PREP BASKETBALL: Timberlake girls fall to Sandpoint in defensive battle

| January 30, 2024 1:10 AM

• GIRLS

SANDPOINT — In a defensive battle between two of the top teams in their respective divisions, the 4A Sandpoint Bulldogs downed the 3A Timberlake Tigers 47-35 in nonleague play Monday night at Les Rogers Court.

Neither team scored until 2:40 remaining in the first quarter.

Senior Kursten McKellips had 11 points and five rebounds for Timberlake (13-4), last year’s state runner-up, and ranked second in 3A by the state’s media. Junior Diana Nelson had six rebounds for the Tigers.

Senior Karlie Banks and freshman Brecken Mire each scored 17 points for Sandpoint (17-3), the reigning state champions, and ranked No. 2 in 4A this week.

“It was a great defensive effort tonight," Sandpoint coach Will Love said. "I was telling the girls after the game that if you can hold a Timberlake team to 35, it's a really big accomplishment. We have changed our defense around a little bit, going to a 2-3 zone, which we have only been doing since the Lake City game. We know the girls are going to keep improving with it each chance that they get to play. They teamed up to do an awesome job tonight."

Timberlake plays host to North Idaho Christian on Wednesday.

Timberlake 8 9 8 10 — 35

Sandpoint 5 14 11 17 — 47

TIMBERLAKE — McKellips 11, Young 8, Needs 7, Simpson 4, MacArthur 3, Nelson 2, Soumas 0.

SANDPOINT — Banks 17, B. Mire 17, Tomco 11, L. Driggs 2, Driggs 0, Laybourne 0, Richardson 0, Knowles 0.

Lakeside 52

Genesis Prep 32

PLUMMER — Senior Martina Rivera sank both of her 3-pointers in the first quarter as the host Knights jumped out to a 14-4 lead en route to the Scenic Idaho Conference victory at Ron Miller Court.

Sophomore Kyleigh Wolfe scored a game-high 17 points for first-place Lakeside (6-8, 3-0 SIC). Rivera finished with 12 points.

Senior Katie Yount led Genesis Prep (9-11, 0-4) with 14 points.

Lakeside plays host to second-place Wallace (10-5, 2-1) on Wednesday to decide the league title.

Genesis Prep is idle until the first round of the 1A Division I District 1 tournament next Monday at North Idaho College.

Genesis Prep 4 16 10 2 — 32

Lakeside 14 11 12 15 — 52

GENESIS PREP — S. Martin 0, E. Martin 1, Williams 6, Nelke 2, Yount 14, Nichols 0, Lawler 9.

LAKESIDE — Gorr 2, Pluff 6, Wolfe 17, Rivera 12, A. Lowley 0, Wienclaw 2, Hodgson 0, Lozon 0, D. Lowley 8, Nomee 0, Lambert 5.

Priest River 33

St. Maries 27

ST. MARIES — After leading after the first quarter and at halftime, the host Lumberjacks managed just eight points in the second half of the Central Idaho League loss to the Spartans.

“They went into a zone in the second half, and we just did not react real well to it, didn’t move the ball well,” St. Maries coach Gary Krumheuer said.

St. Maries, which led 13-8 after one quarter and 19-17 at the half, shot 19 percent from the field, Priest River 23 percent.

Brenna Elliott had 11 points, Averie Baird 14 rebounds for St. Maries (3-14, 1-5 CIL).

Desi Humphrey hit two 3s and scored eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter for Priest River (9-6, 2-4).

St. Maries plays host to Kellogg tonight at 5:30.

Priest River 8 9 5 11 — 33

St. Maries 13 6 2 6 — 27

PRIEST RIVER — Coleman 5, Pound 9, White 4, Thompson 0, Burgess-Duquette 0, Humphrey 10, Yount 3, McCracken 9, Jensen 2.

ST. MARIES — B. Elliott 11, Martin 0, Baird 4, R. Yearout 6, Sindt 4, Sloper 2, M. Yearout 0, Linnemeyer 0.

