COEUR d'ALENE - Lakeland High coaches had a message for their players before the game - then the Hawks delivered a resounding statement of their own out on the court.

Lakeland jumped all over Sandpoint from the beginning on Monday night, burying the Bulldogs 61-33 in the first round of the 4A Region 1 boys basketball tournament at North Idaho College's Rolly Williams Court.

"We put some things up on the board in the locker room - energy, focus and purpose," Lakeland coach Dave Stockwell said. "I thought defensively we did a nice job switching things up; I don't think they got into a rhythm. And it didn't hurt that (Jeremiah) Gagnon got two quick fouls."

Lakeland (14-7) will play top-seeded Moscow (8-11) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at NIC for the regional title and the region's lone berth to state. Sandpoint finished 8-13.

Lakeland beat Sandpoint by eight and five points during 4A Inland Empire League play, but this game was one-sided from the outset.

The game couldn't have started much worse for Sandpoint. Gagnon, the Bulldogs' leading scorer at 21 points per game - and averaging 26 over his last five games - picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and spent nearly 10 minutes on the bench in the first half. He was scoreless in the first half, missing his only shot, scored just one basket (on five shots) and finished with six points.

"He's our only double-figure scorer," Sandpoint coach Tyler Haynes said. "We were somewhat anemic there (scoring just 13 first-half points). We couldn't muster any offense."

Jake Ram drilled a 3-pointer just seven seconds into the game, and Lakeland was on its way. Hayden Nosworthy added a basket for the Hawks on the next trip down, and Ram followed with a 3-point play for a 10-2 lead with 4:26 left in the quarter.

Lakeland led 17-9 at the quarter, and helped in part by its zone defenses, held Sandpoint scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter, building its lead to 24-9 before settling for a 27-13 halftime lead. Point guard Tyrel Derrick scored seven of his 10 first-half points in the second quarter, and finished with 18 points and six assists in a drive-and-dish clinic.

Lakeland picked up in the third quarter where it left off in the first half, extending its lead to 43-17 late in the third quarter. The Hawks led by at least 22 points the rest of the way, and several players contributed to the blowout.

Ram, a wing, finished with 12 points. Post Slater Ray added nine points off the bench, and fellow Jacob Plunkett had eight, Nosworthy seven. Stockwell said the Hawks played four different zone defenses, and they flustered the Bulldogs at times.

"Lakeland deserves all the credit," Haynes said. "I thought they played as hard and focused a game as you could play. Offense, defense, loose balls ... everything. They did a great job of contesting shots and extending to take away our post threat."

Lakeland shot 22 of 47 from the field, including 7 of 12 from 3-point range. Ram was 3 of 4 on 3s.

Chase Rodriguez led Sandpoint with eight points. But the Bulldogs shot just 10 of 44 from the field, 1 of 18 from 3-point land.

Moscow, the four-time defending regional champions, beat Lakeland twice in league play. The Bears won by 15 at home, then escaped with a three-point victory at Lakeland on Feb. 4.

"They present some matchup problems, but we gave them a game last time," Stockwell said. "I feel good; the kids feel good. We'll battle 'em."

Sandpoint 9 4 10 10 - 33

Lakeland 17 10 20 14 - 61

SANDPOINT - Timothy 2, Jurenka 3, Rodriguez 8, Spalding 5, Kuzmich 0, Schwartz 7, Edwards 0, Burgstahler 2, Bruener 0, Gagnon 6, Collado 0.

LAKELAND - Ram 12, Nosworthy 7, Cooper 0, Derrick 18, Roth 0, Henry 1, McDevitt 0, Knight 0, Dove 0, Bayley 6, Plunkett 8, Ray 9.