PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Moscow rallies past Post Falls

POST FALLS — The Post Falls Trojans did everything but finish the job against the Moscow Bears on Wednesday night.

The Trojans had double-digit leads in both halves, but the Bears fought back and Jamari Simpson’s off-balance shot from just inside the foul line with .7 seconds left after an offensive rebound lifted Moscow past Post Falls 56-54 in the Inland Empire League and regular season finale for both teams at The Arena.

“We’ve come a long ways from the beginning of the season,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “We’ve got to do better playing with the lead … we’ll grow from this.”

Jack Sciortino had 13 points and 10 assists for Post Falls (4-17, 0-9 IEL), including eight assists in the first half as the Trojans broke Moscow’s half-court trap often in building a 39-23 halftime lead.

The Bears switched to a full-court press in the second half, and kept the Trojans from making plays in the open court.

Tyras Blake added 11 points for Post Falls, and McLean praised the defense late of sophomore Alex Shields on Bryson Brown of Moscow (12-9, 5-3), after Brown, who finished with 16 points, hit three of his four 3-pointers in the third quarter to kick-start the Bears’ comeback.

Post Falls plays at IEL champion Lake City on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the first round of the 5A Region 1 tournament.

Next Wednesday, Moscow plays host to Monday’s game pitting Sandpoint at Lakeland in the first game of a best-of-3 series to decide the 4A Region 1 title.

Moscow 10 13 21 12 — 54

Post Falls 18 21 9 6 — 56

MOSCOW — Kees 3, Simpson 4, Rehder 3, Isakson 14, Abendroth 8, Brown 16, Strong 8, C. Skinner 0, Z. Skinner 0, Hillman 0.

POST FALLS — Sciortino 13, Naylor 0, Shields 6, McCarthy 3, VonBruck 3, Craig 7, Bowie 8, Blake 11, Butler 0, Cooper 3.