SANDPOINT — Last year, Lakeland and Sandpoint hooked up in an epic best-of-3 battle for the 4A Region 1 girls basketball championship, for the region’s lone berth to state, with each game being won by the visiting team.

This year’s rematch lacked the same drama, however the result was the same.

The Sandpoint Bulldogs booked their ticket to state for the eighth time in nine years Friday night, beating the visiting Lakeland Hawks 43-36 at Les Rogers Court to win the best-of-3 series two games to none.

Junior Kenna Simon scored 10 points for Lakeland (8-11), which trailed only 17-15 at halftime, but ran into foul trouble early in the third quarter.

“I think some of us started playing a bit hesitant,” Lakeland girls basketball coach Steve Seymour said. “You really can’t do that and potentially the last game of the year, but I think a fourth foul was in the back of their head.”

Aliya Strock hit two 3-pointers and scored 14 points for Sandpoint (12-8) which advances to state Feb. 17-19 at Mountain View High in Meridian.

Defense was the difference-maker in Game 2. In the first three minutes of the second half, Sandpoint went on an 8-0 run and had three steals.

“Our defense was able to carry us,” Sandpoint coach Will Love said. “I knew it was going to be a battle, but I was confident our kids would put themselves in good positions to be successful.”

The first two minutes of the first quarter saw the Bulldogs open up a 6-2 lead, but the Hawks came rallying back to tie the first quarter at 10.

“We had a strong first half,” Seymour said. “We dropped a couple of assignments here and there and Sandpoint took advantage of that.”

During the fourth, Sandpoint started to turn to take the air out of the basketball. This was a strategy that the Bulldogs started using much earlier in Game 1 but during the fourth, it was just as effective, especially with time on their side.

“The girls have an understanding that if we have a big lead in the fourth that the team kind of has a sixth man they’re going against,” Love said. “That being the time, and they need to understand that eight minutes goes by pretty quickly, if you let it.”

Lakeland was bidding for its first trip to state since 2019.

Lakeland 10 5 3 18 — 36

Sandpoint 10 7 13 13 — 43

LAKELAND — Terzulli 0, Sterling 5, L. Kiefer 8, K. Simon 10, A. Kiefer 5, L. Simon 8.

SANDPOINT — K. Cessna 10, Driggs 10, Reinink 0., Tomco 3, Owens 0, Strock 14, Lyons 0, Platte 6.