Post Falls uses balanced scoring to eliminate Moscow in 4A regional

Dave Stockwell will take four players scoring in double figures and combining for 59 points over a single player going off for a career-high 45 any night.

Even if the player having the career night is his son.

The Post Falls High boys basketball coach received contributions in many forms from all 10 players as the Trojans pulled away from Moscow 73-61 in a 4A Region I tournament loser-out game Tuesday at The Arena in Post Falls.

Post Falls (15-8) remained alive for a state berth. The Trojans travel to Craigmont on Saturday to face the still-to-be-decided District III third-place team with a state berth going to the winner. Tipoff is at 1:30.

Scott Stockwell scored 45 points last Friday in the regional title game, but it wasn’t enough as Sandpoint captured its first berth to state in 27 years with a rousing 71-63 win in overtime.

Dave Stockwell liked his team’s response Tuesday.

“That’s the type of game I like best,” he said. “It was wonderful for Scott to have a monster game (Friday), but not to the detriment of the team. Some kids stepped up tonight all the way around. And the guys we brought off the bench contributed.”

The Trojans enjoyed their usual quick start, jumping out to a 12-5 lead. They stretched the lead to 31-18 when Stockwell hit a 3-pointer at the 3:32 mark of the second quarter.

But the Bears answered with their lone offensive push of the game, reeling off 10 straight points to pull within 31-28 with 1:57 to go before halftime.

The Bears couldn’t take advantage of an opportunity when Scott Stockwell was called for his fourth foul with 3 seconds left in the third period.

Stockwell, who still managed to tie teammate Brandon Haas for scoring honors with 18 points, went to the bench until his dad put him back in with 4:56 remaining. He finished with six assists and four steals. Haas added six rebounds to go with his 18 points. K.C. Billetz had 11 points and six rebounds, Kyle Turpin had 10 points and six rebounds and Dienes chipped in 10 points off the bench.

“Our guys stepped up and continued to take it to them,” Scott Stockwell said. “Overall, we moved the ball around well tonight. They had no real answer for us.”

Post Falls took control early in the second half, and Moscow (16-7) never recovered. A 3-pointer by reserve guard Zach Dienes extended the Trojans’ lead to 53-37 with 1:26 left in the third period.

The Bears got within 10 points twice in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t make a serious run.

Post Falls is taking a familiar route to state. The Trojans will play in the play-in game for a fifth consecutive year. They’re 2-2 in those games.

“We’ve done it all four years I’ve been here,” Scott Stockwell said.

Dave Stockwell is more concerned about his team, than which team it plays Saturday.

“If we do what we do well, we’ll be fine,” he said. “We did our stuff and didn’t worry about what Moscow was doing. We worried too much about Sandpoint the other night and that took us out of our stuff.”

Moscow coach Lance Hansen took a club with just one player back with any varsity experience and got the Bears to overachieve. The Bears opened the season with 11 straight wins.

“When we started the season, I don’t think anybody had a lot of expectations for us,” Hansen said. “We lost seven seniors (from the year before). Our kids accomplished a lot of things.”

Paul Wimer scored 15 and Jake LeFors added 14 points to pace Moscow.