PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Post Falls scores big win at Coeur d'Alene
COEUR d’ALENE — Six days after Post Falls lost by 12 points at home to Coeur d’Alene, the Trojans bounced back with a big win on the Vikings’ home court Thursday night.
Freshman Connor Carver scored the go-ahead basket from a few feet out with some eight seconds left, and Post Falls defeated fourth-ranked Coeur d’Alene 53-51 for its first Inland Empire League victory of the season Thursday night at Viking Court.
“In the last three or four weeks, my guys have really improved, come a long ways in every aspect; we just hadn’t seen the difference on the scoreboard,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “It speaks to the character of my kids, believing in themselves. Tonight was the first time when a team made a run on us, we stopped the bleeding and responded.”
Cooper Craig had 12 points and eight rebounds for Post Falls (3-14, 1-4 IEL), and Tyras Blake added 11 points for the Trojans, who led by 10 points in the third quarter. Coeur d’Alene 11-5, 3-2) battled back and tied it at 51 on Alexander Nipp’s three-point play with a minute and a half left.
The Vikings forced a turnover, but missed a shot with roughly 30 seconds left, allowing Post Falls to set up for the last shot.
The Trojans took the ball to the left wing, then reversed the ball to the right side to Alex Shields, who dumped the ball inside to Carver, who was wide open thanks to a cross screen from Blake on the opposite block.
“That was a play we had run a couple of times before and had success,” McLean said. “There was no reason to draw something (new) up.”
Steven Burgess led Coeur d’Alene with 14 points.
“We just weren't prepared; they had better energy, better effort,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said. “They crashed the boards extremely well; Cooper Craig was all over the glass. We beat ’em last week; the guys might have overlooked them to Lake City, and you can’t do that. They wanted it more than us.”
Coeur d’Alene plays at Lake City on Saturday. Post Falls is home vs. Lake City on Tuesday.
Post Falls 6 21 12 14 — 53
Coeur d’Alene 8 16 9 18 — 51
POST FALLS — Ostlund 2, McLean 3, McCarthy 7, Shields 4, Cameron 0, Craig 12, McKeown 0, Wolfe 0, Blake 11, Bowie 5, Carver 9.
COEUR d’ALENE — Larson 2, Orchard 8, Cherny 0, Smith 1, Nipp 6, Entzi 0, Rupp 7, McGraw 4, Burgess 14, Symons 9.
Lake City 77
Freeman 53
COEUR d’ALENE — Deacon Kiesbuy, one of seven players honored on senior night, poured in 22 points as the Timberwolves cruised past the Scotties of Rockford, Wash.
Kiesbuy hit 9 of 14 from the floor, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, for Lake City (14-0), ranked No. 1 in the state 5A media poll.
“He had a great all-around game,” Lake City coach Jim Winger said. “He shot the ball well, but he had a great game defensively as well.”
Sophomore Reese Strawn had 12 points and four assists for Lake City. Senior Nathan Hocking had 12 points, senior Kolton Mitchell 11 points and six assists, senior Blake Buchanan eight points and eight boards, senior Justin Hill six rebounds.
“We’ve been getting a lot of production from everybody, especially the last few weeks,” Winger said. We just played very high octane offensively and defensively. You never know what you’re going to get (on senior night), but the kids were pumped up. It really seems like yesterday when a lot of these kids played at halftime as elementary school kids. It was emotional for me.”
Gabe Schulhauser scored 21 points for Freeman (16-2), ranked fourth in 1A in The Associated Press poll. Boen Phelps, who plays club basketball with Mitchell, Buchanan and Hocking, added 10 for the Scotties.
Lake City plays host to Coeur d’Alene on Saturday.
Freeman 9 15 14 15 — 53
Lake City 19 27 20 11 — 77
FREEMAN — Phelps 10, Wells 10, Schulhauser 21, Coyner 0, McLean 0, Hodges 0, Grant 0, Vanhoff 0, Goldsmith 10, LaPointe 0, Florence 2.
LAKE CITY — Buchanan 8, Strawn 12, Hill 2, Miller 7, Kiesbuy 22, Johnson 3, Mitchell 11, Snow 0, Hocking 12.
Mullan 70
Kootenai 23
MULLAN — Floyd Nelson scored 24 points for the Tigers in a North Star League win over the Warriors at the Mullan Pavilion.
“We were able to get a lot of guys the ball tonight,” Mullan coach Paul Elston said. “The kids did a good job of sharing the ball tonight.”
Alex Trogden scored nine points for Mullan (6-7, 2-2 NSL), which travels to the Lakeside JV on Feb. 3.
Riley Ausman scored 10 points for Kootenai (0-8, 0-3), which travels to the Lakeside JV tonight.
Kootenai 5 8 4 6 — 23
Mullan 17 22 18 13 — 70
KOOTENAI — Addington 0, J. Moore 0, Ausman 10, C. Moore 6, Hodges 5, Tiller 2.
MULLAN — Nelson 24, Trogden 9, A. Zingler 5, T. Zingler 8, S. Petit 5, L. Petit 2, Rupp Connors 0, Acheson 8, Appiah 3, Imes 3, Knoll 0, Ayers 3.
The Oaks 68
N.I. Christian 61
LIBERTY LAKE — Noah Manson hit six 3-pointers and scored 28 points as The Oaks defeated the Royals in Mountain Christian League play at the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake.
Larry Fendich scored 20 points, Caiden Smith and Ethan Antone 15 each for North Idaho Christian (15-11, 11-2 MCL), which plays Country Christian of Pasco on Saturday at Holy Family Catholic School in Coeur d’Alene.
The Oaks 18 12 18 20 — 68
N.I. Christian 15 11 18 14 — 61
THE OAKS — J.L. Curran 10, Situbin 2, Manson 28, Harken 17, Christensen 9, Strickler 2, J.M. Curran 0.
NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Fendich 20, Barnett 1, Hunter 0, Smith 15, Ca. Malinauskas 10, Antone 15.