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Written by: Aaron McCree
5A State Championship Game
Centennial 40, Eagle 37
Redemption. It was on the minds of the Centennial Patriots after falling at the hands of the Mountain View Mavericks in last years’ installment of the Real Dairy Shootout, but after destiny left Mountain View, it found a new home with Centennial this year.
Tori Williams, a senior point guard, ended up leading the charge for the Patriots down the stretch in the fourth and final quarter, slicing through the Eagle defense like a warm butter knife, and finishing smoothly at the rim.
The University of Utah commit knocked down 4 of her 5 free throw attempts in the ball game, finishing with 15 of Centennial’s 40 points, and although she was just 1-6 from distance, teammate Lauren Brocke carried the load from deep, knocking down two huge triples in the ball game to really solidify the Patriots’ lead and preventing Eagle from bringing home the title.
Perhaps the stat of the game is that Eagle only got to the free throw line three times in this one, only converting on one of them, a lone make was from Abby Mangum, who led the Mustangs with 12 points.
Eagle struggled mightily from the floor as well, as the ‘Stangs shot just 29.6 percent. Centennial shot 35.7 percent and it would end up being all the Patriots needed as they played solid defense for 32 minutes, preventing Eagle from scoring unless the clock was moving and the shot was contested.
Centennial finishes the season 23-4 and the Eagle Mustangs finish off the year 25-2, with their only losses coming to last years’ state champions in Mountain View, and this year’s champions as well.
4A State Championship Game
Middleton 57, Bishop Kelly 44
After 32 minutes of sweat, blood and eventually tears, the Middleton Vikings came away with a state championship on Saturday.
The student section counted out the 107 misses that the Knights had in their 15 minute warmups, and from the get-go, it affected the Knights. Bishop Kelly came out in the first half and shot 19 percent from the field.
The cylinders were all firing for Middleton in the third quarter, as they scored 15 in the stanza and the momentum that they gained is what propelled them to the final eight minutes with a 7-point lead.
Zoey Moore, a freshman for the Vikings, came down the floor pressured by Bishop Kelly’s Gabby Keefe, who Moore hit with a swift double move into a pull-up three that ended up being the proverbial nail in the coffin. Moore’s shot from two feet behind the college three-point line found the bottom of the net, forcing the Knights to call a timeout with just four minutes left in the ballgame, now down ten.
The next possession Bishop Kelly’s Lydia Nieto fouled out. Moore stormed down the floor, pulled up from the left wing and buried another triple. After that it was all over.
The Vikings knocked down 23 of their 32 free throw attempts, and in doing so, came away with the 13-point victory over the Knights at the Idaho Center. Middleton finishes the season 21-6.
3A State Championship Game
Timberlake 60, Sugar-Salem 57
Few things are more difficult than repeating as state champions. The Timberlake Tigers learned that after a valiant fight put up by the Sugar-Salem Diggers on Saturday.
Led by 27 Allison Kirby points, the Tigers squeaked out a three point victory over Amanda Rudd (21 points) and the Diggers.
Timberlake had won 22 games this season before they played Sugar-Salem, thanks in large part to the stifling pressure that Timberlake puts on defensively.
The Diggers came out of the gate and were prepared for the pressure though, taking the almost perfect Tigers to a 33-33 draw after two quarters of play.
Back and forth the game went, as All-State caliber athletes Rudd and Kirby essentially traded baskets and free throws down the stretch, but the final blow came when Keelie Lawler knocked down four huge free throws in the final 45 seconds of the ballgame, with Amanda Rudd’s desperation heave to tie it falling short.
The Diggers fought valiantly to come back, but there’s only so much you can do when you’re playing one of the best teams in the state of Idaho.
Timberlake completed the near perfect season with one of the most memorable finishes in Real Dairy Shootout history, finishing 23-2 and most importantly, they win back-to-back state championships.
2A State Championship Game
Ririe 56, Malad 34
A dominant second half performance by the Ririe Bulldogs led to the school’s first ever state championship on Saturday.
Haddi Williams, Kaylee Brown and Madalyn Johnson were huge cogs in the Ririe engine that would eventually drive all the way to the blue trophy presentation.
At the beginning of the third, Kaylee Brown knocked down a huge three off a great assist from Haddi Williams that really turned the tide over the course of the game. After that shot, the Malad Dragons were held to just four points in the entire quarter.
The Bulldogs exploded for 25 more points in the second half, and for the Dragons, the Cinderella run at state came to a rather dreary conclusion.
The Bulldogs were led by senior All-State forward Haddi Williams, who will likely continue her basketball career in college, chipping in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
She was greatly helped by one of the best shooters in all of 2A hoops, Kaylee Brown, who knocked home three huge three-pointers for Ririe, finishing with 11 points of her own to go along with her 4 steals.
Madisyn Johnson also finished with 11 points and was named the IdahoSports.com Player of the Game as well. She finished with 4 steals, but her stats don’t even begin to tell the story of how well she defended the Malad posts for almost 32 entire minutes.
The Bulldogs complete their best season in school history, finishing at 25-2.
1AD1 State Championship Game
Lapwai 79, Prairie 40
The Lapwai Wildcats won their third straight state championship, defeating the Prairie Pirates once again at the Ford Idaho Center.
Led by senior standout Koyama Young, the Wildcats jumped out ahead of the Pirates with a 23-5 second quarter, taking a 21-point advantage over their White Pine League foe, 37-16 at the break.
Amil Mitchell really took over in the second half, however, finishing with 15 points on the ballgame, as well as 2 big steals down the stretch for Head Coach Eric Spencer and the Wildcats.
The team’s seemingly patented press did its job yet again, as the Lapwai pressure forced Prairie to turn the ball over 24 times in the game.
Kylie Tidwell was really the only Pirate that was able to make her shots fall, finishing 6-16 from the field and leading the Pirates with 13 points.
Coach Spencer will have to pull another rabbit out of the hat if the Wildcats are to four-peat, as they lose eight seniors this season. The Pirates will also have a similar problem, losing key seniors like Kylie Tidwell and Chaye Uptmor. The Wildcats finish their three-peat season with the blue trophy, another banner to hang on the wall at Lapwai and a 23-1 record.
1AD2 State Championship Game
Butte County 73, Salmon River 44
150 teams in Idaho set out to accomplish one thing every year, and that is to win a state championship. Six girls programs actually get that honor, and the first team to take home a blue trophy, did so in an extra special way Saturday.
The Butte County Pirates came into the Ford Idaho Center looking to do something that only a few other programs in the state’s illustrious basketball history had ever accomplished, and that was to complete a perfect season.
The Pirates came into the title game 23-0, and the only thing standing between them and perfection was the Salmon River Savages.
The Savages came into the championship game by way of one of the most impressive victories in their respective tournament, knocking off 6’4” Bella Murakatete and the young Genesis Prep Jaguars, 66-51.
Led in large part by Chevelle Shepherd, who had 29 points, the Savages were going to need a valiant effort if they were going to upset the Goliath-sized Pirates.
Butte County continued their dominant ways, scoring at will, making Salmon River uncomfortable by forcing turnovers on the other end.
The Pirates bring home their fourth title in school history, and as for Salmon River, they will try and reach their second straight title game next year.
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