COEUR d’ALENE — Going into Tuesday’s 1A Division II District 1 semifinal game at North Idaho College, Clark Fork boys basketball knew they needed to play flawless if they wanted to have a chance to upset undefeated and top-seeded Lakeside.

Unfortunately, the Wampus Cats were unable to do that and lost 96-39 to the Knights.

“Tough loss for the seniors,” head coach Heath Beason wrote in an email. “Team knew it needed to be a perfect game. Confidence wasn’t there from the start. Carter San Roman and a few others fought to the end and never gave up, but we fell hard.”

The game didn’t start great for the Wampus Cats who fell behind 26-8 after one quarter and trailed by 35 points at the half.

Things didn’t get better coming out of the locker room as Lakeside ended Clark Fork’s season.

Junior Cameron Garcia led the team with 15 points and senior Josh Constantin added 13.

Kenyon Spotted Horse scored 28 for Lakeside and Dareen Higgins had 25.

The Wampus Cats saw a significant improvement in Beason’s second year as the coach. Last season Clark Fork only won one game. In the 2019-20 season, the team finishes with a mark of 6-14.

And for the first time in several years, the squad had enough players to field a JV team.

The Wampus Cats will have to replace four seniors including three starters next season, but the playing time and experience the younger players received this year should help the team avoid taking a step back.

“I’m very proud of our team this year and we’re going in the right direction,” Beason wrote.

Clark Fork 8 11 11 9 — 39

Lakeside 26 28 27 15 — 96

CLARK FORK — Garcia 15, San Roman 5, Bopp 4, Abbott 2, Constantin 13, Reuter 0.

LAKESIDE — Brown 10, Abuan 0, Higgins 25, White 11, Hall 12, Twoteeth 6, Spotted Horse 28, Matt 4, Arroyo 0.