Strock rising: Sandpoint girls in semis for first time since 2016
Aliya Strock makes a hook shot for the Bulldogs against Minico in the state 4A opener at Timberline High. Strock scored 20 points for the Sandpoint during Thursday afternoons game.
(Photo courtesy JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
Sandpoint High School's head basketball coach Will Love talks to his team during the state 4A opener against Minico on Thursday afternoon.
SANDPOINT – Sandpoint coach Will Love has made a point of pointing out exactly where the Ford Idaho Center is located during the school’s last 10 trips south.
A little later today, he can see it up close and personal.
Junior guard Aliya Strock scored 20 points for the Bulldogs in a 54-49 win over the Minico Spartans in the state 4A opener at Timberline High.
Strock’s steal sealed the win for the Bulldogs, who went 0-2 at state in 2021.
“I think we just played well as a team and played defense together,” Strock said. “Playing that close of a game, it was nice. We played as hard as we could. I’m excited for the semifinals because it’s been a while since we’ve been to the semifinals.”
“She’s been playing really, really well the entire season,” said Love, in his fifth season. “With her teammates, it allows her the opportunity to make great plays. On the offensive end, they do a good job of getting her the ball and on the defensive end, they play good defense, so she can freelance a little bit. With Daylee (Driggs) out there, it allows us to put Aliya on a secondary player. She can come up with some steals.”
Sandpoint (18-5), in the semifinals for the first time since 2016, faces Columbia (15-10) of Nampa today at 4 p.m. PST at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
“This team wants to compete for a state title,” Love said. “Columbia is going to give us a challenge and played really well today. They do a great job and have some great players. But we’ve got some good players, too. If we can execute, we can battle with them. I’m just looking forward to giving the girls the opportunity to play in the Idaho Center. Hopefully, we can play there twice. Every year, we drive by there and point to it and say that’s where we want to play. And they’re going to get that opportunity.”
Junior CJ Latta, who is garnering Division I interest, finished with 34 points for Minico, which is at state for the first time since 2019.
Sandpoint led 27-14 at the half but had Minico get within a 46-45 deficit with 3:56 remaining. Sandpoint’s Karlie Banks made the second of her free throws with 26.9 seconds remaining and Strock forced a steal at midcourt as Minico drove for the tying basket.
“Except for a stretch where we lost track of some things, we played really well,” Love said. “You played a complete game outside of giving up 34 points to a really good player. And then, from the free-throw line, we really struggled. If we can clean that up, I like how this team is.”
Banks finished with 14 points, Kelsey Cessna 11 points for Sandpoint, which finished 17 of 34 from the free-throw line.
“One thing I tried to stress to the girls is this is the fun part,” Love said. “If we were just beating teams by 30 or 40, you get a little bit of joy, but you don’t get that competitiveness. Don’t get me wrong, I hate those games. But this is why they’re on a stage like this to perform. I wish we would have hit some free throws in the last five minutes, but they stepped up when they needed to late in that last minute or two.”
Minico 6 8 17 12 – 49
Sandpoint 15 12 15 12 – 54
MINICO – Gonzales 3, Salinas 0, Neilson 7, Stroud 0, Page 2, Bott 5, Latta 34, May 0, Vargas 0. Totals 16-40 11-13 49.
SANDPOINT – K. Cessna 11, De. Driggs 2, Da. Driggs 6, P. Cessna 0, Laybourne 0, Richardson 2, Bleckwenn 0, Strock 20, Banks 14. Totals 17-53 17-34 54.
