SHS boys, girls host Lumberjacks today
SANDPOINT — Sandpoint basketball will ring in the new year today against St. Maries at Les Rogers Court.
The girls will face the Lumberjacks first at 3 p.m., followed by the boys at 4:30 p.m.
The girls haven't taken the court since Dec. 11 at Lake City. The Bulldogs lost 67-34 to the Timberwolves in that game and were eager to head to Bonners Ferry on Saturday, Dec. 19 and wipe away the taste of defeat.
However, 2020 had different plans. A player within the program tested positive for COVID-19, preventing the team from traveling to Bonners Ferry for their final game before Christmas break.
Per Lake Pend Oreille School District policy, the team had to quarantine for 10 days and the Bulldogs returned to practice this past Monday.
Head coach Will Love said he and the rest of the coaching staff felt the girls had their best practice of the season prior to being shut down, so they were really disappointed they didn't get a chance to face the Badgers.
On the bright side, the quarantine took place at a time when the team typically takes a few days off for Christmas. The practices over the week of Christmas are meant to keep kids in shape and make sure they don't lose their feel for a basketball, Love said.
Despite being stuck at home, the Bulldogs found ways to stay sharp.
"I give credit to the kids," Love said. "You can tell that several of them continued to work out."
Obviously, Love would have preferred for his team not to go into quarantine, but the break gave his players some rest which he hopes will help them down the stretch of the season.
"The 10 days off, while not ideal, there's some things that are going to be good from it because this is the time of year where kids start to get beat up a little bit," Love said.
St. Maries last saw the court on Dec. 15. The Lumberjacks are 2-5 with wins against Priest River and Wallace and losses to Lapwai, Lakeside, Bonners Ferry, Orofino and Timberlake. St. Maries is currently on a three-game losing streak.
Sandpoint sits at 2-4 overall and 1-2 in Inland Empire League play. The Bulldogs started 0-3, but the play of their senior captains allowed them to grab wins over Lewiston and Kellogg in early December.
After missing the first two games this season, Hattie Larson is averaging 12 points per game over the last four while Kaylee Banks is averaging nearly 9 points per game.
The girls are anxious to get back on Les Rogers Court and Love said it will be interesting to see how his team plays after the layoff.
"Very rarely do you have 10 days off at the varsity level during a season ... but I've been very pleased with what I've seen in practice," Love said, "so the hope is that it doesn't impact us at all, but I know they'll probably be a couple kids that get a little winded quicker than they normally would."
Navigating all the challenges the pandemic presents has been difficult for everyone, and Love said he has stressed the importance of following safety protocols to his players to ensure they play as many games as possible.
"My one hope is that we're fortunate enough to keep going," he said. "That's the thing that's kind of tough ... because you never know what's going to happen from day-to-day."
The Sandpoint boys are just looking forward to being at home. Due to postponements, the Bulldogs have yet to play a game at Les Rogers Court.
Sandpoint (2-2) closed out 2020 with a 73-66 win at Bonners Ferry on Dec. 19. In that game, Colin Roos recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds while Arie VanDenBerg hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points.
Roos and VanDenBerg have led a balanced Bulldog attack so far this season. Both are averaging double-digit points per game while Rusty Lee and Jacob Eldridge are averaging at least 8 per contest. Point guard Darren Bailey, who did not play against Bonners Ferry, is averaging 9 points per game.
The Bulldogs will need that depth scoring to continue against a talented St. Maries team. The Lumberjacks are 4-0 this season. In its season opener, St. Maries dominated Bonners Ferry 74-47. The Lumberjacks followed up that performance with a 60-22 win at Genesis Prep and a 51-40 victory over Lakeside, the defending 1A Division II state champions.
St. Maries' latest win came at Bonners Ferry on Dec. 18. They took down the Badgers 47-34 without two starters.
St. Maries finished third in the 2A state tournament last year. Sandpoint head coach Wade Engelson said St. Maries may be a much smaller school, but the Bulldogs will have their hands full against the Lumberjacks.
"They're one of the best programs in all of North Idaho," he said after the game against Bonners Ferry on Dec. 19. "It will be a big challenge for our guys."
