PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Coeur d'Alene rallies past Post Falls
POST FALLS — The Coeur d’Alene Vikings trailed for much of the game, but showed in the closing minutes why they are leading the Inland Empire League in boys basketball.
Gunner Larson’s putback with 2 minutes remaining broke a 52-all tie, and the Vikings outscored the Post Falls Trojans 21-12 in the fourth quarter for a 60-54 IEL victory Thursday night at The Arena.
We needed a game like this,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams, whose squad beat Post Falls 59-30 last Friday at home. “We needed to deal with adversity, and learn how to come from behind. Proud of the way we closed it out, when things weren't working.”
Larson led the Vikings with 15 points.
Carter Rupp scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter for Coeur d’Alene (15-3, 6-0 IEL), and Logan Orchard also scored 11.
Adams also praised the rebounding of post Max Entzi, who also scored six points.
Sophomore Jaxon Lysne scored a game-high 16 points for Post Falls (11-6, 3-3). He also had three steals. Tyras Blake added nine points and five rebounds.
“That was a high-level basketball game,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “Each team made plays on both ends. And down the stretch, they made more plays than we did.”
Post Falls led 45-39 early in the fourth quarter before Coeur d’Alene rallied.
“Coeur d’Alene did a good job in fourth with their three-quarter-court trap,” McLean said. “It took us out of our rhythm. We fell for the trap of taking the shots they wanted us to take.”
“They were much more physical, and more diligent at getting the ball inside and sealing,” Adams said of Post Falls from the first meeting to Thursday’s game. “We sped the game up in the second half; Gunner Larson had a great game all-around. I was proud of how we responded in a hostile environment.”
On Tuesday, Coeur d’Alene travels to Lewiston and Post Falls visits Lake City, both in IEL games.
Coeur d’Alene 13 11 15 21 — 60
Post Falls 10 16 16 12 — 54
COEUR d’ALENE — Larson 15, Orchard 11, Rupp 11, Nipp 3, Entzi 6, Riley 0, Wheeler 8, Symons 6.
POST FALLS — Lysne 16, McLean 4, McCarthy 9, Cameron 0, McKeown 0, Carver 6, Blake 9, Shields 9, Bowie 1.
Clark Fork 66
Wallace 37
CLARK FORK — Cole Sanroman had 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Wampus Cats in a nonleague win over the Miners at Clark Fork High.
Chase Sanroman and Ethan Howard scored 11 points each for Clark Fork (6-3), which travels to Noxon, Mont., on Tuesday.
Junior Julian Davis had 21 points and six rebounds for Wallace (3-8), which travels to Lakeside on Tuesday.
Wallace 12 10 10 5 — 37
Clark Fork 22 24 16 4 — 66
WALLACE — Davis 21, Paul 8, Larson 6, Guardipee 2, Stutzke 0, Sabala 0, Therrian 0, Anderson 0, Williams 0, Cleveland 0.
CLARK FORK — Co. Sanroman 14, Ch. Sanroman 11, E. Howard 11, O. Howard 10, S. Caven 9, Christofferson 9, W. Caven 2, Yanik 0, Stevens 0.
Mullan 54
Kootenai 44
MULLAN — Senior Stephen Petit scored 22 points and the host Tigers got into the victory column for the first time this season, defeating the Warriors in North Star League play at the Mullan Pavilion.
Talan Rupp Connors scored 14 of his 18 points in the third quarter for Mullan (1-10, 1-2 NSL). Rupp Connors also had six rebounds, Petit eight rebounds and four steals, Logan Petit five steals.
“I’m so happy for the guys; we’ve been working hard,” Mullan coach Paul Elston said. “They really, really played very well, and competed so well, especially in the second half.
“This was a terrific high school basketball game tonight; both teams left it all out there. It had the feeling of a district (tournament) game.”
Chris Moore scored 22 points for Kootenai (1-6, 0-1), and Logan Strobel added 10.
“Kootenai played really hard,” Elston said. “Moore, he’s good, man. Great kid.”
On senior night for Mullan, Elston subbed in seniors Alex Trogden and Austin Zingler a minute into the game. Both have missed the entire basketball season due to knee injuries suffered during football season. Trogden and Zingler stood in the forecourt while Mullan brought the ball across the time line, then Elston called timeout and subbed out the injured pair.
"By far the most fun we had as a team tonight; we played our hearts out and gave everything we had, but came up short," Kootenai coach Tom Tucker said. "Our evil nemesis, the turnover (the Warriors committed 25), showed his ugly face quite often tonight."
“I give a lot of credit to Kootenai,” Elston said. “Class act by Kootenai to allow us to get those two guys into the game.”
Kootenai plays host to Coeur du Christ tonight at 5:30.
Mullan travels to St. Regis (Mont.) on Tuesday.
Kootenai 8 11 16 9 — 44
Mullan 11 5 24 14 — 54
KOOTENAI — Strobel 10, C. Moore 22, Hodges 12, Unger 0, Braz 0, Addington 0, Derry 0.
MULLAN — Rupp Connors 18, S. Petit 22, Imes 3, L. Petit 8, Appiah 4, Calvert 0, Knoll 0, Zingler 0, Trogden 0.
N.I. Christian 70
Christian Center 55
LIBERTY LAKE — Senior Ethan Antone had 20 points and four steals for the Royals in a Mountain Christian League win over the Lions at the HUB Sports Center.
Colton Smith had 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists, Cyrus Coppinger scored 16 points and Michael Marshall had 10 points, five rebounds, four steals and one block for Christian Center (9-7, 6-6 MCL), which travels to Pullman Christian tonight.
Caden Smith had 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, Carson Malinauskas had 18 points and six rebounds for North Idaho Christian (11-7, 8-4), which faces Kootenai Thunder on Tuesday at the HUB.
Christian Center 21 9 17 8 — 55
N.I. Christian 24 9 15 22 — 70
CHRISTIAN CENTER — Jones 5, Tesky 0, Smith 17, Coppinger 16, McWhorter 2, Marshall 10, Cotten 2, Sperling 0, Mametiff 3, Paulson 0, Siers 0.
NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Smith 19, Scott 0, Winde 5, Ca. Malinauskas 18, Antone 20, Co. Malinauskas 8.