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Post Falls, Sandpoint off to state

By Greg Lee gregl@spokesman.com(509) 844-8168

The Inland Empire League will be well-represented at the state boys basketball tournaments this week in the Nampa area.

For one of the IEL teams it will be a new experience, however.

Sandpoint captured its first state berth in 27 years, ending the longest drought among the state’s largest schools.

Sandpoint, the 4A Region I champ, will be joined by Post Falls, which earned a berth with a 67-54 win over Nampa in a play-in game Saturday.

Here’s a look at the fields for the five state tourneys as final seeds were decided Saturday statewide:

4A: Post Falls and Sandpoint open play Thursday at Albertson College in Caldwell. Post Falls (16-8) will meet District IV-V champ Century in the tourney’s first game at 12:15 PST.

In the final of the four openers, Sandpoint (14-8) will take on District III runner-up Skyview (20-3) at 7. Until upset by Bishop Kelly in the district final, Skyview figured to be the tourney’s prohibitive favorite.

In other openers, Bishop Kelly (17-6) faces Blackfoot (13-12), and District VI champ Bonneville (17-7) meets District IV runner-up Burley.

5A: For a third straight year, the State 5A boys basketball tournament will not feature a Coeur d’Alene team.

Capital topped Coeur d’Alene 58-54 in a play-in game Saturday to earn a state berth. Lewiston, which is making a fourth consecutive trip to state, captured the Region I championship earlier in the week.

Lewiston (12-8) will take on District IV-V-VI runner-up and perennial state qualifier Highland (15-9) when the tourney tips off Thursday at the Idaho Center. The game, the first of the tourney, begins at 12:15 PST.

In other openers, defending state champ Borah (19-4) takes on Mountain View of Meridian; District III champ Eagle (18-5) goes against Capital (18-7); and undefeated and favored Twin Falls (23-0) meets Centennial (15-10).

Twin Falls will be out to try to pull off a rare double. The Bruins captured the 5A state title in football last fall.

3A: The tourney begins Thursday at Meridian High School.

Intermountain League and District I champ Bonners Ferry (11-11) faces play-in qualifier Marsh Valley (14-7) at 2 PST.

District I runner-up Kellogg (13-10), a 64-47 winner over Priest River on Saturday, takes on District V champ Snake River (19-3) in the tourney’s final game at 7.

In the other openers, District III champ Fruitland (16-6) goes against District VI champ Shelley (18-3), and District IV champ Declo faces Payette (15-9).

2A: The tourney begins Thursday at Capital High in Boise.

In the openers, District IV champ Wendell (20-2) goes against Potlatch; District V champ Malad (20-2) takes on District II champ Kamiah; District VI champ Firth (14-6) faces Soda Springs; and District III champ New Plymouth (15-7) takes on West Jefferson.

1A: The 16-team tourney begins at two sites for four days beginning Wednesday.

North Star League and District I champ Lakeside (21-1) takes on District IV fourth-place team Camas County at Vallivue High School in Caldwell at 5:15 PST.

NSL and District I runner-up Post Falls Christian (16-7) will face District V runner-up Rockland (13-10) at 2 at the other site, Caldwell High.

In other openers at Vallivue, District IV champ Richfield (20-2) goes against Horseshoe Bend (11-12); District V champ Mackay faces Idaho City (20-3); and Lapwai (19-4) goes against Notus (20-2).

In other openers at Caldwell, Troy (22-1) meets Hansen; Council (20-2) vs. Nezperce; and Raft River vs. Cascade (19-5).