Pirates advance to District Championship game
The Prairie boys basketball team advanced to the District Championship with a 58-47 win over Potlatch Saturday, Feb. 21 at Lewiston High School.
The Pirates will play Kendrick at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Lewiston High School with the winner advancing to state. The loser plays again on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. with the winner of that game advancing to a state play-in game at McCall-Donnelley High School on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. MST.
As the #1 seed Prairie received a first round bye and did not have to play Wednesday, Feb. 18 like the rest of the league teams.
Potlatch scored first with a 3-point play. Prairie quickly tied it with a 3 by Riley Shears then gave Prairie the lead 30 seconds later with a drive for a lay-up. Potlatch tied it then Prairie took the lead for good on a 3 by Nate Forsmann that kicked of a 10-0 run. Patrick Schlader scored a putback. Forsmann converted a 3-point play and then added a lay-up to make it 15-5. Potlatch then scored the final 4 points of the quarter leaving the Pirates with a 15-9 lead.
Max Rehder opened the second quarter scoring with a 3. After a basket by Potlatch, Forsmann and Schlader each scored for a 22-11 lead. After 2 free throws by Potlatch, Schlader hit for 3 for a 25-13 lead. Potlatch then closed out the half with a pair of 3’s by Chase Lovell to close within 25-19 at the half.
Forsmann opened the second half with a putback and Potlatch answered. Prairie then scored 7 straight for a 34-21 lead. Schlader scored a putback and 2 free throws then Shears scored a 3. Potlatch scored 4 straight and Forsmann added a lay-up to make it 36-25. A Potlatch basket was answered by a lay-up by Schlader and 2 free throws by Shears that made it 40-27. Potlatch scored the next 6 points before Prairie closed out the third quarter with 2 free throws by Shears and a lay-up by Forsmann. That made it 44-33 after 3 quarters.
Forsmann and Levi Gehring each scored to open the fourth quarter. Lovell then scored a pair of long 3’s for Potlatch. After a lay-up by Schlader, Potlatch hit another 3 to cut the deficit to just 8 points with 5:14 left to play. Schlader scored a pair of lay-ups to push the lead back to 12 at 54-42 with 3:20 left. Lovell scored a 3-point play and Gehring answered with a lay-up as Prairie broke Potlatch’s full court press. Potlatch scored with 1:50 left then there was no scoring until Schlader scored a lay-up with 12 seconds remaining.
Schlader led the Pirates in scoring with 21 points. Forsmann had 18 points, Shears 12, Gehring 4 and Rehder 3.
Prairie had a 27-21 rebounding edge led by Schlader who had 8.
Gehring had 4 steals and Schlader had 4 assists.
Prairie was 23 for 47 from the field, 49%, and a perfect 7 for 7 at the line. Potlatch was 17 for 40 from the field, 43%, and 7 for 8 at the line, 88%.
Prairie is now 16-5 on the season.
Prairie 15 10 19 14 -58
Potlatch 9 10 14 14 -47
Prairie-Gehring 2-6, 0-0, 4; Shears 3-9, 4-4, 12; Schwartz 0-4, 0-0, 0; Schlader 9-12, 2-2, 21; Forsmann 8-12, 1-1, 18; VonBargen 0-3, 0-0, 0; Rehder 1-1, 0-0, 3. 3-pointers-Shears, Schlader, Forsmann, Rehder.
Potlatch-Magallon 2-3, 1-1, 5; Lovell 7-17, 3-3, 22; Morris 3-8, 2-3, 9; Brown 0-1, 0-0, 0; Mitchell 3-6, 1-1, 7; Pollock 0-1, 0-0, 0; Chittick 0-1, 2-2, 2; Redmon 2-3, 0-0, 4; Marshal 0-0, 0-0, 0. 3-pointers-Lovell 5, Morris.

 

JV games start at 6 p.m., varsity to follow unless indicated
*indicates league game
  1-Orofino, here, lost 43-46
  5-Grangeville, there, 7:30, Idaho County Shootout , won 67-38
  8-Deary, there, won 56-23
10-JV at Clarkston JV, 6:30 p.m.
12-Troy*, here, won 75-18
18-Kamiah*, here, won 65-32
  6-Orofino, there, lost 45-54
  8-Deary, here, won 55-31
10-Potlatch*, there, C-JV-V, 1 p.m., won 67-51
13-Lapwai*, here, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m., won 63-36
15-C vs. Clarkston, 4:30 p.m.
15-Logos*, here, won 48-29
16-Kendrick*, Quad, here, 5 p.m., lost 47-60
23-Lakeside, there, V only, 6 p.m., lost 53-68
24-Troy*, there, 1 & 2:30 p.m.  won 62-24
28-Kamiah*, there, won 47-38
29-Logos*, there, won 67-48
  3-Lapwai*, there, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m., won 60-41
  5-Lakeside, here, V only, 6 p.m. , JV vs. Kendrick, 4:30 p.m., lost 36-62
  6-Kendrick*, there, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m., won 53-49
12-Grangeville, here, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m.-date changed, won 69-30
13-Potlatch*, here, Senior Night, C-JV-V, 4:30 p.m., won 50-37
21-District at Lewiston High 4:30 p.m. against Potlatch. won 58-47
25-District Championship vs. Kendrick, lost 41-64, details next week
26-District 2nd Place game vs. Lapwai, 6 p.m.
28-State Play-In at McCall-Donnelly, 3 p.m. MST
March 5-7-State at Vallivue High, Caldwell