Sandpoint drops its ninth in 10 games

ST. MARIES — Sandpoint (5-16) and St. Maries (16-3) traded the lead seven times in what served as both teams' season finale on Friday at St. Maries High School.

The Lumberjacks were able to seal the 62-57 victory over the Bulldogs in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

“It was a really good high school basketball game,” Sandpoint boys basketball coach Brian Childs said. “We were really balanced and it’ll carry over on Monday.”

This loss against St. Maries marks Sandpoint’s ninth loss in 10 games..

The Bulldogs were in control during the first four minutes of the first quarter with its biggest lead being 11-7 but St. Maries scored on an easy layup before the buzzer to narrow Sandpoint’s lead to two.

The Lumberjacks tied the game with the opening basket of the second quarter and took the lead soon after. St. Maries extended its lead to as much as 23-15.

The Bulldogs' Achilles heel this season has been allowing teams to go on long runs, but in the final minutes of the second quarter, they went on their own run.

The Bulldogs outscored the Lumberjacks 9-7 in the final four minutes of the second to put them down 30-24 at halftime.

Sandpoint managed to tie the game at 39 midway through the third.

St, Maries, who shot 60 percent from the field, wouldn’t go away so easily. It kept pushing the issue against a gassed Sandpoint team and managed to take a 45-41 lead by the end of three.

In the fourth, the Lumberjacks kept its foot on the gas with its press defense and forced the Bulldogs into mistakes.

With 50 seconds remaining, Jacob Eldridge attempted to keep Sandpoint alive with a corner 3, which cut St. Maries lead to 58-55. He finished with seven points.

“It was truly as back and forth as back and forth games go,” Childs said. “They just made more plays than us and were able to capitalize on our mistakes.”

Sandpoint shot well from the floor, converting 59 percent from the field.

Randy Lane led Sandpoint with 13 points.

Tristen Gentry Nelson paced St. Maries with 19 points.

Childs was also really pleased with his defense's performance on the night.

“I think when your defense goes it really helps your offense,” Childs said. “We played our zone defense about as good as we have all season.”

Next up for Sandpoint is the 4A district 1 play-in game against Lakeland at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Lakeland High School.

Sandpoint 11 13 17 16 - 57

St. Maries 9 21 15 17 - 62

SANDPOINT — Lee 8, Eldridge 5, VanDenBerg 12, Dickinson 2, Childs 9, Lane 13, Butler 8.

ST. MARIES — Gentry-Nelson 21, Sands 6, Ross 12, Wolfe 5, Elliott 4, T. Renner 3, C. Renner 11.