PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Strawn shines for Lake City in opener

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

SPOKANE — Minus its point guard — Kolton Mitchell, a three-year starter who has signed with Idaho State — for the opener of a season filled with high expectations, the Lake City Timberwolves handed the keys to a sophomore who likely would be starting on many other teams in the area.

Reese Strawn hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 19 points as Lake City, after a slow start, pulled away from Union of Vancouver, Wash., 61-39 on the first day of the Fitz Tournament at Lewis and Clark High.

“I just had to be ready,” the 6-foot-1 Strawn said. “I felt pretty good; I was a little shaky at first, obviously, just getting the first-game jitters out. I think our whole team was. But we had a great second half. We all feed off each other well, and it definitely helped me.”

Mitchell was ejected in a jamboree last week, which meant he had to sit out Lake City’s next game. Mitchell responded to a hard foul by Trenton McLean of Post Falls by shoving McLean, and both were ejected. McLean didn’t play in Post Falls’ opener Tuesday.

Strawn also had seven assistant, three rebounds and two steals for Lake City.

“That was a big deal for us, in a variety of ways,” Lake City coach Jim Winger said. “Kolton is an awfully talented point guard that, I think is one of the top point guards in decades out of Coeur d’Alene. Reese stepped it up, all the way around. He was phenomenal, and handled the ball well; just played a great game all the way around.”

Lake City started slow, with just one basket in the first four minutes. The T-Wolves trailed 17-11 early in the second quarter, then closed with an 11-3 run, capped by Nathan Hocking’s inside basket in the final minute of the half, and led 22-20 at halftime.

Union (1-1), which scored 96 points in its opener, played zone the whole game, and Lake City shredded it to the tune of 25-8 in the third quarter. Strawn hit a pair of 3s early in the quarter, and another 3 at the buzzer for a 47-28 advantage.

“We just came out slow; we were taking good shots, but they were just flat, and rushed,” Strawn said. “Everyone was a little tense. So we just relied on our defense, relied on our transition … then we took off from there.

“I think we were all almost too ready.”

Meanwhile, Blake Buchanan scored four straight baskets in that third-quarter run, including a couple rim-rattlers. The Virginia signee finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

“We were scrambled eggs early,” Winger said. “We were too amped. At the half I felt like if we settled down and ran our stuff, we’d be just fine. We put on quite a stretch there for a while. There were a lot of gaps (in Union’s expanded zone); we finally exploited them.”

Zach Johnson added 10 points and six boards for Lake City. But more importantly, he held Yanni Fassillis, a 6-5 forward who scored 32 points in Union’s opener, to 14 points. Fassillis fouled out with just under five minutes remaining.

“I thought he did a great job,” Winger said of Johnson.

Union was without Evan Manville, a 6-7 forward and the team’s top 3-point shooter, who scored 16 in the opener.

“Very talented team,” 10th-year Union coach Blake Conley said of Lake City. “I knew they were big and physical. Their physicality, and they way they moved their feet defensively, I was really impressed with.”

Lake City played zone a little under half the game; and was most effective with it in that third quarter stretch where the T-Wolves pulled away.

“I thought our zone did really well in the first half; we created turnovers,” Conley said. “We knew they were going to get going, and hit some shots, and they made some good adjustments and did some new things in the second half. Offensively, that was our issue tonight. Baskets were hard to come by tonight. Lake City was physical, and forced us into tough shots.”

Strawn has played point guard most of his life, but with Mitchell ahead of him, has had to contribute in other ways.

“Everybody has to have a certain role on this team, and I haven’t had that on this team yet, so I’m glad I got a chance,” Strawn said. “I’m ready to have Kolton back, though.”

Lake City plays Bothell (0-1), a 57-44 loser to Lewis and Clark on Friday, today at 2:30 at Lewis and Clark.

Union 14 6 8 11 — 39

Lake City 11 11 25 14 — 61

UNION — Cardiel 0, Baldassare 8, Thompson 0, Holcomb 12, Fassillis 14, Burchett 2, Heitsch 0, Dunseth 3, Fuehrer 0.

LAKE CITY — Buchanan 18, Strawn 19, Hill 2, Watson 0, Miller 0, Kiesbuy 5, Johnson 10, Hocking 7.

Borah 57

Post Falls 38

LEWISTON — The Trojans had their looks at the basket.

They just didn’t bounce their way.

Lance Anderson scored 22 points, 10 in the first quarter for the Lions in a win over the Trojans in a nonleague game at Lewiston High.

“Borah came out and Anderson really knocked us on our heels,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “He’s a strong guard and really set the tone for them early. We just shot the ball poorly tonight and need to do a better job.”

Neil McCarthy and Cobe Cameron scored nine points each for Post Falls (0-2), which faces Boise in Lewiston today.

Ryan Willoughby scored 17 points for Borah (2-1), which faces Lewiston today.

