeur d’Alene 16, Lake City 15. Fouled out - none. Technicals - none.

Moscow 66, Post Falls 47

Adam Busch, Darnell Williams and Drew Burton combined to hit 12 of 16 from the floor as the second-seeded Bears opened with a home win over the No. 5 Trojans.

Moscow pulled away in the second half, when it shot 12 of 15 from the floor and 13 of 15 from the line. The Bears finished 19 of 30 (63 percent) from the floor.

The Trojans’ Eli Thornley hit 7 of 10 from the floor, but season scoring leader Scott Klaudt (18.2 ppg) was 4 of 18 from the floor.

Post Falls 12 12 12 11 - 47

Moscow 9 16 21 20 - 66

Post Falls (8-13) - Johnson 0 0-0 0, Hutchinson 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 2-2 2, Klaudt 4 5-7 14, McKinnon 3 0-0 6, Garrett 0 0-0 0, Miller 1 0-0 2, Richards 0 0-0 0, Dreckman 2 0-0 4, Adams 1 0-1 2, Thornley 7 3-8 17. Totals 18 10-18 47.

Moscow (13-8) - Garrett 2 0-0 4, Brown 0 0-0 0, Walker 2 3-4 7, Busch 5 2-2 14, Comstock 0 8-8 8, Shupe 1 4-7 6, Johnson 1 2-2 4, Williams 3 4-4 12, Richards 1 0-0 3, Lee 0 0-0 0, Gilmore 0 0-0 0, Pittman 0 0-0 0, Burton 4 0-1 8. Totals 19 23-28 66.

3-point goals - Klaudt, Busch 2, Williams 2, Richards. Total fouls - Post Falls 21, Moscow 18. Fouled out - Miller. Technicals - None.

INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE

St. Maries 52, Kellogg 28

Trent Duffey had nine assists, five steals and five rebounds as the Lumberjacks defeated the visiting Wildcats to earn a chance at tying Kellogg for the league title.

Derick Driggs added 14 rebounds and Caleb Krebs shot 6 of 11 from the floor for St. Maries. The Lumberjacks must defeat Lakeland on Thursday to tie for the league title. Kellogg and St. Maries have secured opening-round byes to the A-2 District I tournament.

Kellogg’s Wayne Blalack hit four 3-pointers in the second half. Kellogg defeated St. Maries 63-49 earlier in the year.

Kellogg 2 5 9 12 - 28

St. Maries 15 10 11 16 - 52

Kellogg (16-3, 8-2) - Morden 0, Smith 1, Blalack 14, Wise 0, Oertli 0, Mangum 0, Marek 2, Harris 0, Neff 6, Mann 1, Absec 2, Bircher 2.

St. Maries (14-5, 7-2) - Duffey 0, Hanson 0, Grieser 1, Eberlin 8, Krebs 14, Driggs 10, Harvey 0, Raebel 6, Stevenson 13.

Lakeland 76, Timberlake 58

Harrison Bertsch scored 24, hitting 12 of 15 from the floor, as the Hawks defeated the Tigers at Rathdrum in a tune-up to the district tournament.

Jared Mudge added 7-of-8 shooting from the field and four steals, and Ryan Hansen had nine rebounds for Lakeland. The Hawks finished 37 of 58 (64 percent) from the floor.

The same teams will open district on Saturday night, also at No.4 Lakeland, in a loser-out game. Timberlake is the No. 5 seed.

Timberlake 17 15 14 12 - 58

Lakeland 17 20 16 23 - 76

Timberlake (10-8, 2-8) - Smith 0, Yoshitake 1, Puckett 26, Rouse 0, Cypher 10, Coleman 2, Baker 3, Craviotto 0, Holderman 11, Russell 0, Yarbrough 5.

Lakeland (5-12, 4-5) - Bertsch 24, Gorton 0, Finley 3, McMillen 7, Stanford 0, Skidmore 17, Hansen 6, M. Banks 0, S. Banks 4, Davis 0, Keeler 0, Mudge 15.