Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't

MERIDIAN — Sometimes, the shots don’t quite fall for you.

On Friday, a few here and there, and it’s a different tale for the Sandpoint Bulldogs.

Junior Kelsey Cessna scored 16 points for the Bulldogs, who came up short to the Middleton Vikings 50-45 in a state 4A girls basketball tournament loser-out game at Mountain View High.

On Thursday, Sandpoint shot 9 of 31. Friday, the Bulldogs went 15 of 47, making 11 of 19 from the free throw line.

“We had a big talk about it, and it really got to us,” Cessna said. “We came out a little scared, but we improved a lot. I’m proud of how we ended it on that game. Everyone played hard and gave it all that they had.”

Sandpoint finishes 12-10.

Middleton led 37-30 after three quarters, then extended the advantage to 46-36 with 3:05 remaining on a basket by Cassidy Fried.

Sandpoint cut into the deficit on a layup by Aliya Strock, then a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Tru Tomco to cap the scoring.

“I was pleased with how we were able to bounce back from last night’s game,” said Sandpoint coach Will Love of the Bulldogs, who fell 42-24 to Preston in the opening round on Thursday. “We played much harder and I was really proud of the girls for that.”

Sandpoint was 8 of 25 shooting in the first half. Payton Hynas, who has signed with Lewis-Clark State scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half for Middleton (19-7), which faces Bishop Kelly (19-7) in the consolation championship today.

“We had a bunch of shots that were halfway down and popped back out,” Love said. “Maybe if we get a few more of those to drop in, it’s a different story. Payton Hynas is a great player and the people in Lewiston are going to enjoy watching her. She came out with the game on the line and hit some big shots for them in that third quarter. We were hoping that with the way we finished the second quarter we’d continue that into the third, but she’s a gamer and going to be the back-to-back Player of the Year for the SIC.”

Sandpoint graduates only senior Destiny Lyons.

“We’ll lose three seniors, but have a bunch of kids back,” Love said. “Overall, the program’s pretty young, but after a little bit of a break, they’re going to want to put in the work if we can come back. There’s a bright future, but it’s also the same way in Lakeland and Moscow. But we like what we’ve got coming back.”

Middleton 20 6 11 13 — 50

Sandpoint 10 13 7 15 — 45

MIDDLETON — Wyatt 0, Maughan 4, Winkel 0, Mortensen 6, Whitworth 10, Flowers 0, Fried 6, Leavitt 8, Hymas 14, Landis 2. Totals 19-59 8-12 50.

SANDPOINT — K. Cessna 16, Day. Driggs 10, Reinink 3, Tomco 6, Owens 1, Strock 9, Lyons 0, Platte 0. Totals 15-47 11-19 45.