STATE 5A GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sweet repeat ... Vikings down Timberwolves for program's second straight title, 11th overall

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

NAMPA — “I love this rivalry.”

Consider this another — giant — chapter.

17 years later, Coeur d’Alene got one over Lake City for the state 5A girls basketball championship.

Coeur d’Alene junior Kelsey Carroll scored on a layup late in the third quarter to give the Vikings a 42-41 lead after the third quarter.

In the fourth, UNLV-bound Coeur d’Alene senior guard Teagan Colvin took over, scoring 13 of her game-high 25 points as the fourth-seeded Vikings won a second straight state title, beating the second-seeded Timberwolves 58-49 in the Ford Idaho Center on Saturday night.

“Everyone doubted us and didn’t think we could do it,” Colvin said. “Back-to-back, nobody thought we could get it done. But to go out and show them what we could do, that’s my favorite part of this.”

Colvin also had four rebounds and five assists for Coeur d’Alene, which won its 11th state title in program history.

After Lake City won both regular season meetings, Coeur d’Alene beat Lake City 50-31 in the Region 1 title game on Feb. 6 at Lake City High.

“I knew it was going to be back-to-back,” fifth-year Coeur d’Alene coach Nicole Symons said. “I don’t think they played well the last time we played them, but they played great the first two games of the tournament. I told the girls we’d better be ready and they’ve got weapons everywhere. We took away (Avery) Waddington, but KaLiah (Frazey) stepped up big time tonight.

“I knew it was going to be back and forth and different from our game last year,” Symons said, referring to last year's 65-27 rout of Rocky Mountain of Meridian in the championship game. “It was a fun game for our community and all the north up there. It was a pretty cool experience.”

Frazey, a senior, scored a career-high 23 points for Lake City, which finished second in its first title game appearance since beating Coeur d’Alene for the 2007 title.

“The whole game was a roller coaster,” first-year Lake City coach David Pratt said. “We knew it was going to be a brawl. Two rivals getting after it on that stage was great. The shot Avery hit before halftime was big-time. Big-time players making big-time plays. The second half was a little different and we weren’t able to cash in; they were able to.”

The game was tied 26-26 at halftime and Lake City grabbed the lead at 41-40 on a basket by Frazey with 58.9 seconds remaining in the third, before Carroll followed with her go-ahead basket.

“He (Pratt) had them prepared,” Symons said. “They did a great job of running that zone at us. It really slowed us down and it took a while to figure out how to slow it down and attack it and find the soft spot. Coach Pratt had them prepared and our girls just stayed steady and kept grinding through it. It’s just crazy.”

Senior Maddie Mitchell, a starter on last year’s team, finished with 10 points and two assists for Coeur d’Alene.

“This season was really special because it showed our entire team’s grind and work to get here,” Mitchell said. “It shows the North girls can play. I’m glad I can end on a high note.”

Carroll added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Vikings.

“It was just incredible to come down with this group of girls,” Carroll said. “Once we got into that fourth quarter, we got a couple of stops and everything just kind of fell into place. We just played really well.”

Waddington, who has signed with Montana, hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 26-26 for Lake City. The Timberwolves were held scoreless for a four-minute stretch in the fourth quarter as the lead grew from 47-43 with 5:40 remaining to 52-43 with 59 seconds remaining.

“It was an energy boost and going into halftime 0-0,” Waddington said. “Second is still a good accomplishment. It’s been a great season and to finish this off with these girls was great. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s kind of cool to have that experience.”

Frazey scored 11 of her 23 points in the second half for Lake City, which shot 19 of 39.

“I came out wanting to win,” Frazey said. “We came out ready to work and fell short, and that’s OK. Them beating us in the district championship, we wanted to take it back, but it happens.”

“She had the game of her career,” Pratt said of Frazey, who has committed to NAIA Langston University in Oklahoma. “We knew she was capable of having a night like that because they were going to key on our biggest scorers (Waddington and Zufelt) and she did.”

It was Symons' second title as Vikings' coach. She also won two state titles as a player, with Coeur d'Alene in 1994 and with Lake City the following year.

“It felt really good to go back and forth with them,” Colvin said. “It was a really good game. The first half was crazy and the emotions were high, and you could tell. The second half, that was our main key and got us over the top. To go back-to-back with anyone, it’s special. But to do it with this group, it’s really great.”

All four Lake City seniors — Waddington, Frazey, Kamryn Pickford and Sophia Zufelt —played all 32 minutes.

“I don’t know if it was us playing so many minutes over the last two games, I didn’t sub a lot,” Pratt said. “But I wanted those seniors and Sadie (Zimmerman) to go ahead and do what they needed to do. We were short on a few shots, but didn’t put the ball in the hole and that lead extended.”

Lake City’s lone losses came to Rocky Mountain and Coeur d’Alene, twice.

“25-3 is awesome,” Pratt said. “We didn’t end the way we wanted to end, but second place is a big deal. We got to play on a big stage in front of all those people. I’m really proud of all these kids. They gave me everything they had. Second place, it’s not what we wanted, but it’s a big accomplishment.”

With Saturday’s win, Symons has won 100 games as Viking coach.

“That was pretty cool,” Symons said. “That’s stuff I don’t count and pay attention to. I worry more about our losses than our wins right now.”

Coeur d’Alene    14    12    16    16    —    58

Lake City    16    10    15    8    —    49

COEUR d’ALENE — T. Colvin 25, Mitchell 10, Bridge 0, Wallis 3, B. Colvin 7, Lopez 0, Holecek 0, Larson 0, Shafer 0, Carroll 12. Totals 20-51 9-10 58.

LAKE CITY — Murphey 0, Frazey 23, Pickford 2, Zufelt 5, Waddington 11, Zimmerman 8. Totals 19-39 6-8 49.

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Coeur d'Alene freshman Brookeslee Colvin protects the ball from Lake City junior Sadie Zimmerman in the state 5A girls basketball championship game Saturday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
 

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Lake City senior Avery Waddington corrals a rebound against Coeur d'Alene in the state 5A girls basketball championship game Saturday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
  

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Coeur d'Alene senior Teagan Colvin, center, and Lake City senior KaLiah Frazey meet in the lane in the state 5A girls basketball championship game Saturday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Coeur d'Alene High senior Teagan Colvin (1) holds the trophy aloft as the Vikings celebrate after beating Lake City 58-49 in the state 5A girls basketball championship game Saturday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.