Sandpoint 58, Moscow 45

MOSCOW — It’s a Cinderella story unfolding right before our eyes. Sandpoint defeated Moscow, 58-45, at Moscow High on Friday night to clinch the 4A IEL District 1-2 Championship title and their first state tournament berth since 2009.

After the first quarter, both teams were tied at 12. However, the Bulldogs went on a small run in the second to take 26-20 lead heading into halftime. A good spot to be in, but far from comfortable. 

In the third quarter, that’s where Sandpoint did most of their damage. Emerik Jones, who led all scorers on the night with 15 points, hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key to give Sandpoint a 35-27 lead. Not too much later, Logan Roos hit a step-back 3-pointer off a pass from Derrick Chamberlain to extend Sandpoint’s lead to 11 points. With 1:23 remaining in the third, Wil Leisy sank two free throws and then on the next possession converted a layup after fighting through contact down low to give Sandpoint a 43-29 lead, their largest of the game.

“Wil came in off the bench and gave us a huge lift,” head coach Brian Childs said. “He made his free throws and played aggressive defense. He’s another one who has really thrived this week. He has given us a spark in all three games.”

In the fourth quarter, the Bears mounted a comeback. With less than three minutes left, Sandpoint found themselves ahead by just four points, 49-45. The Bulldogs, however, did not panic and ended up scoring the last nine points of the contest to seal the deal. The dagger … a deep step-back 3-pointer from Parker Childs which gave the Bulldogs a 54-45 lead with just 1:08 to go. On the very next possession, after forcing Moscow to turn the ball over, Roos closed things out by converting a 3-point play off an inbound pass from Knox Williams.

“You’re going to have a hard time getting the smile off my face — that was pretty special,” coach Childs said. “We’re so young, and I just recently watched our game against West Valley, our first of the season … to see where we were then compared to now, it’s really a testament to the boys. They have worked hard, listened, they’re coachable, and they get along. You can’t underestimate chemistry with high school kids and things are coming together at the right time.”

In addition to Jones’ 15, Roos scored 14 points, hauled in seven rebounds, and recorded four steals for the Bulldogs. Chamberlain, a freshman, reached double-figures once again with 12 while fellow freshman Knox Williams led the team in assists with four. Leisy added a much-needed eight points for Sandpoint off the bench.

Coach Childs said both Roos and Jones came up big for the Bulldogs, especially in the second half. He also noted how Parker Childs competed hard on the defensive end and did a good job leading the team. Childs said he believes his players have really settled into their roles and will be competitive next week.

“It’s been such a long time — we’re happy to be heading back to the state tournament,” coach Childs said. “I think regardless of our seeding we’ll go down there and compete as hard as we can.”

Sandpoint will head to the 4A state tournament set to be held Feb. 29 through March 2 at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. The Bulldogs seed and matchup will be announced at a later date.

Sandpoint 12 14 17 15 – 58

Moscow 12 8 13 12 – 45

PTS: SPT – Jones 15, Roos 14, Chamberlain 12, Leisy 8, Childs 6, Williams 2, Gion 1, Leavitt 0. MOS – Reed 14, Hillman 12, Izzo 6, Abendroth 4, Breese 3, Wilson 2, Cummings 2, Williams 2, bethel 0.

REB: SPT – Roos 7, Chamberlain 6, Jones 5, Childs 5, Gion 4, Williams 1, Leavitt 1. MOS – Reed 8, Hillman 4, Williams 3, Abendroth 3, Izzo 2, Wilson 1, Breese 1.

AST: SPT – Williams 4, Jones 3, Chamberlain 1, Leisy 1, Gion 1. MOS – Wilson 2, Izzo 2, Hillman 1, Abendroth 1.

STL: SPT – Roos 4, Childs 3. MOS – Izzo 3, Wilson 2, Cummings 2, Reed 2, Abendroth 2, Bethel 1.

BLK: SPT – Chamberlain 2, Williams 1, Roos 1. MOS – Breese 1, Reed 1.