RATHDRUM — Sandpoint girls basketball notched a huge win over league rival Lakeland on Tuesday night, grabbing a stranglehold on the race for the 4A Inland Empire League regular season title.

The Bulldogs beat down the Hawks 62-50 and can now clinch the regular season league title with a road victory over Moscow on Saturday.

Head coach Will Love said the team is aware of the significance of Saturday’s game.

“I know these kids are focused,” Love said. “This is the first of our goals for the season is winning a league title so they’ve been working since the summer to be in a position to win that so they know what it means ... but we need to be ready because the Bear den is a tough place to play.”

Sandpoint came out fast in the first quarter taking a 19-8 lead.

Lakeland was able to climb back into the game in the second quarter reducing the deficit to just 3 points at halftime.

The Bulldogs maintained their advantage through the third quarter and senior Dawson Driggs knocked down 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the win for Sandpoint.

Driggs finished with 17 points, freshman Kelsey Cessna added 13 and junior Kaylee Banks tallied 9.

“It really was a team effort tonight,” Love said. “Everybody contributed in their different ways so that’s awesome that all 11 kids worked to get this win.”

Sandpoint (12-6, 2-0 IEL) travels to Moscow at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Sandpoint 19 7 15 21 — 62

Lakeland 8 15 15 12 — 50

SANDPOINT — Cessna 13, Lish 0, Day. Driggs 0, Morgan 6, Driggs 17, Edwards 0, Steiger 4, Phillips 8, Larson 5, Platte 0, Banks 9.

LAKELAND — Boyer 7, Tingey 2, McDevitt 0, Neff 2, Ryan 21, Hostetler 4, Loutzenhiser 8, Kiefer 4, Woemper 0, Huddleston 2.