POST FALLS - Before Tuesday night's game, Post Falls High girls basketball coach Marc Allert didn't know if junior Danielle Failor was going to play in their 5A Inland Empire League game against Lake City.

Slowed by a foot injury, Failor scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Trojans beat the Timberwolves 44-37 at The Arena.

"She was a game-time decision today, but she came out and played well," Allert said of his 6-foot-1 post. "She does a good job in the middle for us."

The win was Post Falls' first in league since beating Coeur d'Alene on Jan. 22, 2010, in Coeur d'Alene. The Trojans went 0-6 last year in league.

"We're a work in progress right now," Allert said. "We got better at some things tonight and took a step back in others. We've still got a ways to go. It was good to get a win. It's tough playing our second league game in our first three games. Everyone is going to be tough this year."

Post Falls trailed 7-5 after the first quarter, then started the second quarter on an 11-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Rai Franklin with 3:02 left in the half, to give the Trojans a 16-10 lead on the way to a 20-16 halftime advantage.

“Rai did a good job for us tonight,” Allert said. “She’s got lots of potential and we’re counting on her a lot this season.”

Jansen Butler hit a 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter to pull Lake City to within 29-28. Butler finished with a game-high 15 points and had six rebounds.

“I thought our girls put in a good effort tonight,” Lake City coach Royce Johnston said. “We’d execute and tighten the score, but they’d go down and score a basket. Everyone is still figuring out what their role is. We just need someone to step up. We’re a little inexperienced in some areas.”

Jasmyn Smith scored 10 points for Lake City (1-1, 0-1 5A IEL), which hosts Wenatchee on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

Franklin finished with nine points and junior guard Brooke Litalien had eight points for Post Falls (2-1, 1-1), which hosts Moscow on Monday.

“I thought their guards played well defensively and controlled the tempo of the game,” Johnston said.

Lake City 7 9 12 9 — 37

Post Falls 5 15 14 10 — 44

LAKE CITY — Jackson 3, Butler 15, Smith 10, Wheelock 0, Torres 2, Hawkes 2, Heidenreich 4.

POST FALLS — Waller 0, Gonzales 2, King 4, Franklin 9, Hedge 5, Smith 4, Litalien 8, Runkle 0, Failor 10, Perrin 2.