Wildcats down Bulldogs
—Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Spencer Thompson, pictured in the opener, scored seven points in the Bulldogs’ road loss at Kellogg. Tuesday night.
KELLOGG — Taran McLaughlin led the Bulldogs with 14 points, but a cold fourth quarter proved costly as Sandpoint lost 54-43 to Kellogg late Tuesday night in nonleague boys basketball at Andrews Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs (0-2) led by one heading into the fourth quarter, before the Wildcats (3-0) closed out the game with a 21-9 run. Chase Jerome scored 21 points, including 10 of 13 from the free-throw line, for the Wildcats.
“Sandpoint’s a pretty physical team,” Kellogg coach Jeff Nearing said. “They’ve got a solid football program, and it showed on the basketball court tonight. We came out a little timid, but we made the adjustment in the second half. Hats off to Sandpoint, they’re a good team.”
Robbie Johnson added 11 points and controlled the glass, but turnovers and fouls played a big role in the decisive fourth quarter. A lot of new varsity players are still finding their footing, so it will be a work in progress early in the season for the Bulldogs.
“Right now our inexperience is really showing up in the second half of our first two games,” said Bulldogs head coach Kent Leiss, whose team committed five fouls in the first five minutes of the second half and had to switch to zone. “We haven’t practiced it (zone) enough to be effective. While we were turning it over in the fourth quarter, Kellogg was finding seams in the middle of our zone for easy baskets.”
Kellogg (3-0) plays at Deer Park on Saturday.
Sandpoint 10 14 10 9 — 43
Kellogg 12 10 11 21 — 54
SANDPOINT — Thompson 7, Moore 0, McLaughlin 14, Dunton 0, Rockwell 2, Jones 3, Johnson 11, Stockton 6, Roos 0.
KELLOGG — Gibbons 10, Jerome 21, Mueller 6, Hammerberg 4, Bumgardner 0, Nearing 4, Finlay 0, Morgan 2, Colburn 7.