Hawks clip Bulldogs in district final

COEUR d’ALENE — Sandpoint’s first bid for its first state tournament berth since 2009 went down in a flurry of missed shots and a few missed defensive assignments.

The Bulldogs made just 16 of 53 shots in a 43-34 loss to the Lakeland Hawks in the championship game of the 4A Region 1 boys basketball tournament Wednesday night at North Idaho College’s Rolly Williams Court.

“I thought our first problem was defense,” Sandpoint coach Kent Leiss said. “We gave up an open 3 to start the game, and then we couldn’t guard dribble penetration about four times with our zone. We were slow defensively. It didn’t help that we shot so poorly.”

Sandpoint (7-15) will play the third-place team from District 3 in a state play-in game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Grangeville.

Lakeland (10-12), which won its second straight regional title, advances to state March 3-5 at Borah High in Boise.

Carlos Collado scored 10 points, Kyle Perry eight for Sandpoint.

Sandpoint senior guard Davan Norris, the MVP of the 4A Inland Empire League, managed just five points on 2-of-14 shooting, including 1 of 11 from 3-point range.

“When we’re struggling to score, that’s going to make it an uphill battle,” Leiss said.

Lakeland sophomore Kaden Davis hit 3 of 5 3-pointers and scored 14 points. Forest Zubaly added 11.

Davis had nine points in the first half, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, including a 25-footer just before the half.

Both teams played zone, which kept the scoring down, though Davis and Dylan Knight were able to penetrate the top of the Sandpoint zone at times, setting up baskets.

Sandpoint hit just 5 of 18 from the floor in the first half. Norris was 0 for 6 on 3s and had two first-half points.

Sandpoint 6 4 6 18 — 34

Lakeland 9 11 5 18 — 42

SANDPOINT — Thompson 0, Curtiss 5, Norris 5, Sundquist 4, Rockwell 0, Perry 8, Collado 10, McLaughlin 2.

LAKELAND — D. Knight 5, Davis 14, McDevitt 6, Zubaly 11, A. Knight 7, Roy 0.