5A REGION 1 GIRLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Lakeland edged by Sandpoint in opener

SANDPOINT — Lakeland got the better of Sandpoint during the regular season in Inland Empire League girls basketball, the Hawks beating the Bulldogs by 10 and 8 points during the regular season. 

But Sandpoint now has the upper hand over Lakeland, after the Bulldogs outscored the visiting Hawks 16-9 in the fourth quarter to notch a 44-42 victory in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the 5A Region 1 title Tuesday night at Les Rogers Court. 

Game 2 is Thursday at 6 p.m. at Sandpoint, with Sandpoint (13-10) needing one victory to advance to state. If Lakeland (14-6) wins Thursday, the deciding game would be played Saturday at 6 p.m. at Sandpoint for the region’s lone berth to state.

Junior Karstyn Kiefer had a game-high 19 points and three steals for Lakeland 

From a 22-all halftime tie, Lakeland took a seven-point lead in the third quarter thanks to seven points in the quarter from Kiefer. The Hawks also led by seven early in the fourth. 

A driving layin by Livia Driggs put Sandpoint up 39-38 with 2 ½ minutes left. 

Macy Bretveld’s fast-break basket with 1:52 left gave Lakeland a 40-39 edge. 

Two free throws by Jordyn Tomco with 1:42 left put Sandpoint up 41-40, and two free throws by Driggs with 28.7 seconds left made it a three-point Bulldog lead. 

Sandpoint’s defense kept Lakeland from getting a good look at a 3-pointer in the closing seconds. 

Landree Simon added seven points and seven rebounds for Lakeland, last year’s regional champs. Mariana Bullington had nine rebounds for the Hawks, and Bretveld had eight boards and two blocked shots. 

Tomco, a sophomore, had a team-high 14 points, 11 in the second half, and drained three 3-pointers. Driggs, also a sophomore, scored seven of her 10 in the second half, and the two combined to score all of the Bulldogs' fourth-quarter points 

Even though Lakeland swept Sandpoint during the regular season, Sandpoint earned the No. 1 seed to regionals based on a better record in the combined 6A/5A IEL. 

Sandpoint rallied despite the loss of star sophomore Brecken Mire, who went down at the end of the third quarter with a lower leg injury. 

"Unfortunately injuries happen and you only get a little time to process it and then be back out on the court," Sandpoint coach Will Love said. "When Brecken went out, we told the girls that she would be telling them to go out there, fight their hardest and get this win — that she wouldn't expect anything else out of all those girls who got in during that fourth quarter." 

Lakeland 12 10 11 9 — 42 

Sandpoint 11 11 6 16 — 44 

LAKELAND — Kiefer 19, Bretveld 9, Simon 7, J. McMurray 5, Bullington 2. 

SANDPOINT — Tomco 14, Mire 12, L. Driggs 10, Ch. Laybourne 8.