North Idaho Microupdates: Part 1

<p>Up in the Pacific Time Zone and nearing the US/Canada border, north Idaho has quietly been producing quality basketball programs for the last couple of years. Many of these teams and players are doing a great job of showing that even though the days are shorter, the basketball ability is not lacking by any stretch of the imagination. Whether these teams are playing against in-state rivals, or hopping the Washington border to play against some tough competition, one thing is certain: north Idaho basketball programs are no joke. Continue reading for a look at some microupdates from recent games being played in north Idaho.</p> <p><strong>St. Maries vs. Genesis Prep: </strong>St. Maries showed why they are currently defending state champions during a rout of Genesis Prep. St. Maries has been off to a great start during the 2021-22 season, and they have shown no signs of slowing down or regressing any time soon. Genesis Prep lost a few key players from last year’s team and are still playing around with lineup changes and orientations in order to find the best mix. Tyler Renner had a great game for St. Maries on both ends of the floor in order to help seal the victory over Genesis Prep. Tyler scored 12 points by showing his ability to score at the basket, as well as from mid-range. His jump shot looked really solid and he did a great job of remaining poised. In addition, he also grabbed 9 rebounds and was an animal rebounding on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><strong>Lake City vs. Sandpoint:</strong> Lake City ran away with a victory over Sandpoint recently in a matchup of non-conference foes. Lake City got out to a strong start and never looked back as they cruised to victory. Sandpoint tried to rally late in the game, however, their efforts were too little and came too late in the game to have any true impact. Lake City used a balanced attack from their best players to help their team walk away with a solid victory. Lake City was led by [player_tooltip player_id="923079" first="Zach" last="Johnson"] producing a double-double including 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Johnson made a big impact on both ends of the floor and his presence was felt throughout the night. [player_tooltip player_id="923086" first="Kolton" last="Mitchell"] padded the stat-book with 16 points and 7 assists. His court vision helped create flow for Lake City’s offense and he also played well defensively with 5 steals. Finally, [player_tooltip player_id="923077" first="Blake" last="Buchanan"] played a strong game and posted 8 points and 6 rebounds.</p>