Bligh sends CdA to state tourney
It was an inside job by an outside guy.
Coeur d’Alene High senior Nate Bligh, scoreless in the first half against Lake City’s zone defense, erupted for 22 points in the second half, triggering the top-seeded Vikings to a hard-fought 55-46 victory in the 5A Region I championship game Saturday at Elmer Jordan Court.
Bligh prefers playing on the perimeter, but he did virtually all his damage from the high post or along the baseline.
“We talked at halftime and we decided we wanted to put Nate inside and use his quickness and athleticism to go to the basket,” said coach Kent Leiss, who is taking the Vikings to the state tournament for the first time in his four seasons. “He’s not real thrilled playing inside, but as you saw he just totally dominated the second half.”
The Vikings (18-4) have a break before playing their 5A state opener Thursday, March 1, at the Idaho Center in Nampa. No. 3 Lake City (14-8) can join the Vikings at state, but it faces a loser-out game at No. 2 Lewiston (15-5) Tuesday at 7 p.m. The winner moves on to a play-in game for a chance to go to state.
Lewiston eliminated No. 4 Post Falls 66-51.
Coeur d’Alene 55, Lake City 46: Bligh was 0 for 4, including 0 for 3 on 3s, in a first half that saw the Timberwolves lead by as many as six. Coeur d’Alene settled for long-distance attempts, but made just 3 of 16 3-pointers.
In the second half, Lake City’s zone lost track of the high post, usually Bligh, and paid dearly.
“My teammates did a really good job of moving the ball around and getting it inside,” said Bligh, who made 10 of 12 shots – most from close range – in the second half. Bligh was often the recipient of nifty passes from Austin Heleker, Nate Clinton, Calvin Peterson and Jon Latorre.
Coeur d’Alene took the lead for good on Bligh’s layup with 3:23 left in the third quarter. The Vikings pulled in front 42-32 early in the fourth quarter, but Lake City’s James Colburn and Ty Stoddard fueled an 11-2 run that narrowed the deficit to 44-43.
Bligh scored again from the high post and Heleker delivered the dagger, a second-chance 3-pointer from the top of the key that gave CdA a 51-45 lead with 2:26 left.
“We didn’t defend the middle (of the zone), and that’s the one place you have to keep the ball out of,” Lake City coach Jim Thacker said. “We made a nice little run, but we hurt ourselves by not getting that key rebound and they kicked it back out for another three and that was it.”
Lake City had the upper hand most of the first half. Junior forward Nick Fromm had four straight baskets during one stretch as LC built a small lead.
Fromm, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, slowed down considerably in the second half. He apparently bruised his knee and he was walking with a limp in the locker room afterward.
It was a physical contest throughout, particularly in the second half.
“The refs kind of let them play in the second half,” Thacker said, “and we didn’t match our aggression with their aggression.”
Heleker and Clinton each had 10 points for the Vikings. Stoddard joined Fromm in double figures with 12.
Lewiston 66, Post Falls 51: The Bengals defied logic by scoring 20 points in the first quarter while committing 10 turnovers. The teams combined for 32 turnovers by halftime, but Lewiston overcame its miscues by draining 13 of 24 shots to take a 32-20 lead.
Post Falls trailed 43-24 before senior Brandon Haas launched a rally with a jumper and two 3-pointers. The Trojans closed within 45-41 on Levi Buckles’ two free throws, but Steven Heitzman’s only field goal of the game – a 3-pointer – started Lewiston’s clinching 16-2 spurt.
“Friday night (a 74-62 loss to Coeur d’Alene) took a lot out of us,” Post Falls coach Dave Stockwell said. “We didn’t respond very well in the first half, but there’s no quit in these kids. We talked about (the turnovers) at halftime and we handled it better in the second half, but that’s been kind of the story of our season. We play one good quarter and three bad ones, or three good ones and one bad one.”
Lewiston’s Shane Moser, Andrew Packwood and Shad Strerath combined for five 3-pointers and 47 points.