Trojans balance their act

Post Falls High boys basketball coach Dave Stockwell didn’t have to look at the scorebook at halftime to confirm what he already knew.

After watching three-year starters K.C. Billetz and Scott Stockwell score all 26 of the Trojans’ first-half points, the coach told his younger players it was time to step up and be accounted for.

Four other players combined for 16 of Post Falls’ 27 second-half points as the Trojans held off the visiting Moscow Bears 53-50 in a key Inland Empire League game Thursday at The Arena.

“In the first half we really showed that we’ve got some real young kids,” Stockwell said. “We had some success behind the 3-point line, but we didn’t want to (penetrate) and we were really tentative. I talked to them at halftime and told them we’ve got to be able to attack them. They turned the tables on us and brought it right at us. I told them it’s time to mature a little bit. And I thought we answered the call.”

Post Falls, which moved to 8-5 overall with its seventh consecutive victory, increased its league lead at 5-1. Moscow (11-3, 4-3), which opened 4-0 in league, dropped its third straight.

When the Trojans win, they seem to follow the same pattern – a fast, hot start. Thursday was no different.

The Trojans made their first three 3-pointers, two by Stockwell, and opened their biggest lead at 21-10 on 7-of-12 shooting from behind the bonus-point line.

“These guys (the Trojans) have really started out well their last few games, and I was just hoping we could weather that,” said Moscow coach Lance Hansen.

The Bears fought back in the second quarter, seizing the momentum going into halftime in fact. After Billetz hit a jumper to gave Post Falls a 26-16 lead with 2:40 to go before intermission, Moscow scored the period’s final 12 points, taking advantage of three Trojans turnovers in the final 1:29.

A 3-pointer by Cody Line 2 seconds before the horn sounded gave Moscow its first lead at 28-26.

“They’re a tough team and very well-coached, and they don’t make a lot of mistakes,” Stockwell said of the Bears. “The last thing you want to do against them is play from behind. Even after they made that (3-pointer) at the end of the half, I still thought we were in pretty good shape if we came out strong.”

The Trojans opened the second half on a 9-2 spurt to build a 35-30 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Moscow pulled within 41-40 on a drive by Jake LeFors, but Trojans sophomore Brandon Haas answered with a 3-pointer.

“We finally picked it up in the end and started to play with some heart,” Haas said.

Line gave the Bears a brief lead at 45-44 when he completed a three-point play with 1:01 to go. But Stockwell, who the Bears held scoreless from late in the first quarter until late in the game, stepped back and hit a 25-footer that gave the Trojans the lead for good with 39 seconds remaining.

Post Falls made its final six foul shots to offset a 52-41 loss last month at Moscow.

“I thought our kids were extremely resilient and really battled,” Hansen said. “I made enough mistakes for us to lose it.”

The victory gives the Trojans a two-game lead over Moscow and Sandpoint (2-3). Post Falls plays host to Sandpoint on Saturday.

“It’s a big win and puts us in a good spot,” Haas said. “If we can beat Sandpoint, then we’ve got the 4A part of it won.”

Billetz had a game-high 20 points and added five rebounds.

Stockwell had five assists to go with 17 points. LeFors led Moscow with 15 points.