Sandpoint tops Coeur d'Alene

COEUR d'ALENE — Blake Mahler drained two huge 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 19 points.

Ben Mitchell is making a habit of double-doubles with 15 in 20 games. The 6-foot-4 Sandpoint senior finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds and the Bulldogs (7-5 IEL, 12-8) held off Coeur d'Alene 48-42 in a big Inland Empire League game at Elmer Jordan Court Thursday.

"We have a number of seniors that step up every night," Sandpoint coach Tyler Haynes said. "Ben is consistent. He's averaging a double-double (16 points and 13 rebounds).

"I've never heard of that in 16 years of being around high school athletics. If they double Ben, then they have to give somebody up and Blake came through tonight."

Coeur d'Alene senior Tom Hughes tied the game at 34, then gave the Vikings (4-7, 10-9) the lead when he made 1 of 2 free throws at the end of the third quarter.

Mahler hit a 3-pointer to start the final period to give the Bulldogs a 37-35 lead, but Matt Palmer tied it back up with layup. Mahler, who scored 13 points in the first half, knocked down his second consecutive trey and Sandpoint went on an 11-2 run to take a nine-point lead with 1:52 left.

Palmer, who scored all five points in the fourth quarter, hit a 3-pointer from the top to close the gap to 48-42 with 1:02 remaining, but that was as close as the Vikings would get.

"We had a stretch there where we missed two layups and turned the ball over twice." Coeur d'Alene coach Kent Leiss said. "We just don't have the scoring to be coming back from seven with two minutes to go."

All eyes will be focused on the Coeur d'Alene-Moscow game Feb. 11. The Vikings need to win in order to host the 5A District 1 loser-out with Lake City.

Sandpoint needs Cd'A to beat Moscow in order to host the 4A District 1 loser-out with the Bears.

"I don't know if the home gym matters a lot. If we have our choice, we obviously want to play it here," he said. "The bigger issue for us is that we need to keep plugging away and get over the hump."

Sandpoint 10 14 10 14 — 48

Coeur d'Alene 7 13 15 7 — 42

SANDPOINT — Sorentino 6, Mahler 19. Hepperly 5, Mitchell 14, Meaux 4.

COEUR d'ALENE — Ja. Wolfe 6, Jo. Wolfe 9, Palmer 5, Heleker 3, Bligh 5, Duplessis 0, Hughes 10, Menting 4.