Experienced Lakeland prevails
The Lakeland High girls basketball team played like a team that’s been a frequent participant in pressure-packed postseason games.
The young Post Falls Trojans, meanwhile, should find themselves in plenty of big postseason contests in the next year or two. But experience prevailed Friday.
Third-seeded Lakeland used a 16-0 run in the second quarter to put the second-seeded Trojans in a hole they couldn’t climb out of as the Hawks glided past Post Falls 53-42 in a 4A Region I tournament opener at Lake City High School.
In the second game, fourth-seeded Sandpoint, which shocked Moscow in a regular-season finale three nights earlier, couldn’t make it two straight as the top-seeded Bears fended off the Bulldogs 45-37.
Defending regional champ Lakeland (14-7) and Moscow (9-12) will meet in a repeat of last year’s regional final tonight at 7:45.
Post Falls (10-11) and Sandpoint (8-13) will square off in a loser-out game at 6.
Lakeland 53, Post Falls 42: The Hawks were on the verge of blowing the Trojans off the court when freshman Camille Reynolds made a free throw to put her team ahead 41-19 with 3:51 to go in the third quarter.
But Post Falls went on a 16-4 surge that would carry into the fourth quarter. Two free throws by Sean Topp pulled the Trojans within 45-35 with 4:31 remaining.
A driving basket by Jenny McVeigh got Post Falls within 46-38 with 1:20 to go. But the Hawks made 6 of 8 free throws thereafter to stop the Trojans’ comeback.
Although Lakeland never appeared in serious danger, it was cause for some concern.
“We ended up in situations where we want to keep going at the basket but we don’t want to make bad decisions,” Lakeland coach Steve Seymour said. “So it was a situation ripe for girls to hesitate too much. They (the Trojans) hit some shots. They weren’t going to go down without an effort. We played on our heels a little bit and learned a lesson I guess.”
Lakeland certainly had enough cushion to survive the rough stretch, though. The Hawks didn’t make a basket in the fourth quarter – missing five shots – but they made 8 of 11 free throws.
The Hawks started to pull away from Post Falls early in the second quarter after a basket by McVeigh late in the first period cut Lakeland’s lead to 12-10.
Lakeland scored the first 16 points of the second quarter, and the run was capped when senior guard Kayla Stiegemeier got a steal for a breakaway layup to put the Hawks ahead 28-16 with 2:02 to go before halftime.
The Hawks took advantage of nine turnovers during their run.
“It just seemed like in the second quarter that everyone was making big plays,” Seymour said. “The fourth quarter – yeah, we struggled a little bit but the most important thing is we got the win and we’re playing (Saturday) in the second game.”
Stiegemeier had a team-high 17 points to go with seven steals and five rebounds. Post Bridgitt Bohannon had eight rebounds and four assists.
McVeigh scored a game-high 18 points, but she didn’t have much support.
“They’re (Lakeland) a very disciplined team and they run their stuff well,” Post Falls coach Chris Johnson said. “I think we match them in intensity and athleticism, but if they execute their stuff and we don’t that’s going to be the outcome.”
Johnson said he told his players they couldn’t use their youth as an excuse at this point in the season.
“We have to figure it out,” Johnson said. “We have to execute – not just run around and work hard – but actually run something.”
Now the Trojans must find a way to bounce back in less than 24 hours.
“I told them that in a tournament like this a mark of a team with character is how well they bounce back,” Johnson said. “I know we’ll play hard. I just hope we play smarter.”
Moscow 45, Sandpoint 37: The Bulldogs’ game plan was to stop the Bears’ top two players – 6-foot-4 post Kelsey Taylor and 5-10 guard Kelly Scott, both seniors.
It worked for the most part as Sandpoint limited them to a combined 14 points.
Problem was, a handful of other Bears were unaccounted for.
“I thought we did a fair job on their two main players,” first-year Sandpoint coach Jim Alsager said. “I thought we were keeping them under the numbers they’re accustomed to. You’ve got to start there. But a couple of their gals stepped up for them when they had opened looks. That’s what it takes.”
The other thing that killed Sandpoint was free throws. After falling behind 34-29 midway in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were forced to foul.
The Bears answered the challenge, missing just one free throw while making 13 in the final period.
“We had to foul and they did the job. That’s pretty much what we did to them at their place Tuesday,” Alsager said of the Bulldogs’ 40-34 win.
Sandpoint freshman Brittany Oakley somehow made a scooping layup between Taylor and Scott while being fouled with 1:05 to play, pulling the Bulldogs within 40-37.
They could have pulled within two, but Oakley missed the free throw following a timeout.
The Bulldogs didn’t score again.
Lauren Bender led Moscow with 11 points.
Taylor had 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.
Ashleigh Mire led Sandpoint with 12 points and Kendal Burt added 10 to go with 12 rebounds.
Washington preps
Joel Noland scored 19 points and hit four 3-pointers as Lakeside defeated host Chewelah 61-60 in Great Northern League boys play.
Garrett Perkins added 14 points and Travis Corigliano pulled down 10 rebounds for the Eagles (10-7, 6-3), who shot 10 of 20 from 3-point range and moved into a tie for second place with the Cougars, behind Pullman.
Cameron Stroyan scored 19 to lead Chewelah (8-9, 6-3).
In other GNL action, Kevin McNeil scored 17 points as Deer Park cruised to a 62-42 victory over host Colville. Warren Weil added 12 for the Stags (7-9, 2-6), who led 37-14 at halftime. Danny Martin led the Indians (1-16, 0-9) with 11 points. … Ben Hein scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and hit five 3-pointers as Pullman routed host Medical Lake 63-33. George Turner added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Greyhounds (15-1, 8-0), who outscored the Cardinals 17-1 in the second quarter. Colton Curtis and Kevin Broadnax scored nine apiece for Medical Lake (7-9, 3-5).