6A DISTRICT 1 GIRLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: Vikings win big, but need 'to clean some things up'
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 3 months, 1 week AGO
MARK NELKE/Press Coeur d'Alene senior Karisa Wallis (10) drives to the basket as Post Falls junior Jaya Felix (10) defends on Tuesday night at Viking Court.
MARK NELKE/Press Post Falls sophomore Gracie Gluhak, left, tries to keep the ball away from Coeur d'Alene junior Hannah Shafer on Tuesday night at Coeur d'Alene High.
By MARK NELKE
Sports editor
COEUR d’ALENE — Even in a one-sided victory, coaches can find things to improve on.
Stacy Boyd was that coach on Tuesday night at Viking Gym, after his top-seeded Coeur d’Alene Vikings pulled away early en route to a 60-34 victory over the second-seeded Post Falls Trojans in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the 6A District 1 title.
“We started out well, we played with pace, and then we got a comfortable lead, and we started playing like we were behind,” Boyd said. “Defensively I think we locked in pretty well. But then we started getting careless with the ball, unnecessary fouls, things like that. Honestly, we’ve got to clean that up. If we want to do well, and we want to get back on that stage, like last year (where they reached the state semifinals), we’ve got to clean some things up.”
Coeur d’Alene (20-2) travels to Post Falls (8-15) on Thursday at 7 p.m. for Game 2, with a chance to clinch a berth to state next week. A Post Falls win would force a deciding game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene.
Junior Brookeslee Colvin scored 30 points for Coeur d’Alene, several of those layups after turnovers forced by the Vikings’ full-court pressure.
Sophomore Lexie Wheeler added 16 points for the Vikings, including three 3-pointers.
Freshman Payton Brown, who moved into the starting lineup around midseason, hit three 3s and scored all nine of her points in the first half for Coeur d’Alene.
“I knew she could come in and be an impact player,” Boyd said. “She just needed to get some reps, get some confidence, find her comfort zone. And she’s doing that.
“Tonight Payton stepped up for us; she hit some really big shots.”
Another freshman, Ava Robertson, has started a couple games in recent weeks for the Vikings, who were without senior guard Natalie Semprimoznik (illness) on Tuesday. Junior Kyndal Bridge, who recently returned from a knee injury, saw limited minutes Tuesday.
It would have been a tough ask at full strength for Post Falls, which lost to Coeur d’Alene by 34 and 23 points during the regular season. Compound that with the Trojans’ top player, senior Kailey Walton, sidelined with a hamstring injury ...
“They’re loaded; they’re good. Their pressure wrecked us,” first-year Post Falls coach Brian Carlson said. “I thought our game plan was actually OK; we just turned it over too many times.”
Sophomore Annabelle Tucker led Post Falls with seven points.
Post Falls 7 10 12 5 — 34
Coeur d’Alene 19 22 17 2 — 60
POST FALLS — Hollenbeck 4, Haines-Picchione 2, Reese 4, Felix 3, Morrison 4, Johnson 3, Tucker 7, Ingle 1, Gluhak 6.
COEUR d’ALENE — Yates 0, Wheeler 16, Brown 9, Bridge 0, Wallis 5, Colvin 30, Shafer 0, Reardon 0, Robertson 0.
MARK NELKE/Press Post Falls sophomore Gracie Gluhak, left, tries to keep the ball away from Coeur d'Alene junior Hannah Shafer on Tuesday night at Coeur d'Alene High.