Bulldogs looking to extend season tonight

SANDPOINT — The season is on the line tonight when No. 3 seed Sandpoint heads south to face No. 2 seed Lakeland in the loser-out game of the 4A Region 1 boys basketball tournament.

The Bulldogs (8-14) downed the Hawks 53-48 on Tuesday, behind a 27 point (officially) effort from Ryan Schwartz, then fell short 67-61 at Moscow on Thursday behind another 27 point night from Jackson Olin.

For the Bulldogs to beat the Hawks (4-17) a third consecutive time and extend the season another game, they’ll lean on the two senior playmakers to carry the scoring load.

The Hawks slapped a box-and-one on Olin in the opener, and Schwartz punished them with a torrid shooting display from long range.

Bulldogs head coach Tyler Haynes said the two biggest keys to the game will be stopping Lakeland’s Eric Cooper, and staying true to what the Bulldogs do best, which is spreading the floor and hitting perimeter shots.

Sophomore Jeremiah Gagnon scored 10 against Moscow, and Tyler Howk has shown the ability to score in bunches, helping to spread the scoring load around.

The Bulldogs will look to improve from the free throw line, where they struggled against the Bears. Loser-out games tend to be defensive, physical and tight, and free throw shooting often decides the game.

Tip off is at 7 p.m. at Lakeland High School.