Trojans Hold Off Viks In Defensive Struggle

Prep basketball

The Post Falls High girls basketball team threw a new defensive wrinkle at Coeur d’Alene.

The Trojans used an extended 2-3 zone that paralyzed the offensively challenged Vikings as Post Falls won the battle of defenses 33-27 in an entertaining Border League game Thursday at Viking Gym.

The teams combined for 56 turnovers. But the mistakes weren’t a result of ratty play by any means.

Post Falls’ zone held CdA to two points in the third quarter, allowing the Trojans to build their biggest lead at 28-18.

It was sticky man-to-man defense in the fourth quarter that allowed the Vikings to stay close until the end.

If CdA coach Bill Pratt had known that the Viks would hold the Johnson sisters (Desiree and Aubree) to a combined 16 points and watch the Trojans not make a basket in the final 8 minutes, he would have liked his team’s chances.

And, as it turned out, he did.

“They’re a great team,” Pratt said of the Trojans. “Everybody expected them to go through us. We’re a team that’s in development. When you play a team like that within basically a four- or five-point margin down the stretch, that was a great effort - especially defensively.”

It was CdA’s first league loss (3-1). The Viks slipped to 3-3 overall. Post Falls improved to 4-1 in league and overall.

Post Falls coach Chris Johnson was elated with a defensive effort that forced many of CdA’s 32 turnovers. But he bemoaned his team’s conversion rate.

“We did a really poor job of converting (the turnovers) into points,” Johnson said. “We worked real hard to get a steal then we’d go down and turn it over. But we were being aggressive and it’s hard to tell a kid who worked hard to get a steal not to be aggressive.”

Part of the Trojans’ offensive problems must be credited to the Vikings. Post Falls committed 24 turnovers.

The Vikings were especially tough defending Trojans senior post Desiree Johnson, who made just one basket and finished with six points.

“They did a great job collapsing on me,” said Desiree Johnson, whose sister scored a game-high 10 points. “They were real physical.”

Said Johnson, the coach: “We couldn’t even get the ball above our waists when we did get it inside. They played very tenacious man defense. We learned some great lessons, and next time we’ll do better.”

The Trojans plan to use the extended zone again when the teams meet in a rematch in two weeks. But they know CdA will make adjustments.

“Coeur d’Alene runs its offensive sets about as well as anybody I’ve ever seen,” Chris Johnson said. “We were trying to do something to make them do things that they haven’t practiced.”

What made Post Falls’ zone even more difficult to attack is the size and wingspan of most of the Trojans and their overall athletic ability.

Pratt said the Viks have played solid defense the past three games.

“That was our best effort just because of the elevation of the competition,” Pratt said.

Offensively, though, the Viks have much work to do.

No CdA player reached double-figure scoring. Dani McGee and Dani Bielec led with seven points each.

Post Falls 33, Coeur d’Alene 27

Post Falls 12 11 5 5 - 33

Coeur d’Alene 10 8 2 7 - 27

Post Falls (4-1, 4-1) - Kane 1 2-4 4, Stockwell 1 0-0 2, Ridenour 2 3-3 8, Reaves 1 0-0 3, Clutter 0 0-0 0, Hudec 0 0-0 0, A. Johnson 5 0-0 10, D. Johnson 1 4-6 6, Young 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 9-13 33.

Coeur d’Alene (3-3, 3-1) - Stranger 0 0-0 0, Bremer 0 0-0 0, Sharbono 0 0-2 0, Hail 1 0-0 2, McGee 3 1-2 7, Hauck 1 1-2 3, Bielec 2 2-2 7, Curtis 3 0-0 6, Pearson 0 0-0 0, Duplesis 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 4-6 27.

3-point goals - Ridenour, Reaves, Bielec. Total fouls - Post Falls 10, Coeur d’Alene 14. Fouled out - none. Technicals - none.

Non-league

Lakeland 50, Sandpoint 33

Sarah Hansen finished with 12 rebounds and the Hawks defeated the visiting Bulldogs at Rathrdum.

Lindsay VonBehren added five assists and Jessica Austad four steals for Lakeland.

Lakeland 15 17 9 9 - 50

Sandpoint 5 11 9 8 - 33

Lakeland (3-0) - Jamison 6, Hansen 8, VonBehren 8, Kiefer 6, Douglas 3, Harwood 3, Curran 1, Bertsch 2, DesMarais 10, Austad 3.

Sandpoint (1-5) - Gaston 5, Keller 10, Gates 4, Lane 4, Rinaldi 2, Dyck 4, Brown 3, Reina 1.

Priest River 61, Clark Fork 34

The Spartans piled up 23 steals to run away from the visiting Wampus Cats.

PR’s Holly Jepson hit 3 of 5 field goals and 3 of 3 free throws.

Priest River 11 14 20 16 - 61

Clark Fork 6 6 10 12 - 34

Priest River (1-0) - Troudt 5, Jepson 9, Oscarson 9, K. Yount 5, Mack 4, N. Yount 9, Turner 15, Rasmussen 2, Naccarato 3.

Clark Fork (2-3) - Rounsville 4, Worcester 9, McDaniel 3, Kiebert 15, Scofield 1, Hurt 2.

Wallace 48, Lakeside 23

Rachelle Zent scored 17 and the visiting Miners improved to 7-0 by knocking off the Knights at Plummer.

Jackie Johnson had six rebounds and Kaela Moore four steals for Lakeside.

Wallace 12 12 11 13 - 48

Lakeside 2 7 4 10 - 23

Wallace (7-0) - Clark 2, Connor 2, Zent 17, Branstetter 6, Lavigne 10, Crum 2, Lee 9.

Lakeside (1-5) - Peregrina 4, Moore 10, Torres 3, George 3, Er. Anderson 3.

Boys

Springdale 82, Lakeside 71

Garrett Roll totaled 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chargers over the visiting Knights.

Caleb Swearngin added 20 points for Springdale, and Joey McClure and Jim Banks had five assists apiece. Lakeland had an 8-0 run in the first quarter, but the Chargers responded with runs of 13-1 and 9-0 in the first half.

Springdale 17 22 20 23 - 82

Lakeside (Plummer) 16 13 15 27 - 71

Springdale (2-0, 0-0) - Swearngin 20, McClure 10, Roll 24, Banks 6, Norman 15, Adolph 7 . Totals: 82 . Lakeside (Plummer) (1-1, 0-0) - Hendrickx 11, Trottier 17, Matt 11, Schulz 3, Johnson 13, Pluff 9, Morrell 5, Hodgson 2.