Cheney falls to Post Falls, Clarkston

By JOHN McCALLUM

Managing Editor

CHENEY – New head coach Frankie Keplinger believes for the Blackhawks boys’ basketball team to find its way into the win column, they need to find their offense.

Cheney lost two more games last week, dropping to 0-4 overall. The visiting Post Falls Trojans found an amazing shooting touch — especially junior guard Caden McLean — to blow open a relatively close game last Thursday with a 31-point third-quarter, downing host Cheney 69-40 in non-league action.

Twenty-four hours and 105 miles later in Clarkston, the Blackhawks found themselves in a battle with the Bantams in a tough place to play. Cheney overcame being outscored 24-7 in the third quarter to rally to within three at 43-40 and just missed a 3-point shot that would’ve tied the game before falling 48-42 to go to 0-1 in Great Northern League action.

Senior Quinsie Goodloe led Cheney in what offense they were able to muster against both opponents, being the only Blackhawk in double-digit scoring with 16 points against Post Falls and 15 at Clarkston.

Against the Trojans, Cheney trailed just 26-16 at the half – and Keplinger points to the visitor’s 26 points as a defensive success. Throw in Post Falls’ 12-point final quarter, and it’s likely a close game.

Enter McLean, who at one time hit three, 3-pointers in a row as the Trojans unleashed a scoring frenzy from beyond the arc in the third quarter — hitting seven triples in the period. Cheney closed the gap to 38-30 about midway through the third, but after that it was all Post Falls, who went on a 31-0 run before Tavin West’s 3 with 5:49 to play in the game ended the onslaught.

McLean led all scorers with 30 points, hitting six 3-pointers all together.

“They can do it all,” Keplinger said of the Trojans. “I’m glad we don’t have to see those guys again.”

Keplinger is satisfied with the way his defense is playing, pointing not only to the 26 point first half against Post Falls but also holding Clarkston to 48 points, nine points below their season average so far. But it’s the offense that Cheney needs to get going, and as has been typical of the Blackhawks for several seasons now, its third-quarter offense — or rather lack of — is often what does the team in.

Cheney has been outscored 82–39 coming out of the halftime locker room, and like his predecessors, Keplinger can’t explain the trend. He believes his team isn’t lacking offensive firepower, but rather that they’re running the offense wrong.

The Blackhawks spacing is off, Keplinger said, and opponents defensive switching often creates confusion. To work on this, head coach and players have been watching a lot of film, and dedicated practice on Dec. 16 to nothing but offense.

Cheney gets two more non-league chances to work on that offense this week, traveling to Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday to take on the Idaho 5A Vikings and then staying on the road to face Lakeland on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Keplinger said the Hawks are almost as good as Post Falls, and might be the second-best team Cheney will face all year. The Vikings are 1-4, and “beatable” if the Blackhawks can get rolling offensively and continue to play good, pressure defense.

“We knew at the start of the season that this would be a process,” he said. “I still believe we can win the league (GNL). Right now, other teams are just hitting more shots.”

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].