Lewiston 66, Sandpoint 45

LEWISTON — Senior Emerik Jones tallied a team-high 17 points, including two 3-pointers, but the No. 2 Bulldogs couldn't overcome the No. 1 Bengals' 3-point shooting efficiency in the first game of the 5A Inland Empire League district tournament best-of-three series held Tuesday at Bengal Court.

Senior Wil Leisy added nine points, all of which came from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, and sophomore Derrick Chamberlain had eight points for Sandpoint, which led 14-13 after one quarter of action.

Junior Royce Fisher drained four 3-pointers and collected a game-high 20 points, senior Parker Bogar registered 13 points, and sophomore Blaze Hepburn hit three 3-pointers for all nine of his points for Lewiston, which found nylon 11 times from 3-point range and outscored the Bulldogs 41-18 between the middle two quarters.

Lewiston had 18 assists and eight steals in the contest compared to Sandpoint's 12 assists and three steals.

Sophomore Knox Williams contributed a game-high six assists, junior Logan Roos pulled down six rebounds and Jones and Chamberlain both rejected two shots apiece in the loss.

No. 2 Sandpoint (11-11) will travel to No. 1 Lewiston (19-4) for game two Thursday at 6 p.m.

Sandpoint 14 8 10 13 — 45

Lewiston 13 21 20 12 — 66

PTS: SPT — Jones 17, Leisy 9, Chamberlain 8, Corbett 4, Yarbrough 3, Williams 2, Iverson 1, Wolff 1. LEW — Fisher 20, Bogar 13, Torpey 9, Hepburn 9, Walker 7, Alldredge 6, Rudolph 2.

REB: SPT — Roos 6, Chamberlain 5, Jones 4, Corbett 3, Gion 3, Wolff 1, Yarbrough 1, Iverson 1, Williams 1. LEW — Fisher 6, Bogar 6, Torpey 4, Alldredge 3, Krasselt 3, Hepburn 3, Way 2, Walker 1.

AST: SPT — Williams 6, Jones 2, Leisy 1, Roos 1, Chamberlain 1, Yarbrough 1. LEW — Torpey 4, Fisher 4, Walker 3, Bogar 2, Alldredge 1, Krasselt 1, Rudolph 1, Hepburn 1, Way 1.

STL: SPT — Gion 1, Leisy 1, Jones 1. LEW — Alldredge 4, Fisher 2, Torpey 1, Walker 1.

BLK: SPT — Jones 2, Chamberlain 2, Roos 1. LEW — Hepburn 1.