CdA extends trend

Funny what a tiny lineup change, a little more discipline and a whole lot of defense can do for a team.

Just ask the Coeur d’Alene High boys basketball team.

The fourth-ranked Vikings continued a recent trend as they steamrolled crosstown rival Lake City 63-45 in an Inland Empire League game Thursday before an estimated crowd of 1,200.

Coeur d’Alene is 6-1 since senior Calvin Peterson replaced senior Austin Heleker in the starting lineup. Perhaps most impressive is the Vikings won for a fifth straight time by a double-digit margin.

The Vikings have beaten opponents by an average of 19.8 points during the streak. Two other things CdA can credit during this stretch is that its playing better defense and its fouling less since coach Kent Leiss quit employing a variety of trapping defenses.

Peterson, who adds more speed and tenacity to the starting lineup, scored 11 points and finished with five steals, three assists and three rebounds.

“He’s a good defensive player,” Leiss said. “He’s a very tough kid. He brings a football mentality to the court. He chipped in 11 points and that’s always a bonus.”

Peterson said he just wants to help the Vikings play better defense.

“I’m not much of a scorer, but if I score I score them off defense,” Peterson said. “We’re starting to play a lot better defense.”

CdA, which improved to 13-4 overall, took over first by itself at 8-1 thanks to Post Falls’ 63-49 win over visiting Moscow. The win also moved the Vikings closer to securing the top seed to the 5A Region I tournament. Fifth-ranked LC fell to 12-6 and 6-4.

The Vikings’ defense centered on controlling LC’s top two players – senior wing Ty Stoddard and junior post Nick Fromm. Junior Andrew Prohaska drew the assignment of guarding Stoddard, and the Viking limited Stoddard to two points – 13.8 less than his average. Stoddard made just two free throws and was 0 for 5 from the field.

“It was good to see tonight that our defense is continuing to get a lot better,” Leiss said.

The other significant defensive feat for CdA was it kept Fromm from controlling the boards. In LC’s 59-54 overtime win over CdA in the Fight for the Fish, Fromm hauled down a school-record 18 rebounds. He got just six this time to go with 12 points.

“I think this gives us pretty good momentum going into our final three games,” Peterson said.

CdA took a 42-29 lead into the final quarter. Leiss challenged his team to run some time off the clock and take good shots.

The Vikings extended their lead to 49-34 when Nate Clinton hit a 3-pointer with 4:55 to go. But LC fought back, closing within 49-43 when Jason Wheelock made two free throws with 3:24 left.

Back-to-back turnovers stopped the T-Wolves’ momentum. CdA used a 14-2 run over the final 2:42 to close out the game.

LC finished with 20 turnovers to CdA’s seven.

“The turnovers hurt us,” LC coach Jim Thacker said. “Then we had to get out of the game plan and play a little more (man-to-man defense). We got back within six, but those back-to-back turnovers and a rebound didn’t go our way. You could see that they were tightening up a little bit, but unfortunately we didn’t make the plays when we needed to.”

Nate Bligh fought through some early foul trouble to lead CdA with 16 points. Leon Duplessis added 14. Wheelock led LC with 15.