Border Girls Race Becoming Easier To Comprehend

Although there’s still a tie at the top, some unscrambling occurred in the Border League girls basketball standings last week.

Coeur d’Alene and Moscow are deadlocked at 11-3 heading into games this week.

CdA recorded its second win over defending league champ Lake City and Moscow reversed an earlier loss to East Valley.

Post Falls (10-4) dropped a game back with a loss at Cheney. While not mathematically eliminated from the title chase, LC (9-5) will need plenty of help.

With two weeks left in the regular season for North Idaho teams, here’s a look at the final matchups:

CdA: at Cheney Friday; vs. East Valley Saturday; vs. Moscow Jan. 29; at Clarkston Jan. 30.

Moscow: at Sandpoint Friday; vs. Post Falls Saturday; at Lewiston Tuesday; at CdA Jan. 29.

Post Falls: at EV tonight; at Moscow Saturday; vs. Clarkston Jan. 29; vs West Valley Jan. 30.

LC: vs. Clarkston Friday; vs. WV Saturday; vs. Sandpoint Tuesday; at Lewiston Jan. 29.

Lurking in the background are EV (5-4) and Cheney (5-5), whose seasons began two weeks later and conclude two weeks later than North Idaho teams.

The two key games for Panhandle teams are on Saturday, when Post Falls goes to Moscow, and the Jan. 29 regular-season finale featuring Moscow at CdA.

The league title probably won’t be decided until the final game between Moscow and CdA. In the first league game between the teams, the Viks, playing without point guard Patti Stranger (broken hand), fell 53-39.

The battle for the top seeding among Panhandle boys teams in the Border League expanded to five teams last week when Sandpoint upset visiting West Valley 72-68 in overtime.

There’s still much to decide among Lewiston (7-3), Lake City (8-4), Sandpoint (6-5) and Moscow (6-6).

Three games highlight the schedule this week. Tonight, Border co-leader West Valley (8-1) is at Lewiston. Saturday, Lewiston goes to Sandpoint and WV is at LC.

In North Star League basketball Friday, Clark Fork’s boys and girls visit Falls Christian of Post Falls for the first time this season. The boys tip off at 6:15, followed by the girls at 8.

The boys and girls teams from both schools were picked to earn the league’s two state berths. The doubleheader will give fans a look at which teams will take the first step toward league titles.

The teams meet again in a doubleheader Feb. 2 at Clark Fork, which should be a preliminary to district finals featuring the teams.

The Prairie Pig doubleheader - the annual spirit competition featuring the boys and girls of Rathdrum Prairie rivals Post Falls and Lakeland - is Tuesday at Post Falls.

The girls play at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 8.

Strange goings on

It appears Intermountain League boys basketball will be tighter than first expected.

St. Maries, tabbed to win the league title, opened with an overtime victory over Bonners Ferry, which turned around and lost to first-year Timberlake.

Last weekend, Bonners Ferry rebounded to thump Kellogg 62-38. And 24 hours later, Kellogg shocked St. Maries 63-49.

Janelle Ruen of Post Falls broke the school’s career scoring record Saturday with 21 points in a 51-46 loss at Cheney.

Ruen pushed her career total to 1,167, eclipsing the record held by Heidi Umthun (1,154).

This ‘n that

The Border League marriage of North Idaho’s Inland Empire and Eastern Washington’s Frontier leagues in basketball and, next fall, football, will include a volleyball conference as well.

The 10 teams will play each other once. Final standings will determine postseason seeding.

Just as soon as it was noted last week that the Borah girls basketball team was undefeated through 17 games, an upset occurred, followed by another upset.

Centennial, peaking late as Patriots coach Emery Roy’s teams are wont to do, knocked off Borah 56-34. Then Boise upended Borah 43-36 on Tuesday.

It’s either a wake-up call for Borah, favored to capture the State A-1 title, or it could be a sign that the state tourney will be wide-open.

A move to add baseball and softball at Kellogg has been postponed for a year. Kellogg is the only Intermountain League school that does not field baseball and softball teams.

The Kellogg school board approved a plan to begin the programs in 2000, but will not provide district funds for the sports. Private fund-raising efforts fell short of what’s needed to cover costs this year, but supporters expect funds will be in place a year from now.

In a wrestling match tonight, Coeur d’Alene visits Lake City with the winning team taking home the Ron TerHark trophy.

TerHark founded the wrestling program at CdA in 1967. The match begins at about 6.