STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN GAMES: Coeur d'Alene, Kellogg, Lakeside, Clark Fork all fall

GRANGEVILLE — The Coeur d’Alene Vikings fell behind 20-7 after one quarter and had to play catch-up the rest of the way in the loss to the defending state champion Meridian Warriors in a 73-60 loss in a state 5A play-in game Saturday at Grangeville High.

Meridian shot 63 percent (26 of 41) for the game, including 10 of 18 from 3-point range. The Warriors were 9 of 12 from the field in the first quarter, including two 3s.

“They just couldn’t miss,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said of Meridian. “They were hitting everything. That’s a dangerous team that can knock down shots. The first time we played them (a 40-29 Coeur d’Alene victory at Meridian on Dec. 30), they didn’t.”

Senior Cameren Cope and junior Steven Burgess scored 14 points each for Coeur d’Alene (16-6), which was bidding for its first state tourney berth since 2012.

“I know this hurts right now,” said Adams, in his second season at his alma mater. “It’s been a long time since this program had any success. I’m incredibly proud of the steps we took forward this year. There’s lots to be thankful for; kudos to the seniors for pushing the program forward.”

Austin Ramos made 4 of 4 from deep and scored 17 points for Meridian (17-9), which opens vs. third-seeded Madison of Rexburg in the first round Thursday at 4 p.m. PST at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. Brock Voegele hit 3 of 4 3s and added 14 points, and Ethan Pearce scored 14.

“Our defense has been good all year, but we just seemed to be one step slow today,” Adams said.

Coeur d’Alene 7 12 20 21 — 60

Meridian 20 17 19 17 — 73

COEUR d’ALENE — Entzi 6, King 0, C. Larson 8, Wellsandt 4, Nipp 0, Cope 14, Burgess 14, Orchard 9, G. Larson 5.

MERIDIAN — Gwilliam 0, Pearce 14, Ramos 17, Kaden 2, Thacker 0, Voegele 14, Hudgins 4, Reynolds 5, Sanor 8, Martinez 9.

Fruitland 56

Kellogg 36

GRANGEVILLE — The Wildcats shot 24 percent from the field and committed 22 turnovers in the loss to the Grizzlies in a state 3A play-in game at Grangeville High.

Kellogg (15-9) shot 12 of 51 from the field, including 3 of 20 from 3-point range.

“We had some opportunities early, and didn’t take advantage,” Kellogg coach Mike Martin said. “In the second half Fruitland just blew it open; they hit some shots and we didn’t.”

Kolby Luna scored 12 points, Tanner Groves 11 for Kellogg.

“A lot of our turnovers were in the half-court,” Martin said. “They did a good job of pressuring the ball, but a lot of our turnovers were unforced.”

Nolan Bower, a 6-foot-8 senior center, scored 17 points for Fruitland (18-7), which advances to state at Meridian High. The fourth-seeded Grizzlies open vs. No. 5 Kimberly (16-6) on Thursday at 1 p.m. PST.

Kellogg won the Intermountain League, but was upended at home by Bonners Ferry for the district title, before eliminating Timberlake to advance to the state play-in.

“That’s how it goes, the ebbs and flows of the season,” Martin said. “I don’t think this past week we were playing our best basketball. It’s a bummer because I’m proud of this group of (four) seniors.”

Kellogg 8 7 11 10 — 36

Fruitland 10 10 17 19 — 56

KELLOGG — Miller 0, Whatcott 0, R. Luna 4, K. Luna 12, McLean 4, Groves 11, Maciosek 1, Frohlich 2, Walker 2, Hendrix 0, Bristow 0.

FRUITLAND — Rodriguez 6, Watson 0, Jackson 2, Bidwell 1, Barunaga 7, Daws 2, Hamann 9, Capps 12, Bower 17, Snyder 0.

Logos 66

Lakeside 65

COEUR d’ALENE — Will Casebolt hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5 seconds left, and Logos of Moscow rallied from 20 points down in the first half to stun Lakeside in a state 1A Division I play-in game at Lake City High.

After Casebolt’s basket, Lakeside rushed the ball up the court, but Josh Kee’s layup was ruled to have come after the buzzer by the officials.

