PREP BASKETBALL: Sandpoint boys start, finish fast in win over Priest River
Sandpoint High senior Kingston Corbett shoots a floater during a home game earlier this season against Post Falls.
Photo by Jason Duchow Photography
BOYS BASKETBALL
Sandpoint 80, Priest River 49
SANDPOINT — Senior Emerik Jones came alive Friday night, posting a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds as the host Bulldogs rolled to a 80-49 win over the visiting Spartans at Les Rogers Court.
"We made the right basketball play most of the time tonight, got it to the guy who was open, and were able to get the ball to Emerik with some space and let him create," Sandpoint High head coach Brian Childs said. "That's the Emerik that we need right there. He knows it's been tough out of the gate, but hopefully tonight, it's a breakthrough for him."
Sandpoint has struggled to score the ball this year, only averaging 41.25 points per game so far this season. On Friday, they had 41 points at halftime and a 12-point lead over a Priest River team that's ranked fifth in the state in the 3A classification.
In the second half, junior Logan Roos led the way for the Bulldogs as he tallied 14 points in total, including a two-handed slam, while junior Kingston Corbett and sophomore Logan Iverson scored eight points apiece for Sandpoint, which used a 25-11 advantage in the third quarter to pull away. Sophomore Knox Williams added six points and a game-high nine assists.
"When you stop and look at our schedule, we've played some really good teams so far," Childs added. "I thought this week was better, and tonight, things just started to click — it's amazing what can happen when you make a couple of shots. I'm hoping we're getting back to where we want to be."
Priest River, which trailed just 22-16 after one quarter of action, was led by senior Brock Kreager's 13 points. Senior Nate Stifel added 11 points, senior Palmer Coleman and junior Lucas Mathews seven points each.
"Priest River is a well-coached team; they were 6-0," Childs said. "To win six consecutive games is tough to do. We challenged our guys and we knew they were going to give us a good effort, because they (Priest River) always do ... and it won't be any different when we play them again in a couple of weeks. It will be a dogfight."
Sandpoint (1-4, 0-0), which grabbed their first win of the season on the night, will return to action Dec. 27 for the 26th annual Cactus Jam Hoop Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. They'll matchup against Prosser High of Washington in the opening round of the "Tempe" bracket.
Priest River (6-1, 2-0) will be looking for some revenge when they host Sandpoint on Jan. 6.
Priest River 16 13 11 9 — 49
Sandpoint 22 19 25 14 — 80
PTS: SPT — Jones 21, Roos 14, Corbett 8, Iverson 8, Wolff 6, Williams 6, Haddock 6, Gion 5, Weisz 4, Yarbrough 2. PR — Kreager 13, Stifel 11, Mathews 7, Coleman 7, Lamanna 6, Staudt 3, Hatten 2.
REB: SPT — Jones 10, Wolff 4, Roos 3, Williams 2, Haddock 2, Gion 2, Yarbrough 2, Iverson 1, Corbett 1, Wesiz 1. PR — Stifel 4, Lamanna 3, Mathews 3, Coleman 3, Hatten 3, Kreager 2, Staudt 1, Korff 1, Smith 1.
AST: SPT — Williams 9, Gion 2, Iverson 2, Jones 2, Roos 1, Zimmerman 1. PR — Coleman 4, Mathews 3, Staudt 1, Lamanna 1, Stifel 1, Kreager 1.
STL: SPT — Iverson 4, Williams 3, Roos 2, Corbett 2, Jones 1, Gion 1, Haddock 1, Zimmerman 1, Yarbrough 1. PR — Coleman 3, Kreager 1, Stifel 1.
BLK: SPT — Roos 1, Corbett 1, Jones 1. PR — None.
Kootenai Thunder 57, Pullman Christian 34
COCOLALLA — Hunter Peterson notched a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds and swatted away three shots as the host Thunder picked up their third straight win with a 57-34 victory over the Eagles on Friday.
Dylan Day added nine points and 12 rebounds, Malachi Duchow seven points and eight rebounds, and Melkam Manning six points and six assists.
Gavan Miles tallied five points, five assists and four steals for the Thunder (5-2), which travel to the Christian Heritage School in Edwall, Wash., on Jan. 3
Thunder Stats only.
PTS: KT — Peterson 11, Day 9, Peters 8, Duchow 7, Manning 6, Hernandez-Ortega 6, Miles 5, Brewer 5.
REB: KT — Peterson 13, Day 12, Duchow 8, Peters 5, Hernandez-Ortega 5, Manning 4, Miles 2, Palmer 1.
AST: KT — Manning 6, Miles 5, Duchow 3, Peterson 2, Palmer 1.
STL: KT — Miles 4, Manning 2, Peterson 1.
BLK: KT —Peterson 3, Miles 1, Brewer 1.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pullman Christian 32, Kootenai Thunder 19
COCOLALLA — Laura Allshouse recorded eight points and 13 rebounds as the host Lady Thunder fell just shy of the Lady Eagles on Friday.
Mercy Brewer had five points and four assists, Casey deGraaf two points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Lady Thunder (1-5), which host the Spokane Co-op on Jan. 7.
PTS: KT — Allshouse 8, Brewer 5, deGraaf 2, Hammond 2, Ball 2.
REB: KT — Allhouse 13 ,deGraaf 10, Brewer 4, Ball 3, Reynolds 2, Stevens 1, Hammond 1, Palmer 1.
AST: KT — Brewer 4, deGraaf 3, Allshouse 2, Reynolds 1.
STL: KT — deGraaf 3, Allshouse 1, Stevens 1, Ball 1.
BLK: KT — Ball 1.