5A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL: Coeur d'Alene falls to Lewiston, season over

COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Vikings did everything they could to get back in the game, and put themselves in a position to keep their state tournament hopes alive Thursday night.

But Lewiston found a Way.

Senior Carson Way’s four-point play with 45.5 seconds left gave Lewison the lead for good, and the Bengals went on to eliminate Coeur d’Alene with a 58-54 victory in the 5A Region 1 boys basketball second-place game at Viking Court.

“That was a big possession,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said, noting that just before that, on Coeur d’Alene’s offensive end, two Vikings were fighting for the rebound but knocked it out of bounds. “That rebound went the wrong way, and he hit the big shot. That was a pivotal play for us.”

Coeur d’Alene, trying to get to state for the first time since 2012, finishes 15-8.

Lewiston (16-7), which lost all three previous meetings to Coeur d’Alene this season, will play Meridian (13-11) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Grangeville in a state play-in game.

Coeur d’Alene trailed most of the game, and was down 35-25 with 5:25 left in the third quarter before Kruz Wheeler scored five straight points to trigger a 10-0 run to tie the game in just over a minute.

The Bengals built their lead back to 48-42 with 4:11 left, but Coeur d’Alene kept up the pressure on defense, and Wheeler’s steal and layup with 2:12 left put the Vikings up 51-50.

Then Way hit his big 3 from the right wing, was fouled and made the free throw for a 54-51 Bengal lead.

Coeur d’Alene missed a 3, and Way hit two free throws for a five-point Bengal lead.

Sophomore Carter Rupp drilled a 3 for the Vikings with 20.1 seconds left to make it a two-point game.

But James White, an Idaho football signee, sank two free throws with 17.1 seconds left for a four-point Lewiston lead.

The Vikings, who beat Lewiston in overtime at home in the first round of regionals last Friday, lost the ball on their next possession.

“I was proud of my guys, once we put some full-court pressure on them,” Adams said. “We just didn’t do enough early on to create separation from Lewiston.

“Carson Way, i take my hat off to him, we’ve kept him in check most of the time (this season), but he came up big tonight.”

Way finished with four 3s and 24 points. White added 14 and Michael Wren hit two 3s and scored 11 points.

Senior Alexander Nipp led Coeur d’Alene with 16 points, and Rupp and Wheeler added 11.

“I’m proud of my kids, and my seniors for what they contributed to the program,” Adams said.

Lewiston 18 12 11 17 — 58

Coeur d’Alene 11 12 15 16 — 54

LEWISTON — Gomez 2, Way 24, Bramlet 0, Mader 3, White 14, Wren 11, Hottinger 2, Lawrence 2.

COEUR d’ALENE — Larson 5, Nipp 16, Entzi 0, Rupp 11, Kr. Wheeler 11, Burgess 6, Symons 5, Ka. Wheeler 0.