“I don’t even know what to say,” said Lakeside coach James Twoteeth, who thought Kee got his shot off in time.

Logos (16-7) advances to state at Vallivue High in Caldwell, and as the fourth seed will play No. 5 Oakley (16-6) in a first-round game Thursday at 1 p.m. PST.

Lakeside, bidding for its third straight trip to state, and second since moving up to 1A Division I, finishes 12-4.

Junior Vander Brown, a member of those past two state tourney teams, tossed in a game-high 36 points for Lakeside, which won by two points at Logos earlier in the season.

Casebolt, a senior, scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter. With 12.1 seconds left, Casebolt brought the ball up the court, used a screen just past midcourt and hit his game-winning 3 on the move.

“It was just an amazing shot.,” first-year Logos coach Joe Casebolt said. “The kid played the whole 32 minutes, so he was drained of energy, on the run, leaning. Nailing that shot was just gutsy and impressive.”

“We knew he was going to shoot it,” Twoteeth said. “We fell asleep; we were falling asleep all night.

You just can’t lose him, and they would just lose him; that’s when he would score.”

Nayati Vassar added 10 points, Quincy Hall nine, Brutis SiJohn seven for Lakeside, which had several new players on the varsity this year.

Lakeside’s press was effective in the first half in building that 20-point lead in the second quarter. Logos got within one point several times in the fourth quarter, but never took the lead until Will Casebolt’s go-ahead 3.

“We had practiced against the press last night, because we knew they would press us,” Joe Casebolt said. “We just had a ton of turnovers in that first half that led to that 20-point deficit. We locked down in man defense that second half, that really helped. And their No. 1 (Brown) had four fouls, so they weren’t able to press us as much with him in foul trouble.”

Logos 15 14 14 23 — 66

Lakeside 20 22 10 13 — 65

LOGOS — Nuttbrock 3, Wilson 10, Kline 0, Driskill 4, Casebolt 31, Whitling 4, Elmore 10, Druffel 4.

LAKESIDE — V. Brown 36, SiJohn 7, Vassar 10, Hall 9, P. Brown 0, Nomee 0, See 3.

Timberline 65

Clark Fork 61

COEUR d’ALENE — The Wampus Cats held a slim lead most of the way, but the Spartans of Weippe overtook Clark Fork in the final few minutes of the state 1A Division II play-in game at Lake City High.

Timberline, which trailed by seven at halftime and by four after three quarters, tied it at 56 on a three-point play by Micah Nelson. Another free throw put the Spartans ahead by one, but Clark Fork’s Sam Barnett answered with a running bank shot with a minute and a half left.

Timberline hit 5 of 6 free throws while the Wampus Cats committed a turnover, and a tying 3 by Barnett rattled out.

Cole Sanroman’s 3 with 7.5 seconds left pulled Clark Fork within one, and the Wampus Cats fouled with 6.5 seconds left.

Gavin Christopherson made the first and missed the second for Timberline for a two-point lead. But Clark Fork couldn’t corral the rebounded, and Nelson snuck in and grabbed the ball. He was fouled and hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to ice the game.

“We made some horrible choices in passing,” Clark Fork coach Heath Beason said. “Our turnovers got us … we had this game, and we were doing very well, and we can’t blame anybody but ourselves. I felt that we played a very good game, I just think at the end we put too much pressure on ourselves; we tried to make things happen when they weren’t there.”

Parker Brown hit three 3-pointers and scored 21 points for Timberline (13-10), which advances to state at Caldwell High. The seventh-seeded Spartans open Thursday at 6 p.m. PDT vs. No. 2 Carey (18-6).

Clark Fork, bidding for its second straight trip to state, finished 15-7.

Carter Sanroman led the Wampus Cats with 23 points before fouling out with 1:55 left. Barnett added 17 points.

Timberline 15 12 14 24 — 65

Clark Fork 15 19 11 16 — 61

TIMBERLINE — Brown 21, West 2, M. Nelson 11, J. Nelson 5, Hunter 16, G. Christopherson 10, J. Christopherson 0.

CLARK FORK — Ca. Sanroman 23, Ch. Sanroman 4, Co. Sanroman 6, Barnett 17, Howard 4, Mayorga 4, Shelton 3.