PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Ferris a tall task for Coeur d'Alene in opener
MARK NELKE/Press Kruz Wheeler (3) of Coeur d’Alene goes up for a shot, surrounded by Ferris players Sam Markham (2) and Fareed Lawal, rear, in the first half Thursday night at Viking Court at Coeur d’Alene High.
MARK NELKE/Press Carter Rupp (14) of Coeur d'Alene drives to the basket against Ferris on Thursday night at Coeur d'Alene High.
COEUR d’ALENE — It’s no excuse, but it’s understandable that a team down three of its tallest players might struggle against a player that stands 6 feet, 7 inches.
Coeur d’Alene, missing senior Alexander Nipp (6-4) and juniors Max Entzi (6-4) and junior Camden DeGraw (6-6), allowed 27 points to 6-7 senior Patrick Murphy in a 65-49 loss at Viking Court in the season opener for both schools on Thursday.
“We were limited with only Aaron Ivankovich (6-4) available tonight,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said. “We were concerned that he’d (Murphy) take advantage, and he did. We just didn’t come out in the right defensive mindset and didn’t make them as uncomfortable as we should have defensively. It’s something we need to fix and will.”
Senior Kruz Wheeler, a transfer from Ferris, scored 16 points and sophomore Carter Rupp 12 points for Coeur d’Alene, which hosts Moscow on Monday.
Reese Snellman scored 16 points for Ferris.
Ferris 18 9 21 17 — 65
Coeur d’Alene 6 8 14 21 — 49
FERRIS — Markham 5, Taylor 0, Chisholm 2, Snellman 16, Dean 0, Lawal 2, Skaife 15, Murphy 23.
COEUR d’ALENE — Larson 6, Orchard 6, Wheeler 16, Rupp 12, McGraw 2, Burgess 4, Symons 2, Ivankovich 1.
Lakeside 86
Mullan 20
MULLAN — Senior Vander Brown scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the third quarter for the Knights in a win over the Tigers at the Mullan Pavilion.
“Vander’s a pretty quick kid,” Mullan coach Paul Elston said. “Lakeside’s a tough matchup for a lot of teams and they keep coming after you. They’re very skilled and athletic. But our kids did a lot of good things and fought until the end.”
Lakeside (1-0) hosts Timberlake on Monday.
Austin Zingler scored six points for Mullan (0-2), which hosts the Bonners Ferry freshmen team on Monday.
Lakeside 30 18 26 12 — 86
Mullan 4 5 10 1 — 20
LAKESIDE — V. Brown 27, SiJohn 13, Callahan 10, Rivera 2, Hall 4, Hendrickx 2, Spotted Horse 3, Moffit 6, Charley 14, Peone 7.
MULLAN — F. Nelson 3, Trogden 2, A. Zingler 6, T. Zingler 3, T. Petit 3, Appiah 0, Acheson 2, L. Petit 1, Rupp Connors 0, Imes 0, Ayers 0.
