SPIRIT LAKE - Despite trailing 18-3 in the first quarter on Thursday, the Timberlake Tigers fought back in their season opener Thursday night, but came up short in a 65-59 loss to the visiting Sandpoint Bulldogs.

"We had a really bad first quarter," Timberlake coach Matt Miller said. "We played well after that. We had early jitters but the girls adjusted. We fought back and made it a game but we didn't have enough in the tank to get it done."

Timberlake freshman Keelie Lawler led the team in scoring with 20 points. Freshman Allison Kirby added 13 points, Julie Fitzmorris 11. Jessica Norlander had six rebounds.

Madi Schoening scored 25 points for Sandpoint (1-1), which hosts Lake City tonight.

Timberlake plays at East Valley on Dec. 3.

Sandpoint 18 19 15 13 - 65

Timberlake 5 23 13 18 - 59

SANDPOINT - Williams 0, Schoening 25, Bluemer 2, Olin 11, Chatburn 0, Young 4, Martin 0, Delgado 17, Alamillo 6.

TIMBERLAKE - Gardon 4, Rhodes 4, Kirby 13, Seubert 2, Norlander 5, Fitzmorris 11, Lawler 20, Mallet 0.

Priest River 62

St. Maries 40

ST. MARIES - Jill Weimer, last year's MVP of the Intermountain League, scored 25 points to lead the Spartans past the Lumberjacks in a nonleague game.

"We just had a couple of bad quarters," St. Maries coach Jay Sines said. "We kind of lost our momentum in the third quarter and they kind of pulled away and we didn't have an answer for Weimer. She pretty much took it to us and played a great game."

Maddie Posselt had nine points for St. Maries (0-2), which hosts the Coeur d'Alene JV on Saturday.

"We got into foul trouble with our bigs and guards, but I thought Maddie and Catherine (Flach) came off the bench and played well," Sines said.

Priest River (2-0) hosts Sandpoint on Dec. 3.

Priest River 11 19 16 16 - 62

St. Maries 4 17 4 15 - 40

PRIEST RIVER - Douglas 7, Trantum 4, Luckey 0, Weimer 25, Clark 8, A. Summers 0, Krampert 3, Carey 2, Williams 6, K. Summers 7, Warren 0.

ST. MARIES - McQueen 2, Ghramm 0, Waddell 4, Brusseau 5, Kel. Auer 2, Thaut 6, Flach 5, Cordell 0, Ker. Auer 7, Posselt 9.