PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Post Falls stumbles to No. 3 seed at regionals
POST FALLS — They started slow and got pounded on the boards, and now, after a 50-42 loss to the Lewiston Bengals on senior night, the Post Falls Trojans will hit the road in the first round of the 5A Region 1 tournament.
Lewiston (10-5, 4-2 Inland Empire League) jumped out to a 15-4 lead after one quarter, and outrebounded Post Falls (12-6, 3-3) 32-19, a total which included 13 offensive rebounds.
“They came out with a very aggressive box-and-one (on guard Caden McLean), and it took us about a quarter to figure out where we had that ability to attack with the other four,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “The other four did a really good job of taking away things we’ve done in the past with box-and-ones. But at the end of the day, rebounding told the story; they just bludgeoned us on the boards.”
Post Falls will travel to Lewiston next Friday at 6:30 in the regional opener. Lewiston tied Lake City for the 5A IEL title, but the T-Wolves won the tiebreaker for the top seed based on point differential in their two league meetings.
Chanse Eke, Jace McKarcher and Joel Mullikin each hit 3-pointers in the first quarter for Lewiston. Mullikin finished with 11 points, and George Forsmann added 10.
Cole Rutherford hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points for Post Falls, which lost at home in league play for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Alex Horning added 12 points for the Trojans.
Post Falls wraps up the regular season Tuesday at Lakeland in a nonleague game.
Lewiston 15 8 13 14 — 50
Post Falls 4 10 14 14 — 42
LEWISTON — Eke 5, McKarcher 7, Lang 9, Mullikin 11, Hottinger 0, Hepburn 2, Forsman 2, White 0, Goeckner 4, Forsmann 10.
POST FALLS — Anderson 0, McLean 5, Hauser 0, Rodriguez 0, Rutherford 13, Ballew 3, Lee 8, Horning 12, Shields 1.
St. Maries 53
Orofino 38
ST. MARIES — Brett Stancil and St. Maries started fast out of the gate, then again after halftime, and the Lumberjacks beat the Maniacs to cap an unbeaten run through the Central Idaho League.
Stancil hit two 3-pointers to start the game, then scored 10 points in the third quarter for St. Maries (17-1, 4-0 CIL).
“He’s been shooting the ball really well and starting to get some confidence,” St. Maries coach Bryan Chase said. “He’s been averaging 14 points a game in the last three, and is playing really well right now.”
Coleman Ross had 12 points and seven steals, Tristan Gentry seven rebounds and Eli Gibson six points and four assists for St. Maries, which plays at Timberlake today at 2:30 p.m.
Slade Sneddon scored 12 points for Orofino (7-10, 0-4).
Orofino 8 13 9 8 — 38
St. Maries 17 12 20 4 — 53
OROFINO — Sneddon 12, Naranjo 4, Sparano 6, Thomas 2, Scott 11, Graham 1, Mael 2, Boyd 0.
ST. MARIES — Sands 2, Ross 13, Becktel 4, Badgett 2, Gentry 4, Stancil 16, Wicks 0, Elliott 0, Ledbetter 4, Renner 0, McMaster 2, Gibson 6.
• POSTPONEMENTS
Bonners Ferry's game at Kellogg on Friday night was postponed to next Wednesday due to COVID issues within the Bonners program. Bonners Ferry's game at Lakeside scheduled for tonight was also postponed, with no makeup date set.