PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Slow-starting Vikings come on strong to capture opener

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

COEUR d’ALENE — With a transfer and several others making their varsity debuts, the Coeur d’Alene Vikings got off to a slow start against the Lewis and Clark Tigers in the boys basketball season opener for both Thursday night at Viking Court.

After mustering just 14 points in the first half, Coeur d’Alene put 36 on the board after intermission and charged past the Tigers 50-45.

“Our energy and our defense, most definitely (changed),” said Coeur d’Alene junior point guard Steven Burgess, one of the Vikings’ few returning players. “We started playing way better defense on their guards, and that helped our offensive game pick up.”

Burgess made three 3-pointers and scored 10 of his team-high 12 points in the second half for Coeur d’Alene. Cameron Cope, another returning starter, added 11 points and senior Tugg Wellsandt, a transfer from Richland (Wash.) High, had eight points.

Landon Lewis, a 6-4 senior, scored a game-high 20 points for Lewis and Clark, which had its scheduled opener Tuesday canceled due to COVID-19 — thus, no film for Coeur d’Alene to study.

“What I said to the kids was, we spent all spring and all summer and all fall in Spokane playing read-and-react basketball. Not a lot of plays called,” second-year Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said. “This is no different. You just walk out and they have five guys and you have to figure out who can do this, what’s their tendencies … and that doesn’t happen right out of the gate.”

With the score tied at 45, a 3-pointer by Ashton Sieveke of Lewis and Clark rattled out. Cope rebounded, was fouled and hit one of two free throws with 1:10 remaining.

The Tigers missed a shot on the drive, then had to foul. Viking sophomore Logan Orchard sank two free throws with 25 seconds left, then after Lewis and Clark missed another 3 and had to foul, Wellsandt hit two free throws with 5.3 seconds left to ice it.

“We are trying to figure out our identity; whether it’s three games in, 10 games in, we need to find our identity,” Adams said. “We’ve got a lot of skill players, good shooters this year. Last year we were defensive-focused all the time, because we didn’t have the shooters we do.”

Coeur d’Alene travels to Moscow on Monday for a nonleague game.

Lewis and Clark 11 10 14 10 — 45

Coeur d’Alene 7 7 20 16 — 50

LEWIS AND CLARK — Hilburn 5, Sieveke 6, Merritt 2, Murray 0, Eastlund 2, Lewis 20, Marshall 0, Heer 6, Jessup 4, Kim 0.

COEUR d’ALENE — King 2, Ivankovich 0, C. Larson 2, Farrar 0, Wellsandt 8, Nipp 6, Cope 11, Burgess 12, Orchard 4, G. Larson 5.

University 52

Post Falls 39

POST FALLS — Jack Sciortino had 13 points and six rebounds for the Trojans in a loss to the Titans at The Arena.

“We didn’t shoot the ball exceptionally well and get a lot of good shots in the first quarter,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “University was really well prepared and played with a lot of intensity. We played a lot better as a team defensively from our opener and rebounded a lot better, but were too reliant on jump shooting.”

Post Falls (0-2) hosts Moses Lake on Saturday.

Jeremiah Sibley scored 19 points for University (1-0).

University 13 12 13 14 — 52

Post Falls 6 12 6 15 — 39

UNIVERSITY — Bell 1, Sibley 19, Kennedy 0, King 0, Heimbigner 3, Wolfe 0, Moore 0, Brummett 9, Barton 4, Bippes 16.

POST FALLS — Sciortino 13, Naylor 5, McCarthy 3, Summers 0, VonBruck 2, Craig 0, Bowie 4, Blake 7, Butler 5, Cooper 0.

Lakeside 98

Mullan 25

PLUMMER — Vander Brown scored 27 points as the Knights rolled past the visiting Tigers in nonleague play at Ron Miller Court.

Brutis SiJohn and Nayati Vassar each added 16 points for Lakeside (1-1), and Qwincy Hall scored 12. Two nights earlier, the Knights scored 40 points in a 10-point loss at Timberlake.

“I think they just needed a little bit of confidence going,” Lakeside coach James Twoteeth said of his young team. “Vassar came in and did a nice job off the bench, with 10 rebounds.”

Luke Trogden scored 12 points for Mullan (0-1), which plays at Kootenai on Tuesday.

Lakeside plays host Kellogg tonight in the first round of the Silver Valley Tournament at Andrews Gymnasium.

Mullan 9 4 9 3 — 25

Lakeside 34 25 26 13 — 98

MULLAN — Trogden 12, A. Ziegler 4, Abtlah 2, Nelson 2, Rupp 2, T. Ziegler 3.

LAKESIDE — Matt 8, V. Brown 27, SiJohn 16, Vassar 16, Rivera 2, Hall 12, P. Brown 2, Nomee 5, Key 8, Allen 2.

Lake City JV 45

Genesis Prep 42

POST FALLS — Kyle Johnson scored 16 points and Braydn Arrieta hit two 3-pointers and scored all 11 of his points in the first half as the Timberwolf junior varsity edged the Jaguars at The Courts at Real Life.

Caleb Schroeder scored 14 points, Ayson McLuskie 11 in the season opener for Genesis Prep, which pulled within one point midway through the fourth quarter, then turned the ball over on three straight possessions.

“It’s a process,” first-year Genesis Prep coach Lon Morast said, “and we want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the year. I liked that we competed; we got down by about eight or so and we kept competing. I thought our defense was sound.”

Genesis Prep plays host to Clark Fork tonight at 7:30.

Lake City JV 11 15 8 11 — 45

Genesis Prep 10 9 8 15 — 42

LAKE CITY JV — Parker 0, Chan 4, Sylte 7, Snow 4, Arrieta 11, Wiltsie 0, Norce 0, Meredith 2, Kloos 1, Johnson 16.

GENESIS PREP — Young 2, Schroeder 14, Daniels 2, Russworm 0, McLuskie 11, Rubert 2, Shinn 0, Specht 9, Snowder 2.

N.I. Christian 80

Christian Center 33

COEUR d’ALENE — Kameron Heston scored 15 points off the bench for the Royals in a Mountain Christian League win over the Lions at Holy Family Catholic School.

Malachi Bullington had 12 points and 13 rebounds and Caden Smith 14 rebounds for North Idaho Christian (6-0, 2-0 MCL), which faces Bonners Ferry on Saturday at Holy Family Catholic School.

Revin Smith scored 13 points for Christian Center.

Christian Center 6 6 6 15 — 33

N.I. Christian 18 16 19 17 — 80

CHRISTIAN CENTER — Barnhart 2, Stark 0, Hamblin 1, Secrest 0, Portier 3, Biodney 6, C. Smith 8, R.Smith 13.

NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Bullington 12, O’Brien 12, Sakai 2, Grassi 4, Koontz 0, Alliano 6, Desrochers 2, McKee 2, Heston 15, Dinkins 6, Adams 2, Schlader 2, Smith 8, Connelly 2, Malinauskas 5.