Lumberjacks pull away from SHS, hand Bulldogs 5th straight loss

SANDPOINT — A win was within reach for Sandpoint boys basketball late in the third quarter of Tuesday's game, but a 12-2 run by St. Maries dashed those hopes.

The defending 2A state champion Lumberjacks grabbed the lead with about three minutes left in the first quarter and never looked back in a 62-50 victory over the Bulldogs.

Sandpoint trailed 34-24 at the half, but a basket from Ethan Butler off an assist from Rusty Lee with 1:37 left in the third quarter pulled the Bulldogs within 2 points of St. Maries.

Unfortunately, that was as close as Sandpoint would get as the Lumberjacks rebuilt their double-digit advantage to fend off the Bulldogs.

SHS just couldn't keep pace with St. Maries in the final eight minutes.

"They are awfully good," head coach Brian Childs said. "They're the defending state champs and they have a lot of kids back, a lot of kids that know how to win, and I think that's a big part of it."

Childs said the Bulldogs just didn't put enough points on the board.

"I know it seems like we talk about this after every game," he said, "but 50 points against a team that good, it's tough."

Sandpoint was 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, but they weren't as efficient from beyond the arc as they usually are.

"They're big, they're long and they're athletic," Childs said, "and so we had some trouble around the basket, and we rely on the 3-point shot and it was not kind to us tonight."

Despite the loss, Childs was pleased with the way his team handled the different looks St. Maries threw at them. He also said the Bulldogs' ability to take care of the ball kept them in the game.

"I thought we handled their press well," he said. "We kind of got them out of that in the first half. From what I've watched, they throw everything but the kitchen sink at you — a 1-2-2, a 1-3-1, a 2-2-1 and full-court press — and we did a really good job tonight of not turning the basketball over."

Butler, a senior, led the way for Sandpoint with 17 points and four rebounds. Butler is a physical presence in the post and the Bulldogs made sure to get him his touches in the paint.

"We talked about making an effort to get him the ball inside," Childs said. "We have to use that size ... and I thought we did a much better job tonight of being patient and utilizing him."

Lee finished with 9 points, eight assists and six rebounds, Parker Childs scored 9 points and Arie VanDenBerg tallied 8 points and four rebounds.

Tristan Gentry-Nelson had 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks for St. Maries.

Scoring droughts have plagued Sandpoint recently, and one lasting from the end of the third quarter and into the fourth cost them Tuesday night.

Childs said the team has broken down the film to try and understand what's going wrong, and it's apparent that the shots just aren't falling.

"We've watched our last three games together," he said, "and we feel like we're getting pretty good looks, we just need to make them ... I kept telling these guys that at some point we're going to shoot the ball better."

Sandpoint (4-11) hosts Moscow at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.

St. Maries 21 13 10 18 — 62

Sandpoint 15 9 16 10 — 50

ST. MARIES — Gentry-Nelson 20, Sands 4, Badgett 0, Ross 8, Wolfe 6, Elliott 2, T. Renner 8, Wicks 2, C. Renner 10, Hill 2.

SANDPOINT — Lee 9, Eldridge 2, VanDenBerg 8, Dunkel 0, Dickinson 3, Childs 9, Lane 2, Kuehn 0, Butler 17.