PREP BASKETBALL: Freshman VonBruck hits key free throws for Post Falls

• BOYS

MERIDIAN — With the score tied at 44 and less than a minute remaining, Minico chose to foul Christian VonBruck of Post Falls with some 40 seconds left.

VonBruck, a freshman, hit two free throws for a two-point lead, and the Trojans forced the Spartans into a desperation shot at the buzzer, which missed, as Post Falls advanced with a 46-44 victory Thursday night at the Owyhee Holiday Classic at Owyhee High.

“Those were pretty important free throws, and I was really happy with Christian to step up and make those free throws,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said.

Post Falls (3-2) will play Pocatello (5-0) tonight at 5 p.m. PST in the semifinals. Pocatello defeated Blackfoot.

Tyras Blake, another freshman, made 4 of 6 3-pointers and led all scorers with 20 points for Post Falls, which led by nine points entering the fourth quarter, only to see Minico (3-2) of Rupert tie it with a minute to play.

“We made a lot of inexperienced mistakes in the fourth quarter,” McLean said. “Ill-advised shots, quick shots. We really had some mental lapses defensively. The last two possessions defensively we were sharp, but the first seven minutes were not where we needed it to be. We’ll learn a lot from that, and we’re fortunate to win.”

Jack Sciortino added 11 points for Post Falls.

Klayton Wilson led Minico with 14 points.

Minico 6 16 6 16 — 44

Post Falls 10 14 13 9 — 46

MINICO — Gibson 4, Wayment 3, Arthur 4, Whitesides 4, Wilson 14, Jayden 3, J.T. 12.

POST FALLS — Sciortino 11, Naylor 5, Shields 2, McCarthy 0, Summers 2, VonBruck 2, Craig 0, Bowie 2, Blake 20, Butler 3, Cooper 0.

Lake City 61

Burley 46

MERIDIAN — Junior Blake Buchanan had 23 points and nine rebounds for Lake City in a 61-46 win over the Burley Bobcats in the opening round of the Owyhee Invitational on Thursday in Meridian.

Lake City finished 5 of 7 from the 3-point line, but 10 of 20 from the free throw line.

“Defensively, it seemed like we did some good things,” Lake City coach Jim Winger said. “But take away our fast breaks and dunks, and we didn’t shoot the ball that well. We drove down here today (Thursday), checked into the hotel and played, but it wasn’t pretty by any stretch. I don’t think we played well offensively, but to win by 15, that’s a good sign.”

Zach Johnson had eight points and seven rebounds and Kolton Mitchell 16 points and six assists for Lake City (4-0), which faces Timberline High of Boise in the semifinals tonight at 7. Timberline defeated Emmett 56-36.

Adam Kloepfer scored 13 points for Burley (1-5).

Burley 10 15 4 17 — 46

Lake City 12 18 14 17 — 61

BURLEY — Widmier 9, Trevino 2, Sheets 12, Page 4, Ontiveros 6, Kloepfer 13.

LAKE CITY — Buchanan 23, Strawn 0, Hill 0, Jones 3, Miller 3, Kiesbuy 0, Hocking 8, Johnson 8, Mitchell 16.

Coeur d’Alene 80

Central Valley 65

COEUR d’ALENE — Sophomore Logan Orchard hit two 3-pointers and scored 12 of his 14 points in the first quarter as the Vikings, who had been a slow-starting team this season, tallied 26 first-quarter points in a nonleague win over the Bears from Spokane Valley.

“He got us off to a quick start, which is what we’ve been needing,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said of Orchard.

Steven Burgess added 13 points for Coeur d’Alene (4-0), which put five into double figures.

Cooper Larson added 11 points, but his biggest contribution was “holding” high-scoring CV guard Dylan Darling to 24 points. Darling, who didn’t score in the first quarter, scored 15 in the second quarter but fell twice on his left (shooting) wrist during the game, and did not play in the fourth quarter.

Darling came in averaging 38 points per game for Central Valley (4-2), including 53 in the season opener at Post Falls.

“There’s only so much you can do with him; he’s a relentless penetrator,” Adams said. “We just said (to Larson), ‘Keep him in front of you and everyone else collapse in the lane and try and alter his shot.’”

Posts Cameren Cope and Alex Nipp added 10 and 9 points, respectively.

“They did not have an answer for our bigs,” Adams said. “And I think we took eight charges.”

