Lake City boys stun Post Falls 67-63

Inland Empire League boys basketball coaches expected the seven-team league to be as tight as its been in recent years.

Lake City provided the latest validation of that theory Saturday when the last-place Timberwolves (9-7, 3-5) rallied to knock off league-leading Post Falls 67-63 at The Arena.

Providing the difference in the game’s most critical moments was junior guard Brent Everson, who was just promoted from junior varsity the night before when LC lost starter Garrett Lambson for three weeks to a severely sprained ankle.

Everson scored all seven of his points in the fourth, including both ends of one-and-one opportunities in the final 41 seconds.

It was obvious who the Trojans (10-6 overall, 7-2 league) were going to foul as they trailed 62-60 and LC had the ball coming out of a timeout with 53 seconds to go.

“I was hoping so, because I wanted to step up and knock down some free throws and help my team out,” Everson said.

If Everson were nervous, he didn’t show it as he swished all four foul shots, the last two extending LC’s lead to 66-62 with 15 seconds remaining.

Sandpoint 75, Coeur d’Alene 70:

The host Bulldogs built a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead and held off the Viks. CdA came within two points in the final minute. Ben Mitchell pumped in 17 points to lead Sandpoint (9-8, 4-5). Matt Palmer’s 17 points paced CdA (7-9, 3-5).

Girls basketball

Spartans clinch at least tie

Priest River assured itself no worse than a tie for the Intermountain League title and clinched the No. 1 seed into the playoffs by sweeping its regular-season series with Bonners Ferry, 55-52 at BF. The Spartans (10-8, 6-0) have a two-game lead over the second-place Badgers (8-8, 4-2). Each has two regular-season games remaining.

Inland Empire League

Vikings storm Sandpoint

Coeur d’Alene (17-3, 11-1) used a fast start to score a 60-42 win at Sandpoint (12-6, 7-5). Jenna Griffitts scored 10 of her game-high 17 points in the first quarter as the Vikings jumped out to a 22-8 lead.