Lake City avoids elimination with rout

LEWISTON — They’ve fought for the fish.

Now, they’ll fight for the right to stay in the hunt for a state tournament bid.

James Carlson scored 15 of his game-high 28 points in the first half, leading the Lake City Timberwolves past the Lewiston Bengals 70-37 in a 5A Region 1 loser-out game at Booth Hall on Tuesday.

“James was totally dominant in the first half,” Lake City assistant coach Kelly Reed said. “Everyone helped guard their post players really well, and Kyle (Manzardo) was really good on (Kyle) VanBoeyen, who didn’t score a field goal. It was a good team effort. We moved the ball really well, took good shots on offense and the hustle stuff, diving for loose balls, everything was fantastic tonight.”

Lake City (12-11), which entered as the tournament’s fourth seed, will travel to second-seeded Coeur d’Alene in the second-place game on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Elmer Jordan Court, with that winner advancing to a play-in game on Saturday at Grangeville High against the fifth-place team from District 3 (Boise area).

Nic McCartin scored 15 points for Lake City.

Connor Spencer and Donaven Santana scored eight points each for third-seeded Lewiston, which finishes 9-13. The Bengals were third at state in 2017.

Lake City 18 15 20 17 — 70

Lewiston 10 11 6 10 — 37

LAKE CITY — Street 0, Schaffer 14, McCartin 15, Kolden 2, Sensel 0, Spellman 0, Carlson 28, Manzardo 6, Kiesbuy 5, Pollow 0.

LEWISTON — McKenzie 6, Chapman 0, Wallace 0, Grainger 3, Ruddell 7, Spencer 8, Santana 8, Bradley 2, Johnson 0, Forsman 0, Van Boeyen 3.

Clark Fork 67

Kootenai 37

CLARK FORK — Gage Maitland scored 15 points for the fifth-seeded Warriors in a loss to the fourth-seeded Wampus Cats in a loser-out game in the 1A Division II District 1 tournament.

Kootenai finishes 1-18.

Kobe Banks had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Clark Fork (3-10), which faces top-seeded Genesis Prep today at 4 p.m. at Lakeland High in Rathdrum.

Kootenai 4 10 10 13 — 37

Clark Fork 11 15 19 22 — 67

KOOTENAI — Brewster 3, J. Usdrowski 6, Maitland 15, Vawter 2, Munson 2, T. Usdrowski 8, Ausman 2.

CLARK FORK — Stevens 21, Constantin 8, Garcia 13, Heisel 6, Banks 19.