The Front Row with MARK NELKE Jan. 27, 2011
By this time next week, the postseason in local high school girls basketball will be under way.
Lakeland will be the first area team in action, the No. 2 seed Hawks (10-10) playing host to No. 3 Sandpoint (7-11) next Tuesday in the first round of the 4A Region 1 tournament. The winner travels to top-seeded Moscow (5-13) on Thursday.
One of the three teams will advance to state Feb. 17-19 at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
Lakeland had a chance to capture the No. 1 seed, but lost it to Moscow when the Bears beat the Hawks in Rathdrum recently. Both teams went 3-1 in the 4A IEL, they split their two league meetings, and both swept Sandpoint. The next tiebreaker went to Moscow because the Bears played more 5A IEL teams than Lakeland did.
Last year, Moscow beat Lakeland in Moscow to win the regional tournament. The year before, Lakeland won the regional on Moscow's home court. And this year, the Hawks have already won in Moscow, so Lakeland coach Steve Seymour isn't too concerned about the possibility of as many as three trips to Bear Den in an eight-day span.
"I think this team, when it plays well, has the ability to play with anybody," Lakeland coach Steve Seymour said. "Other than a little bit of travel time, I don't think there's a ton of home-court advantage."
Meanwhile, the middle two seeds to the 5A Region 1 tournament will be decided tonight, when Lake City (15-4, 3-2 5A Inland Empire League) travels to Coeur d'Alene (15-4, 3-2) at 5:45. The winner will be the No. 2 seed, the loser the No. 3.
The teams are already slotted to play each other in the first round of the regional tournament Feb. 5 in Lewiston. Lewiston (14-3, 4-1) has already clinched the No. 1 seed, and will face No. 4 Post Falls (7-11, 0-5) in the other first-round game that night.
After that, the higher seed hosts each game, so tonight's winner would host a potential rematch - should they meet for the region's second berth to state.
Coeur d'Alene won 48-44 at Lake City three weeks ago in the Fight for the Fish game.
Heading into last weekend, Lake City had a chance to grab the No. 1 seed with a win at Lewiston and a win at Coeur d'Alene, but lost 53-35 last Saturday at Lewiston.
"We're disappointed, but there's still a lot of basketball to be played," Lake City coach Royce Johnston said after the game.
After the girls game, Lake City's boys (11-4, 2-1 5A IEL), who are tied for first with Post Falls (12-2, 2-1) play at Coeur d'Alene (11-5, 1-2) tonight at 7:30. The four league teams are separated by one game, with Lewiston emerging as a threat at 8-6, 2-2. Lake City beat Coeur d'Alene 61-57 in the Fight for the Fish game three weeks ago at Lake City.
The top two boys teams in the Intermountain League square off Saturday when St. Maries (13-2, 3-0 IML) travels to Priest River (10-4, 2-0).
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.