Bulldogs embrace second-half challenge once more against St. Maries

Believe it or not, Sandpoint was 0-2 this time last week, fresh off of blowing a six-point halftime lead that looked eerily like one of to last year’s numerous close losses.

My, how things can change in a week.

The Bulldogs are 2-3 — some would argue they could’ve been 3-2 if things broke right last Saturday — thanks to a pair of second-half rallies against Kellogg and, most recently, in 54-50 win over St. Maries on Thursday night.

For the first time this season, the Bulldogs have a winning streak, unity on defense a penchant for huge third quarters.

Yet the progress this junior-heavy team has made probably wouldn’t have happened without falling short at Bonners Ferry last Saturday.

“That was a moment for our team,” Sandpoint head coach Wade Engelson said. “Our guys could have packed it in then, but they continued to battle in that second half. Even though they didn’t win that game, I felt like they got a lot better.”

Although Sandpoint’s comeback against Bonners Ferry fell short, the Bulldogs have seemingly used the second half of that game as a blueprint for their two-game winning streak.

“In the Kellogg game, we were down by six at the half but we managed to battle back and win,” Engelson said. “That game gave us a lot of confidence going into the St. Maries game, combined with the work these guys have put in practice.”

Fast forward to the St. Maries rematch, and it looked like the Bonners Ferry and Kellogg games.

Sandpoint entered the locker room down seven and made its usual adjustments.

But this time, St. Maries didn’t keel over; Eli Gibson and Kaden Howard hit threes to extend the Lumberjacks’ lead to 13.

“All of a sudden, we were down 13,” Engelson said. “But our guys didn’t blink. Instead, they went to work.”

Junior wings Kobe Banks and Ryan Roos have been the Bulldogs’ go-to guys during these second-half surges. Not surprisingly, the juniors have been Sandpoint’s leading scorers over the past three games (Banks averages 16 points per game, Roos averages 14.6) — all while doing the bulk of their work in the second half.

The St. Maries game was no exception: The duo combined to score 23 of Sandpoint’s 26 third-quarter points. In particular, Roos scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half.

“We rebounded well, ran the floor well and took better care of the ball in the second half,” “We executed our stuff and it paid off.”

Sandpoint is far from a two-man show. When Banks and Roos heat up, the team follows suit.

Senior forward Alex Stockton didn’t play against Kellogg, but his rebounding and low post presence has been crucial. Elijah Larson, whose free throws iced the game against St. Maries, also provides a change of pace with his ability to get to the rim.

“We’re getting results that show,” Engelson said. “We went from getting shellacked against St. Maries to pulling out a win. And I think our team can embrace the challenge against Lake City this weekend.”

Sandpoint looks to extend its winning streak today against Lake City at 5 p.m.

And don’t be surprised if they need a comeback. From Thursday:

St. Maries 13 11 16 10 — 50

Sandpoint 9 8 26 11 — 54

ST. MARIES — Hill 7, Pritchard 9, Lohman 5, Sands 9, Gibson 13, Hammond 6, Nelson 0, Howard 1,

SANDPOINT — Jones 0, Niemela 2, Roos 20, Banks 14, Bailey 0, Stockton 11, Larson 5, Chandler 0, VanDenBerg 0, Treadaway, Casey 0.