Norris nails game winner to down T-Wolves
<p>Sandpoint junior Davan Norris nails one of his seven 3-pointers in a big win over Lake City on Tuesday night. (Photo by ERIC PLUMMER)</p>
SANDPOINT — If only Davan Norris could play against Lake City every night.
Norris drained seven long range bombs en route to a game-high 23 points, including a 25 footer at the buzzer in overtime, propelling Sandpoint past Lake City 52-49 in a nonleague boys basketball thriller on Tuesday night at Les Rogers Court.
With the game tied at 49-49 and just four seconds on the clock in overtime, Norris took an inbounds pass and immediately fired up a contested shot from well above the top of the key, which found the bottom of the net and ignited a celebration at mid-court as students rushed the floor.
“Davan answered the bell with the best game of his career,” said Bulldogs head coach Kent Leiss. “I thought he got hit on the arm, but he made the shot.”
Norris hit eight 3-point shots in the first meeting between the two teams, giving him a whopping 15 triples in the season series. Leiss drew up the final play in the huddle, and Norris did the rest.
“Coach called it the Kevin Love play,” described Norris of the final play, alluding to the NBA standout. “My teammates were feeding me the ball and coach believes in me, and that gives me the confidence to come out and perform.”
An excited student section chanted “Davan Norris,” followed by the familiar Yankee Stadium clap-clap-clap-clap-clap, as the teams left the court. Broc Coppess also had a big game for the Bulldogs (7-11), draining four 3-pointers and bringing a lot of energy to the floor.
“Broc gave us a good spark off the bench,” described Leiss, lauding his team’s defense. “We battled on the boards, and Lake City is really big. We held a decent 5A team to 49 points.”
Joe Pasquale scored 15 points to lead the Timberwolves (9-10), and Nick Hancock hit a free throw to tie the game at 46-46 with 10 seconds left in regulation. A Coppess 3-point attempt at the buzzer nearly went in.
Trailing 49-46 in overtime, Pasquale drained a 3-pointer to tie the game with 30 seconds left, and it appeared the game was headed to a second overtime before Norris’s game winner.
Sandpoint hosts Lakeland on Friday in a huge 4A Inland Empire League clash.
Lake City 12 7 16 11 3 — 49
Sandpoint 8 17 13 8 6 — 52
LAKE CITY — Stapleton 0, Goggin 6, Dotson 13, Butler 2, Hughes 0, Pasquale 15, Colwell 0, Mitchell 2, Hancock 11.
SANDPOINT — Timothy 0, Aguirre 6, Spalding 2, Norris 23, Sundquist 2, Kuzmich 2, Coppess 13, Mitton 0, Speakman 0, Collado 4.