PREP ROUNDUP: Timberlake cruises in playoff opener

SPIRIT LAKE - It was a bit of a slow start, but once Brooke Jessen and her Timberlake teammates got rolling, they were one step closer to another 3A District 1 tournament title.

Jessen scored 22 points, teammates Taryn Soumas and McKennah Kronenberg added 10 each, and the host Tigers topped Priest River 59-20 in Monday's playoff opener.

"The girls played really hard on the defensive end," Timberlake coach Matt Miller said. "We started a little slow in terms of making shots, but we started to click in the second quarter."

Leading 14-4 after one period, the Tigers opened a 30-10 halftime lead and the Spartans could get no closer the rest of the way.

Timberlake (18-2), the defending 3A state champions, can punch its return ticket to the state tournament tonight with a district title game victory over Bonners Ferry. The visiting Badgers (11-5) topped Kellogg 48-44 in Monday's other district semifinal.

Miller praised the defense and energy level of senior Olivia Hammond and said Kronenberg had a good shooting night to help Timberlake shake its slow start.

Hannah Palfrey had 6 points for Priest River, which travels to Kellogg tonight for a 6 p.m. loser-out game.

The Badgers and Tigers also meet at 6 p.m. in Spirit Lake.

Priest River 4 6 8 2 - 20

Timberlake 14 16 20 9 - 59

PRIEST RIVER - Rantala 2, Freitas 4, Pound 0, Duquette 0, Fitzmorris 4, Thompson 0, Palfrey 6, Kingery 0, White 2, Barton 2, Shockey 0.

TIMBERLAKE - T. Soumas 10, Hammond 2, Kronenberg 10, C. Soumas 3, Wall 0, Carhart 2, Jessen 22, Bain 6, Peterson 0.

Sandpoint 44, Moscow 29

The host Bulldogs topped the Bears in Monday's 4A Region 1 loser-out contest, meaning Sandpoint (9-9) will face Lakeland (8-9) in a best-of-3 regional championship series.

Hattie Larson scored 17 points for the Bulldogs, who used a 14-1 third-quarter run to take control against Moscow. Sandpoint sank 22-of-29 free-throws in Monday's win.

The Hawks host game 1 of the regional championship series at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Rathdrum.

"It's going to be a battle, I know that," Sandpoint coach Will Love said. "We've got a lot of respect for the Lakeland program and we know they are going to come out and give us their best."

Moscow 9 6 6 8 — 29

Sandpoint 10 7 14 13 — 44

MOSCOW — A. Lassen 5, Heyns 9, Gray 8, Nauman 1, Watson 2, J. Lassen 0, Berg 0, Anderson 4.

SANDPOINT — Gammon 0, Driggs 4, Strock 0, Reinink 0, Lyons 2, Tomco 0, Cessna 2, Phillips 4, Kar. Banks 7, Larson 17, Platte 0, Banks 8.

Postponement

Due to a snow day in Orofino, Monday's first-round 2A District 1-2 girls basketball tournament game pitting St. Maries at Orofino was postponed. It is scheduled for 6 p.m. today in Orofino.

Boys basketball

Lapwai 75, St. Maries 66

LAPWAI - Foul trouble and a rough second quarter erased a strong start, forcing St. Maries to play catch-up throughout the second half. In the end, the state's top-ranked 1A Division I squad dealt the visiting Lumberjacks their first loss of the season.

St. Maries (16-1) led 16-6 after one quarter before the Wildcats (12-4) ran wild in the second period, outscoring the Lumberjacks 28-7.

"We got in a little foul trouble ... we had four guys with three fouls in the first half," St. Maries coach Bryan Chase said. "That led to a lot of free throws and a big quarter for them."

Led by Tristan Gentry's 17 points and 15 rebounds, the Lumberjacks outscored Lapwai in the second half, but couldn't overcome the 17-point halftime deficit.

"The kids fought hard and tried to claw back into it. We cut the lead to 7 points with about five minutes left," Chase said. "We just couldn't get any closer. They got some easy layups against our press and were able to close it out."

The junior duo of Titus Yearout (23 points) and Kross Taylor (22 points) led the Wildcats, who were coming off a loss to league foe Genesee on Friday.

Brett Stancil had 14 points, Greyson Sands had 11 points and Eli Gibson had nine points and three steals for St. Maries, which hosts Orofino on Friday.

St. Maries 16 7 20 23 - 66

Lapwai 6 28 19 22 - 75

ST. MARIES - Sands 11, Ross 6, Gentry 17, Stancil 14, Elliott 1, Wicks 0, Gibson 9, Ledbetter 2, C. Renner 6.

LAPWAI - Ellenwood-Jones 2, T. Yearout 23, Taylor 22, Wynott 14, A. Yearout 6, Ellenwood 8.