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Lake City playing well at right time

by MARK NELKE
Sports Editor | February 27, 2013 8:00 PM

Lake City had high expectations to begin the season, and not even back-to-back losses to open the year were going to lower those expectations.

The Timberwolves won seven in a row after that, have lost just twice in the new year, and are playing their best basketball of the season heading into the state 5A boys basketball tournament beginning Thursday at the Idaho Center in Nampa.

Lake City (17-5) opens at 12:15 p.m. PST vs. Rocky Mountain (19-4) of Meridian, the second-place team from District 3.

"We had some stumbles, but I don't think many teams went to Kalispell, Wenatchee, Clarkston, Lewiston, the Fitz tournament, our own tournament," Lake City coach Jim Winger said. "I don't think we played an Idaho team in nonleague - I think all of them were Montana, Oregon or Washington. That was by design, to be tested, and go out and play the best teams. We brought in the best teams we could find for our Christmas tournament ... looks like it paid off. Basketball is like the stock market, it's four months, there's highs and lows, you just try to make sure your lows are limited and build on the highs. Right now, we're on a pretty good high."

Winger said Lake City's 62-43 romp at Moscow in the regular season finale was the best the Timberwolves have played all season - though he couldn't find much fault with Lake City's 58-33 thumping of Coeur d'Alene in the Region 1 title game.

"I'm just pleased with the way we've finished the season. The last three or four games have been really outstanding, and I think even our loss at Lewiston, we didn't close that game but I thought we played well. Lewiston played out of their minds.

Lake City has athletic big guys in junior Kyle Guice (12.1 points, 9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2 blocks per game) and senior Riley Moreen (10.6 points, 5 rebounds), a heady point guard in Justin Pratt (8.2 points, 3.9 assists), a two-year starter, and 3-point threats in senior Drew Hocking and junior J.J. Winger.

"We've got big people inside, we've got kids that can shoot 3s, we do a good job of handling the ball," Winger said. "If we defend and rebound, we're tough. And we've got some size, and athletes."

Lake City last went to state in 2010 - which was the Timberwolves' first trip to state since 2002, when they lost in the title game.

Lake City thought it was heading back to state the following year, but got upset in the first round at the regional tournament, then eliminated in the next round.

Guice was a freshman on that team. He remembers "just watching the seniors, and how disappointed they were. That was their last game, and they were done with high school basketball. I didn't want that happen to our seniors (this year). We did it for them."

Moreen was a freshman when Lake City last went to state. He traveled to state with the team, and though he didn't suit up, he was part of all the team functions down there.

"I didn't even get to play and I was feeling the energy," he said.

And about state this year?

"Hopefully we can do some damage, we're coming in with some confidence," Guice said. "Our confidence is going to be really high now."

Moreen said this year's team has enough experience at the varsity level to overcome the lack of experience playing at state.

"I think we can (win) it all," Moreen said. "I'm not going to put any limits on us. If we play hard, then we can do wonderful things."