• BOYS

Timberlake 74

Genesis Prep 41

SPIRIT LAKE — Tyler Engelson hit three 3s and scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half, and the host Tigers jumped out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter en route to the nonleague victory over the Jaguars.

Nathaniel Dykeman added 15 points, Vaughn Higgins 12 for Timberlake (5-12), which forced 28 turnovers.

“We’re working on our matchup zone to get ready for Bonners Ferry, and it created a lot of turnovers tonight,” Timberlake coach Mike LaFountaine said. “We were hustling all over the floor. Our kids just played hard; it was rewarding to see our kids work hard and reap the benefits.”

Junior Dylan Tosh led Genesis Prep (5-12) with 15 points. Spencer Farrell hit three 3s for the Jaguars, who finished 7 for 39 from deep.

Timberlake plays host to Bonners Ferry on Friday, in the second of two meetings between the only two basketball-playing schools in the Intermountain League. The Badgers, ranked second in 3A by the state’s media, beat the Tigers 84-45 in the Backwood Brawl spirit game Jan. 19 in Bonners Ferry.

“We have to come out this hard, if not harder (against Bonners Ferry), and get them to miss some,” LaFountaine said.

Genesis Prep returns to action next Monday at the Coeur d’Alene junior varsity.

Genesis Prep 7 16 6 12 — 41

Timberlake 23 17 13 21 — 74

GENESIS PREP — Farrell 11, Nichols 0, Tosh 15, Martin 3, Bateman 3, Meyer 2, Earley 3, Blood 4.

TIMBERLAKE — Engelson 20, Dykeman 15, Yetter 7, DeVore 2, Meidinger 9, McDougall 6, Dorman 3, Higgins 12.

N.I. Christian 75

Country Christian 56

PASCO, Wash. — Senior Ethan Antone hit four 3-pointers and scored 20 points as the visiting Royals avenged an earlier loss by beating Country Christian in Mountain Christian League play.

Caden Smith had 27 points (on 13-of-19 shooting), 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals for North Idaho Christian (12-7, 9-4 MCL). Carson Malinauskas had 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals for the Royals, and Colton Malinauskas had 11 points and eight boards.

Logan Beck hit five 3s and scored a game-high 30 points for Country Christian, and Shamgar Nakamura added 21.

North Idaho Christian plays the Kootenai Thunder tonight at 8 at the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake on senior night.

N.I. Christian 16 18 31 10 — 75

Country Chr. 7 13 16 20 — 56

NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Smith 27, Scott 2, Winde 0, Holte 0, Ca. Malinauskas 15, Antone 20, Hill 0, Co. Malinauskas 11, Thacker 0, Sakae 0.

COUNTRY CHRISTIAN — Blocher 4, Nakamura 21, Tucker 0, Prantle 3, Albin 2, W. Miller 0, Sheehan 0, Beck 30, C. Miller 0, Z. Reavis 0.

Chr. Center 82

Chr. Heritage 41

EDWALL, Wash. — Senior Colton Smith, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career in the last game, scored 33 points as the visiting Lions beat Christian Heritage in Mountain Christian League play.

Smith now has 1,034 career points.

Javan Tesky added 13 points for Christian Center School (11-7, 8-6 MCL), which plays host to Coeur du Christ tonight at 8 at the Boys and Girls Club in Coeur d’Alene.

Owen Pendell led Christian Heritage with 17 points.

Chr. Center 21 23 30 8 — 82

Chr. Heritage 21 5 10 5 — 41

CHRISTIAN CENTER — Jones 5, Tesky 13, Smith 33, Coppinger 11, McWhorter 4, Marshall 5, Cotton 6, Sperling 0, Mametieff 0, Paulson 0, Siers 5.

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE — O. Pendell 17, Flowers 2, N. Pendell 2, Roberts 7, Colvin 2, Victor 11, Homath 0.