Bulldogs drop Hawks in playoff opener

SANDPOINT — Stingy defense, clutch minutes off the bench and a steadfast will to win were the hallmarks of Sandpoint’s 44-41 win over Lakeland Tuesday night in the 4A Region 1 playoff opener at Les Rogers Court.

The No. 2 seed Bulldogs (10-11) never experienced a lead until a left-handed put-back by Mike Lewis gave them a 38-37 edge with 3:30 left in the game, as the crowd came alive and the Bulldogs proceeded to put the game away, earning the right to play at No. 1 Moscow on Thursday.

“Tonight was a big gut check. We’ve been on a skid lately,” said Sandpoint head coach Tyler Haynes, whose team had lost its previous four games. “I’m proud of the kids for being willing to say ‘win, lose or draw, we’re going to finish this.’”

The No. 2 seed Hawks (4-17) jumped out to a 10-2 lead to start the game, keyed by two 3-pointers from Eric Cooper, as the junior wing scored a game high 15 points and shot 4 of 5 from beyond the arc in a game where points came at a premium.

Offense was especially tough to come by for both teams in the first half, as the Bulldogs struggled to find looks against the Hawks’ zone, and trailed 19-16 in a low-scoring half.

Sandpoint junior shooting guard Jackson Olin was instrumental in leading the Bulldogs’ slow and methodical second half comeback, scoring a team-high 13 points and hitting three long range bombs.

Also helping lead the comeback was the spirited play of senior bench players Eric Nikssarian and Mike Lewis, each of whom brought a spark and energy into the game. Cole Fuhrman didn’t score until four minutes were left in the game, but they were timely points, as his 3-pointer cut Lakeland’s lead to one and his two free throws a minute later put the Bulldogs up for good.

“Nikssarian and Lewis came off the bench and gave us huge minutes,” described Haynes, who now turns his attention to Moscow after splitting regular season games with the Bears. “It will be a great challenge. We wanted that opportunity to get back to Moscow.”

Daniel Whitesitt pulled down 14 rebounds to go with eight points, Alex Opland tallied five assists and Hunter Arno scored seven for the Hawks, who were outscored 15-9 in a pivotal fourth quarter.

Tough defense held the Hawks to 27 percent shooting from the field.

“I know it sounds cliché, but we need to do a better job on the free throw line,” said Hawks head coach Trent Derrick.