Post Falls boys get back on track, fend off Lakeland

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

POST FALLS — With Post Falls scuffling a bit and Lakeland bringing one of its best teams in school history to town, the setting was ripe for a breakthrough victory Tuesday night.

But Post Falls got back to playing like it had been in the past, Lakeland dug itself an early hole it couldn't climb out of, and the host Trojans prevailed, 57-43, in Inland Empire League boys basketball at The Arena.

"We all just game together, and played more as a team, and run our stuff right," said Post Falls senior guard Caden McLean, who hit a pair of 3s and scored 11 of his 17 points in the first half. "It was a little bit personal (playing their Prairie rival, located 7 miles away, for the first time in three years. "We definitely didn't want to lose this game, because losing two in a row would have been really bad in league. Now I think we'll start playing more like we did tonight, than we had in the past."

Alex Horning added 10 of his 18 points in the second half for Post Falls (8-4, 4-1 IEL), which lost to Lake City for the first time since 2014 on Friday. Cole Rutherford and Isaac Ballew added nine points each for the Trojans.

"Our offensive execution was better," Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. "What it came down to was, we played with a lot more energy. Against Lake City, we came out pretty flat, and that's on me. Tonight we came out with better energy, and we were able to keep that enthusiasm up. It was fun again. This group, it hasn't been as much fun (this season), for whatever reason. Tonight we were back having fun as a group."

Noah Haaland scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half for Lakeland (6-4, 2-3). Ammon Munyer added 10 points for the Hawks, and Jalen Skalskiy had seven of his nine points after intermission.

Lakeland was looking to beat Post Falls for the first time in 20 years.

"They just executed better than we did, plain and simple," Lakeland coach Dave Stockwell said. "We kinda freaked out a little bit, got out of character (early). Made a couple of good runs ... and then just started playing not so much like a team. But that's stuff we can learn from."

Post Falls jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 3 1/2 minutes — on 3-pointers by Rutherford, Ballew and McLean — and the Trojans were never headed, despite repeated Lakeland runs.

Carson Seay cut to the basket for a layup to pull Lakeland within 14-11 early in the second quarter. But Post Falls closed the half on a 9-0 run — helped by a technical foul on the Hawks — and took a 30-16 lead into the locker room.

"I think we had some nervous kids; I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little bit nervous," Stockwell said. "We didn’t get out of the gate good either, and I probably screwed that up by changing our defense (to zone) at the beginning from what we normally do, and I probably outsmarted myself."

Lakeland started the second half on a 9-0 run, and Skalskiy's alley-oop dunk pulled the Hawks within 32-29 late in the third quarter.

But Lakeland didn't score a basket the final 6:17 of the game, and Post Falls inched away as Horning scored seven of his points down the stretch.

"Lakeland's going to beat a lot of teams," Mike McLean said. "There's not a lot of high school team in Idaho, they walk on the court and you're like, 'Wow.' Those a real live basketball bodies. Lakeland's really good; they're as good as anybody we've played this year."

Lakeland travels to Lake City on Friday. Post Falls is home vs. Moscow on Saturday.

Lakeland 5 11 17 10 — 43

Post Falls 14 16 8 19 — 57

LAKELAND — Seay 6, Henry 2, Ab. Munyer 2, Am. Munyer 2, Haaland 14, Waddington 0, Skalskiy 9.

POST FALLS — Anderson 0, McLean 17, Hauser 0, Rodriguez 2, Peterson 0, Rutherford 9, Ballew 9, Lee 2, Horning 18.