Bulldogs fall in triple overtime thriller

SANDPOINT — Skyler Tucker scored 14 points, and hit a huge 3-pointer to tie the game at the end of the second overtime, but it wasn’t enough, as the Bulldogs fell 66-61 to the Bears in  triple overtime Friday night in 4A North boys basketball action at a packed Les Rogers Court.

Stefan Buratto scored 15 and Cole Fuhrman added 10, as Sandpoint (2-5, 0-2 4A IEL) lost its second consecutive overtime game to a ranked team, also falling to 5A No. 3 Post Falls in overtime on Wednesday.

Blaine Shultz also came up big for Sandpoint, scoring all seven of his points in a tight fourth quarter in which Sandpoint was unable to get a potential game-winning shot up at the buzzer.

Cole Fuhrman, who stuck two 3-pointers in the second quarter, scored all four of the Bulldogs’ points in the first overtime, which ended when Moscow was unable to hit a shot at the buzzer.

The Bears (8-1, 1-0 4A IEL), the No. 3 ranked team in the 4A state rankings, held a 57-54 lead with 30 seconds left in double-ovetime, when Tucker stepped up and stuck a dagger from 24 feet out to send the game into triple overtime.

Mac Stannard, who finished with a game-high 24 points, hit several free throws in the third overtime, with Buratto and Brandon Lawrence on the bench having fouled out.

Sandpoint is at Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday.

    Moscow     14   9   18   9   4  3  9 — 66

    Sandpoint  10  15  12  13  4  3  4 — 61

MOSCOW — Stannard 24, Clyde 8, Fritz 14, Deringer 2, Helbling 18.

SANDPOINT — Tucker 14, Lawrence 8, Buratto 15, Olin 7, Hawkins 0, Shultz 7, Fuhrman 10.