Vikings whip league-leading Bears

Friday night’s boys basketball game between Inland Empire League leader Moscow and second-place Coeur d’Alene had the potential to be a midseason dandy.

Unfortunately for the 300 some-odd fans on hand at Elmer Jordan Court – particularly those who made the drive north – the game was over almost before it even began.

The Vikings let the Bears score the first four points of the game and never let them do much else the rest of the way, immediately going on a 22-0 run and cruising to a 58-23 victory.

CdA (12-4 overall, 7-1 league), which took over the league lead, played swarming defense and scored 22 points off of Moscow’s 14 first-half turnovers.

Coach Kent Leiss, whose Vikings knocked off Post Falls the night before, said his team managed to bring its “A” game two nights in a row.

“I think I’m more proud tonight of our defensive intensity,” said Leiss, whose team scored a total of 30 points off 24 Moscow turnovers and held the Bears to just 29 percent on 9 of 31 field goals. “We played last night and we really challenged the kids – sometimes when we play on the second night back-to-back, we can be a little tight.”

Leiss admitted Moscow (12-3, 6-1), which played much of the game without starting junior point guard Anthony Williams, who rolled an ankle near the end of the first quarter, wasn’t at its best.

“I thought we played a very good game defensively, and I think Moscow, though we probably caused some of it, just had an off night,” Leiss said. “I think the next time we play them it will be a lot different.”

Moscow coach Lance Hansen saw things much the same way.

“I think Coeur d’Alene had a lot to do with how poorly we played,” Hansen said. “I thought we got off to a nice start then had two possessions that kind of got away from us – I think we had a couple of turnovers or travels or what not – and that kind of started a brush fire.

“And (Coeur d’Alene) can really blow it up in a hurry.”

CdA junior Austin Heleker led all scorers with 14 points.