COEUR d'ALENE - With apologies to Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, Lake City High boys basketball senior forward Kyle Guice went into his own version of "Beast Mode" on Saturday.

The 6-foot-6 Guice scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half - including five during a 16-8 run - as the Timberwolves took command in the second half of a 51-38 nonleague win over Wenatchee, in the season opener for both teams.

Lake City, which led the entire game, took an 18-14 halftime lead. Then it led 36-26 after the third quarter and the score was never really close going forward.

"I think in the second half, we moved the ball a little better," Timberwolves coach Jim Winger said. "We penetrated a little better. They were overplaying us a little. I liked our offense a little better in the second half. We got out there and got our first one (win). I think in the first quarter, we pressed inside a little bit. We wanted to do too well. I thought after that, we loosened up and played pretty well ... it was pretty well done all the way around."

Guice, the reigning Most Valuable Player in the 5A Inland Empire League with a smooth left-handed jump shot, also hauled in nine rebounds, had three steals and swatted two shots for blocks that got the home crowd buzzing a bit. Guice went 5 for 9 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and was 8 for 9 from the free-throw line.

Lake City struggled shooting free throws, making 16 for 24 shots for a 66.7 percent clip. But the good news was the Timberwolves got to the line a whopping 22 times in the second half, making 14 free throws.

"We played well on all cylinders," Guice said. "I was feeling good. We're not going to win many games if we don't hit our free throws. We need to come out faster."

Guice has drawn some interest from Washington State during the past two seasons.

"He's a talent," Winger said. "We rely on him a lot. He was energized, I thought he dominated."

With 5:46 left in the third quarter, Wenatchee guard Drew Jacquez was fouled as he missed a 3-point attempt from the wing. Jacquez sank two of his three free throws and cut Lake City's lead to 23-20.

That's when Guice went on his mini-burst. He drilled a 3-pointer from the wing, blocked a shot, then with 2:42 left in the third, he swatted another shot to energize the crowd.

The Panthers were led by forward Dillon Sugg, the reigning Big 9 league player of the year, who scored 14 points. Sugg, a quarterback on Wenatchee's football team who was rated as the No. 3 football recruit in Washington state by 247sports.com, has drawn interest from the University of Nevada.

"This is our first game and we played against a worthy, tough opponent," Wenatchee coach Ron Stone said. "They're very basketball savvy. We have some basketball players (guard Chase Riesch and Sugg) who just got back last Saturday from the 4A state football quarterfinals, so their legs were dead and they were a little gassed. But we battled hard."

Point guard Justin Pratt had five assists, guard JJ Winger five rebounds for Lake City, which plays Mountain View of Vancouver, Wash., at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, in the Dan Fitzgerald Memorial Tournament in Spokane.

Wenatchee 7 7 12 12 - 38

Lake City 10 8 18 15 - 51

WENATCHEE - Sugg 14, Long 9, Jacqez 8, Miller 3, Resert 2, Solouoj 2, Smoot 0, Arndt 0.

LAKE CITY - Guice 20, Dahl 7, Mitchell 6, Pratt 5, Louie-McGee 4, Vetsch 4, Adams 2, Winger 3, Hancock 0.