Lc Boys Hitting Stride At Right Time

Lake City High boys basketball coach Jim Winger isn’t looking past his team’s next game - Friday at home against co-Border League leader Cheney.

So we’ll do it for him.

About this time two years ago, Coeur d’Alene was in the midst of putting together what would be something special. The Vikings were in hot pursuit of a league title.

It was the biggest catch a little over a month later, though, that would be the best of all. Coeur d’Alene won its final nine games, finishing 22-4 overall and capturing the State A-1 title.

Could Lake City (13-2 overall, 11-2 league), riding a 10-game winning streak, be on its way to similar accomplishments?

The 1997-98 Vikings were a post-heavy team. This year’s Timberwolves are guard- and wing-dominated.

Some people believe that LC’s first-half effort in last Friday’s 73-61 win over unbeaten West Valley was the best any of Winger’s teams has ever played.

“That was about as sweet a half of basketball as I’ve seen of my teams,” Winger said. “And we’ve had some good teams.”

The hot-shooting Timberwolves followed that up Saturday by making 8 of 10 3-pointers in the first half against Clarkston.

Through 16 games, LC is shooting 42 percent. The T-Wolves have shot 50 percent or better in the last six games, elevating a percentage that had dipped into the low 30s after back-to-back losses in early December to Cheney (33-30) and WV (56-41).

Cheney (14-1, 12-1) and LC set basketball back a few years in their first league encounter. Winger shouldered the blame for his team’s poor play.

“We made some adjustments, but they weren’t the right ones,” Winger said about attacking Cheney’s 2-3 zone. “We’ll be much more prepared Friday. (In the first game) we didn’t have kids in the right spot. But we also missed 32 wide-open shots - from 2 feet to 19 feet.

“We’re not playing anything like we did at the start of the year.”

LC can clinch the top seed to the regional tournament with a win Friday. The T-Wolves have a three-game lead and the tiebreaker edge over Moscow (8-5, 7-5), the next closest Inland Empire League team.

Inland Empire League girls teams conclude regular-season play this weekend.

If the second matchup is anything like the first then Viking Gym is where folks will want to be tonight when Lake City (8-10, 7-9) takes on Border League champ Coeur d’Alene (17-1, 16-0).

CdA held off LC 45-41 when the teams met in the first game of the Fight for the Fish doubleheader.

The Viks and Moscow (13-5, 12-4) have secured first-round byes for the A-1 Region I tourney, which begins Tuesday.

In loser-out games Tuesday, sixth seed Sandpoint (1-17, 0-16) travels to No. 3 Post Falls (12-6, 11-6) and Lewiston (8-11, 7-10) and Lake City meet. Where the fourth and fifth seeds play could be determined tonight.

Lewiston can secure the all-important fourth seed with an LC loss tonight or a win Saturday at home against Clarkston.

If LC and Lewiston finish in a tie, Lewiston will play host to the game based on tiebreaking criteria. Colville, third in the league standings, beat LC twice but lost twice to Lewiston.

Intermountain League and North Star League girls play one more week before beginning their district tourneys.

The annual Prairie Pig doubleheader - featuring non-league Rathdrum Prairie boys and girls rivals Post Falls and Lakeland - will be held tonight at Post Falls.

The girls tip off at 6, followed by the boy at about 8.

The girls game could be the best of the two. Undefeated Lakeland (15-0), which secured the Intermountain League title last week, figures to get all it can handle from Post Falls (12-6).

Trojans coach resigns

Post Falls wrestling coach Dennis Amende told his team last week that he’s resigning at season’s end.

Amende will continue as an assistant coach in football and track.

“It’s the right time,” said Amende, who’s in his 10th year as head coach. “I want to spend more time with my family. The program is in good shape and there will be good kids coming back. I’ll miss the kids, but I’m not going to miss being a head coach.”

Amende has coached five state champions and 20 state placers.

“We’ve made some strides,” Amende said. “With a new school opening up, this is the right time for a change.”

Mullan 49, North Idaho Christian 47

Adina Winstead scored 14 points, including the game-winning free throws, as the Tigers slipped past the Royals.

Winstead made 8 of 12 free throws and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Teammate Lindsey Hegbloom scored eight points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12.

North Idaho Christian 13 17 11 6 - 47

Mullan 10 8 15 16 - 49

North Idaho Christian - Nicholson 6, Marsh 8, Dowers 2, Link 20, Sperel 11.

Mullan (3-15) - Sala 2, Hegbloom 12, Alexander 8, Winstead 14, Autio 10, Davidson 0, Auger 0, Chisholm 0, Lane 3.