T-Wolves still on the path
Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Klaire Mitchell of Lake City leaps to block a 3-point shot by Rigby’s Kenadee French on Friday in a loser-out game of the state 5A girls basketball tournament at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Lake City coach James Anderson signals a play to his team Friday during a loser-out game vs. Rigby at the state 5A girls basketball tournament at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Aubrey Avery of Lake City goes up for a shot on the baseline Friday against Rigby in a loser-out game at the state 5A girls basketball tournament at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY The Lake City Bench celebrates after teammate Bridget Rieken scores and draws a foul, sending her to the free-throw line against Rigby in a loser-out game at the state 5A girls basketball tournament Friday at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Bridget Rieken of Lake City scores two of her game-high 21 points against Rigby on Friday in a loser-out game of the state 5A girls basketball tournament Friday at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Brooklyn Rewers of Lake City battles Rigby’s Mateya Mobley for possession of the ball Friday in a loser-out game of the state 5A girls basketball tournament at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
NAMPA — Leading by a single point at 55-54 with 3:05 remaining, second-year Lake City coach James Anderson knew.
Eventually, his Timberwolves were going to find their way.
So they did.
Lake City closed with an 8-0 run to beat the Rigby Trojans 63-53 in a state 5A tournament loser-out game on Friday at the Ford Idaho Center.
“I had all the confidence in the world that we were going to win that game,” Anderson said. “Even in the fourth, because of who they are and what we’ve done all year. Their other sports have put them in situations like this, and I’m proud of them for finding a way again.”
Rigby cut the deficit to 55-54 on a 3-pointer by Kenadee French. It was the final points of the season for the Knights (18-9).
“They came out and hit that 3-pointer, and a lot of teams would have felt that shift in momentum and had things go south right there,” Anderson said. “We went straight to the basket. We played composed, and it paid off for us.”
Senior post Bridget Rieken had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Lake City (21-4), which faces Meridian in the consolation championship today at 9 a.m. PST at Ridgevue High in Nampa. Meridian beat Highland 70-60 in the other loser-out game on Friday.
“She’s just a great leader by example,” Anderson said of Rieken. “You can’t help but have a teammate play that hard and have her teammates follow along. She’s a great example to the younger kids. That’s a skill that she’s just completely mastered.”
Brooklyn Rewers and Klaire Mitchell added 14 points each for Lake City.
Rieken scored 14 points in the second half for the Timberwolves, who finished 20 for 44 from the field.
“It was one of those games where if we didn’t step up and play our game, it’s over,” Rieken said. “All of us, and we worked super hard because we’re not ready to be done yet. A lot of us aren’t playing basketball after this, so we needed to come out and play our game.”
Rieken (Washington State) and point guard Chloe Teets (College of Idaho) have signed letters of intent to play soccer in college, and guard Klaire Mitchell has signed to play volleyball at Grand Canyon.
Lake City made 22 of 31 free throws in the game.
“Every day, we talk about going downhill,” Rieken said. “If you can’t go downhill — like drive to the basket — then kick it out for open players and shoot 3s. That was our main goal, to play downhill.”
Ruby Murdoch scored 16 points to lead Rigby.
Rigby 10 18 12 14 — 54
Lake City 14 11 20 18 — 63
RIGBY — Murdoch 16, Daball 9, French 13, Jones 5, Shippen 0, Raymound 0, Taylor 0, Fullmer 0, Mobley 8. Totals 18-49 8-10 54.
LAKE CITY — Pickford 1, Avery 3, Muehlhausen 6, Mitchell 14, Teets 4, Rieken 21, Wilson 0, Rewers 14, Hawkins 0. Totals 20-44 22-31 63.