Coeur d’Alene plays host to Lapwai, last year’s 1A Division I state champion, on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Central Valley 10 20 19 16 — 65

Coeur d’Alene 26 19 22 13 — 80

CENTRAL VALLEY — McGloflin 0, Martinez 5, Breesnee 3, Brulotte 2, Darling 24, Griego 6, Hoene 3, Crowley 7, Rowell 8, Smith 0, Chalich 2, Gravelle 5.

COEUR d’ALENE — Entzi 8, King 0, Ivankovich 2, C. Larson 11, Wellsandt 5, Nipp 10, Cope 10, Burgess 13, Orchard 14, G. Larson 7.

St. Maries 55

Malad 22

MERIDIAN — Tristan Gentry-Nelson scored 11 of his 17 points for the Lumberjacks, who overwhelmed the Dragons in the opening round of the Small School-Middle Division of the Owyhee Invitational.

“We did a good job of coming out and contesting shots,” said St. Maries coach Bryan Chase, whose team led 21-2 after the first quarter and held Malad to eight field goals in the game. “Tristan played a good first half and it was a good all-around game by our guys to start things out.”

Tristan Hill had nine rebounds and Jared Badgett seven points and three steals for St. Maries (4-1), which faces West Side (2-2) in a semifinal game tonight at 5:30.

Gabe Bingham scored nine points for Malad (0-5).

Malad 2 5 11 4 — 22

St. Maries 21 14 13 7 — 55

MALAD — Bastian 4, Bingham 9, Jones 3, Peterson 0, Williams 2, Kluff 2.

ST. MARIES — Gentry-Nelson 17, Sands 3, Badgett 7, Ross 3, Wolfe 3, Holder 2, Elliott 4, T. Renner 5, Wicks 2, C. Renner 7, Hill 2, Ballew 0.

Genesis Prep 46

Clark Fork 42

CLARK FORK — Further details were not available.

N.I. Christian 64

Spokane Athletic Co-Op 20

COEUR d’ALENE — Malachi Bullington had 18 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and three assists for the Royals in a nonleague win over the Eagles at Holy Family Catholic School.

Morgan O’Brien had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Thomas Schlader 12 points for North Idaho Christian (8-2), which faces Genesis Prep in the Priest River Santa Shootout tonight at 7:30. Priest River hosts Clark Fork in the opener at 4:30 p.m.

Tristen Emmans scored nine points for Spokane Athletic Co-Op.

Spokane Athletic 9 5 4 2 — 20

N.I. Christian 22 12 19 11 — 64

SPOKANE ATHLETIC CO-OP — E. Emmans 2, Blunt 0, We. Madden 0, Wy. Madden 0, Dicher 0, Severn 5, Kehwaldt 2, Emmans 9, Vermeer 2, Bruggeman 0.

NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Bullington 18, O’Brien 16, Heston 2, Grassi 1, Adams 2, Dinkins 1, Koontz 0, McKee 4, Sakai 0, Smith 6, Schlader 12, Connelly 2.

• GIRLS

Genesis Prep at

Clark Fork

CLARK FORK — No report was received from the visiting Jaguars.

N.I. Christian 48

Spokane H.S. 32

COEUR d’ALENE — Chelsey Cate hit 5 of 6 from the floor and finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots as the host Royals defeated the Eagles in nonleague play at Holy Family Catholic School.

Danica Kelly had 13 points, eight assists and four steals for North Idaho Christian (11-3). Rylee Overturf added 10 points and eight rebounds, and Simone Pilgrim had 11 points, seven rebounds and six steals.

Hanna Vermeer scored a game-high 21 points for the Spokane Home School Co-Op, which is scheduled to join the Mountain Christian League next year.

North Idaho Christian plays Genesis Prep tonight at 6 in the first round of the Spartan Christmas Tournament in Priest River.

Spokane HS 4 4 13 11 — 32

N.I. Christian 17 12 13 6 — 48

SPOKANE HOME SCHOOL CO-OP — Moore 0, Garcia 0, Vermeer 21, Wagner 4, Vila 0, Severn 7, Morgan 0, Smawley 0.

NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Cate 10, Salaiz 0, Kelly 13, Overturf 10, S. Pilgrim 11, Sandwald 2, Bullington 2, Y. Pilgrim 0.

• POSTPONEMENTS

Timberlake at Wallace boys, Kellogg JV at Kootenai boys and girls and Lakeland 'C' team boys and girls at Mullan were postponed due to hazardous travel conditions.

Timberlake at East Valley girls was postponed due to injury and illness within the East Valley program. That game was rescheduled for Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. at Timberlake.