5A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL: Lakeland ousted after comeback falls short

SANDPOINT — Lakeland’s season came to an end Friday night in the first round of the 5A Region 1 tournament, but the Hawks didn’t go down without a fight. 

No. 3 seeded Lakeland battled back from a 12-point halftime deficit before falling short to the No. 2 Sandpoint Bulldogs 53-51 in a loser-out game at Les Rogers Court. 

Senior guard Mason Hensley totaled 30 points, four assists and three steals for the Hawks, who finished 9-12 under first-year coach Caleb De Fabiis. 

“Tonight was a tough loss, but I’m incredibly proud of how our team fought until the very end,” De Fabiis said. “Sandpoint bothered us with their length, and it’s always a battle when we face them. We didn’t come out the way we wanted in the first half and the first part of the second half, but the resilience and effort we showed in the second half was fun to watch.”

Junior Logan Roos had 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots for Sandpoint, which plays No. 1 Lewiston (18-4) in a best-of-3 series for the regional title and the region’s lone berth to state.

Lewiston eliminated No. 4 Moscow (6-15) with a 62-47 victory. 

Games are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, and Saturday if necessary, all at Lewiston. 

Lakeland trailed by 15 points twice in the third quarter, before going on a 9-0 run to pull within 48-42. 

With .9 seconds left and a chance to tie, Lakeland was fouled on a 3-pointer, but made just one of three from the line. 

“We had a chance to tie it at the free-throw line, and that’s a testament to the fight in our players,” De Fabiis said. “We’ll learn from this, keep working, and get ready for the next opportunity. This group has a lot of heart, and we’re excited about what lies ahead.” 

Hensley scored 15 in each half. 

"I thought we did a pretty good job on him (Hensley) the first two games, but playing someone three times, it's hard — it's hard to beat somebody three times," Sandpoint coach Brian Childs said. "He got free tonight and we tried to keep it out of his right hand, but he did a good job mixing up his drives. He's a good ballplayer." 

Lakeland 13 12 13 13 — 51 

Sandpoint 18 19 11 5 — 53 

LAKELAND — Hensley 30, Harris 5, Carrel 5, Taylor 4, Larcher 3, Cook 2, Weil 2.  

SANDPOINT — Roos 19, Williams 9, Corbett 8, Jones 6, Chamberlain 6, Gion 2, Yarbrough 2, Iverson 1.