LC, CdA in title game
Timing was everything Friday at the 5A Region I boys basketball tournament.
Nick Fromm’s putback barely beat the buzzer, giving third-seeded Lake City a 57-55 win over No. 2 Lewiston in the first game at Coeur d’Alene High’s Elmer Jordan Court.
Top-seeded Coeur d’Alene dialed up its defense and transition game in the second half to overtake No. 4 Post Falls 74-62 in the nightcap.
The results set up the fourth showdown between Coeur d’Alene and Lake City this season, but the stakes are higher tonight at 6. The winner advances to the state tournament. Post Falls (10-11) and Lewiston (14-5) meet in a loser-out game at 4:15.
“It’s going to be a good matchup,” said Vikings coach Kent Leiss, whose club is 2-1 against LC. “Coach (Jim) Thacker is a very good coach and I know he’ll do some things to try to disrupt our rhythm and slow us down.”
Lake City 57, Lewiston 55: Fromm had a quiet first half, but he rebounded to score 16 of his 17 points in the second half. None was bigger than his tipin of Tyler Stoddard’s miss just before the buzzer. Lewiston’s bench protested, but both officials ruled the shot was released in time.
Lost in the madcap final play was the fact that officials reset the clock from 6.5 seconds to 7.0 when Lake City called a timeout after the Bengals’ Shad Sterath’s hit a clutch 18-footer to tie it at 55.
“We got it in quick and we didn’t waste any time getting it down,” Thacker said. “Ty had a pretty good shot and we still had a chance for a tipin at the end. There’s no doubt it was in time.”
Bengals coach Dave Cornelia didn’t entirely agree.
“I thought the shot was good,” he said. “I’m just not sure the (clock) started on time on the inbounds pass. It just seemed like a long seven seconds.”
Fromm’s shot ended a tight contest that neither team led by more seven points. Stoddard, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the final two quarters, and Fromm helped Lake City rally from a 26-20 third-quarter deficit to a 50-44 lead with 2 minutes remaining.
Lake City attacked the basket more in the second half, which resulted in 20 free throws and increased interior production.
Coeur d’Alene 74, Post Falls 62: Post Falls jumped in front 6-0 and eventually led 26-19 on Casey Ward’s field goal with 2:45 left in the second quarter. CdA began its comeback by closing within 30-28 at halftime.
The Vikings raced in front on baskets by Nate Bligh, Nate Clinton and Calvin Peterson the first 2 minutes of the third quarter. The Trojans were within 51-47 entering the fourth, but junior guard Andrew Prohaska had three layups, two steals and an assist to hike the Vikings’ lead to 59-47.
“They came out very aggressive and knocked us on our heels,” Leiss said. “We weren’t playing very well offensively in the first four or five minutes, but we started playing a little harder and I thought our defense and our depth wore them down. We got numerous steals and breakouts to the basket. Andrew is big in that category. He’s good for two or three back-breaking steals that result in layups because he’s so quick and he anticipates so well.”
Prohaska finished with 22 points. Bligh added 18 and Peterson 17. Ward’s 16 led Post Falls, which was stung by 14 second-half turnovers.
“They’re awfully good at disrupting things,” Trojans coach Dave Stockwell said. “We had some mental lapses that they capitalized on down the stretch, but other than that I thought we gave them everything they wanted.”