Coeur d’Alene beats top-ranked Lake City

The first showdown a year ago between the crosstown rivals had a similar beginning.

The Coeur d’Alene girls basketball team, in fact, took both Inland Empire League games from Lake City. But in the end, the Timberwolves won the game that mattered most when they upset the Vikings in the State 5A championship game.

So LC coach Darren Taylor isn’t going to lose any sleep after watching second-ranked CdA hold off the No. 1-ranked T-Wolves 46-38 Tuesday before an estimated crowd of 1,000 at Elmer Jordan Court.

“Early-season game,” Taylor said. “They’re always way ahead of us. They play a lot more games in the summer. (I was) really encouraged with the second half – how we can compete, how we can answer all the stuff that they do. We’re going to take more positives out of this game than negative.”

CdA (3-0, 1-0), which should leapfrog over LC (3-1, 1-1) in the rankings this week, built all the cushion it would need in the second quarter. A short bank shot by 6-foot-2 freshman post Carli Rosenthal allowed CdA to go into halftime with a 28-13 lead. The T-Wolves made just 1 of 8 shots from the field in the period. The one made basket came on a 3-pointer from 6-1 junior post Katie Baker.

“It was a good start,” CdA coach Dale Poffenroth said. “His (Taylor’s) kids played really well. I was impressed with the way his kids played after I watched them play Post Falls. I think they grew a lot from that game.”

LC pulled within 33-24 with 29 seconds left in the third quarter when freshman guard Sydney Butler made a 17-foot baseline jumper.

But Rosenthal extended the lead back to double figures at 35-24 moments later when she used her body to create space against Amanda Krier for a short shot in the key.

Butler made all four of her shots in the fourth quarter, her final basket drawing LC within 41-37 with 1:41 remaining.

The Vikings made 5 of 6 free throws thereafter to thwart LC’s rally.

Baker and CdA junior wing Kama Griffitts, last year’s co-IEL players of the year, defended each other well. Baker finished with a game-high 16 points while Griffitts managed just six.

Baker also had five rebounds, two steals and two assists and Griffitts contributed three steals, three rebounds and two assists. It’s a defensive matchup both teams will likely use when they face off two more times – another league matchup on Dec. 14 at LC and in the Fight for the Fish on Jan. 11 at CdA.

It was the play of the freshmen, though, that was especially key for both teams. Rosenthal scored a team-high 15 points to go with seven rebounds. Butler supported Baker with 10 points, making all five of her shots.

“(Rosenthal) played way better than I thought she would as a freshman,” Taylor said. “That’s going to be a tough matchup for us all year. (Butler) really rescued us again with energy and execution. She did it for us. No fear.”

Poffenroth said the difference in the second quarter was in transition.

“His kids made a couple of turnovers and we cashed in on them,” Poffenroth said. “That cushion really helped. It made it a lot easier to play the second half because his kids played really well in the second half.”

Balancing out CdA’s offense was point guard Ali Johnson, who chipped in 13 points.