Borah 17 12 14 14 — 57

Post Falls 10 7 11 10 — 38

BORAH — Detwiler 5, Anderson 22, Alford 10, Olson-Geyer 0, Brown 0, Yates 2, Fry 1, Haley 0, Melendez 0, Willoughby 17, White 0, Kubena 0.

POST FALLS — Anderson 7, Ostland 1, McLean 4, McCarthy 9, Cameron 9, Craig 6, McKeown 0, Wolfe 0, Blake 3, Bowie 0.

East Valley 81

Lakeland 76

SPOKANE VALLEY — Senior Scotty Hocking scored 30 points for the Hawks, but a 34-point night by Luke Holecek lifted the Knights over the Hawks in the Border Clash at East Valley High.

“Scotty played really well and helped us cut the lead down a little bit in the second quarter,” Lakeland coach Tony Hanna said. “But Holecek got to the rim and did a good job of hitting some shots for them.”

Ben Ryan scored 10 points for Lakeland (0-2), which lost in its opener 50-45 on Tuesday against Kellogg.

“I’m OK with how we’re playing offensively,” Hanna said. “But we need to focus on the defensive end. We got behind early and were trying to catch up the rest of the night. At some point, we’ve got to get some stops.”

Lakeland 19 18 12 27 — 76

East Valley 26 16 16 23 — 81

LAKELAND — Nowell 9, Cameron 6, Ferguson 9, Ryan 10, Tebbe 0, Rothrock 0, Hocking 30, Anderson 8, Harris 4, Locke 0.

EAST VALLEY — Harry 7, Anderson 0, Wilkinson 13, Stevens 9, Callihan 3, Bates 0, Cloud 0, Whallon 2, Holecek 34, Hansen 7, Layne 6.

Genesis Prep 76

Kootenai 10

POST FALLS — The host Jaguars hit nine 3-pointers to run past the Warriors in the season opener for both at The Courts.

“Our defensive intensity really set the tone for the game,” Genesis Prep coach Lon Morast said. “It was the first game for both and a little sloppy at first, but we shot the ball really well and played unselfishly.”

Carson Rubert scored 15 points for Genesis Prep, which plays at the Lake City JV on Wednesday.

Kootenai is scheduled to host Highland High of Craigmont on Dec. 10.

Kootenai 4 3 3 0 — 10

Genesis Prep 23 19 28 6 — 76

KOOTENAI — Addington 2, Ausman 2, Moore 4, Tiller 2, Moore 0, Myers 0, Hodges 0.

GENESIS PREP — Schulz 3, Farrell 8, Rubert 15, Russworm 6, Martin 2, Earley 4, Tosh 12, Nichols 4, Bateman 3, Young 3, Specht 7, Daniels 9, Wood 0.

Timberlake 64

Wallace 36

WALLACE — Jacob Vallieres scored a game-high 16 points for the Tigers, who pulled away in the second half to beat the Miners in the opening round of the Silver Valley Tournament at Kirby Krulitz Court.

Timberlake (1-0) faces Kellogg in the championship game tonight at 7:30. Wallace (1-1) faces Timberline of Weippe in the consolation game.

“We were able to come out and played good pressure defense and were able to get some offense going,” Timberlake coach Mike LaFountaine said. “We’ve got a tough one tomorrow against Kellogg and glad we get to see them tomorrow night.”

Raj Olivieri had 13 points and Ayson McLuskie 11 points for Timberlake.

Brad Tesky scored 13 points for Wallace.

Timberlake 14 4 19 27 — 64

Wallace 6 7 12 13 — 38

TIMBERLAKE — Olivieri 13, McLuskie 11, Vallieres 16, H. Higgins 7, V. Higgins 2, MacArthur 8, Yetter 6, McDougall 1.

WALLACE — Tesky 13, Streeter 9, Davis 3, Ritchey 3, Hasz 2, Cleveland 0, Schmidt 2, Morden 0, D. Davis 0.

Kellogg 71

Timberline 44

WALLACE — Senior Kolby Luna scored 13 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter for the Wildcats, who overwhelmed the Spartans of Weippe in the opening round of the Silver Valley Tournament at Kirby Krulitz Court.

Riply Luna scored 11 points for Kellogg (2-0), which advances to the championship game tonight at 7 p.m.

Gavin Christopherson scored 18 points for Timberline (1-1), which plays in the consolation game at 5:30 p.m.

Kellogg 27 23 17 4 — 71

Timberline 9 11 15 9 — 44

KELLOGG — Miller 5, Whatcott 8, R. Luna 11, Coburn 5, Maciosek 2, O’Neill 2, Robinson 6, Hendrix 4, Taylor 4.

TIMBERLINE — Brown 11, West 6, Marshall 0, Nelson 0, Tuikolorato 2, Hunter 7, Christopherson 18.