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Written by: Aaron McCree
5A
Bonneville 66, Mountain View 48
Dillon Sorensen was not ready for his high school career to conclude with two straight losses, so he took over from the Idaho Center floor in the first game of the day. The senior forward finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and although that may not be a jaw-dropping stat line, he did all of the little things expected of a senior leader to help lead his team to a Super Saturday appearance. The Mavericks struggled from the field mightily, shooting just 16-51 on the afternoon. The Bees will play in the consolation final against the Madison Bobcats.
Madison 84, Boise 72
In a game that a lot of people actually expected to be on the other side of the bracket, the Madison Bobcats returned to top form in their second showing at the Idaho Center, shooting nearly 70 percent on the game from downtown and defeating their SIC foe, the Boise Braves, for the second time this season. Boise’s Paul Pennington gave all he had to try and push his Braves over Madison, but behind Mason Downey, there was little that he or anyone could do to send the number one ranked team in 5A hoops home before Saturday. Madison advances to the consolation title game, where they will face conference foe Bonneville. Boise, the second place team out of the SIC, is sent home packing.
Rocky Mountain 70, Lewiston 38
The Grizzlies from Rocky Mountain showed exactly why they are widely considered to be the favorite to win the 5A state championship, as they throttled the Lewiston Bengals in the first state semifinal matchup from the Idaho Center. Led by BYU commit Kolby Lee and Jacob Erickson, the Grizzlies were able to mess with Lewiston’s defense both inside and out, as Rocky jumped out ahead of Lewiston at the break, 31-16. Rocky just got better as the game went on, unfortunately for the Bengals, as the Grizzlies poured in 24 more points in the third, and then added 15 from largely bench players in the fourth and final stanza. The Grizzlies will play in the final game of the 2017 Real Dairy Shootout, where they will face conference opponent Centennial for all of the marbles.
Centennial 72, Post Falls 61
The Patriots sure do not seem like a team that placed fourth in their conference, as they rolled over the top team from the north, the Post Falls Trojans, 72-61. Led by Delveion Jackson’s stellar performance, the Patriots now sit just one game away from completing the ultimate Cinderella story in the 5A tournament. Jackson finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but perhaps the most interesting stat, was his 11-17 performance from the charity stripe. The senior has had over 40 free throws attempted in just two games and will likely break the record in tomorrow's contest for most free-throws made by one player at a tournament. The Patriots will look to complete the boys and girls sweep at state, but standing in their way is their conference foe, the 25-1 Rocky Mountain Grizzlies. The two SIC juggernauts will do battle at 8 p.m. in the finale of the 2017 Real Dairy Shootout.
4A
Moscow 47, Jerome 36
Cooper Stephens led the Moscow Bears to Super Saturday, and although it may not necessarily be the game that they wanted to be in, they have a very good chance to bring home some hardware come Saturday morning. Stephens went 6-6 from the charity stripe, and in a game where every free throw counted like this one, it was of the utmost importance to knock down the freebies. Hunter Pickard dominated the glass, inhaling 16 rebounds for the Bears, who really pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 16-4. Moscow will play for the consolation title tomorrow morning at Borah against the Burley Bobcats.
Burley 71, Middleton 66
In a game that was very back-and-forth for the entire 32 minutes, there was very little that separated these two teams from a win and a chance to play at the consolation championship. The one x-factor in this ball game would end up being Ryan Bagley for Burley, who knocked down 13 of his 15 free throw attempts, as well as three triples, and three field goals to finish with a game-high 28 points to go along with 9 assists. The Vikings were led by Carter Arrasmith, who finished with 16 points, missing only three shots from the field, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the free throw shooting for the Burley Bobcats. Burley will play Moscow for the consolation trophy and Middleton will make the trek home after going two-and-out.
Preston 65, Bishop Kelly 62
In the most thrilling game of day two, the Preston Indians showed how they ended up coming away with the 2016 state championship and also why anyone having to play them should be fearful that they’ll take the 2017 variety as well. Bishop Kelly led Preston for almost the entire game, but thanks to a frenzy in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, combined with the Knights going cold from the field at the wrong time, the Indians fought all the way back. With less than a second remaining, Britten Atkinson made the shot of his life, burying a triple from the left wing to send the Indians back to the state championship game, giving his team a chance to repeat as champions. The Indians will face the Vallivue Falcons tomorrow at 6 p.m. for the blue trophy. Max Rice (30 points, 5/11 3PT) and his Bishop Kelly Knights will play for the green trophy against the Idaho Falls Tigers.
Vallivue 55, Idaho Falls 45
The Vallivue Falcons saw another key performance from Nick Fitts, who led them with 12 points and 6 rebounds, and in a low-scoring, high-pressure affair, it’s just what the doctor ordered. With a solid 32 minutes of defending, the Falcons found themselves ahead of the Tigers for almost the entirety of the ball game. Sawyer Storms was never really able to take over the game the way he is accustomed to, and now the Tigers fall to the third place game where they will face the Bishop Kelly Knights. The Falcons advance to the 4A state championship game, where they await the defending state champion Preston Indians at the Ford Idaho Center.
3A
Timberlake 53, Parma 45
Timberlake was led down the stretch by a plethora of players, but Brendon Jensen’s performance was probably the most important for the Tigers, as the big fella finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists as well. His defensive presence was definitely felt also, as Parma was held to 14/38 shooting from the field. The Tigers play tomorrow for the consolation championship where they will face the Weiser Wolverines for the black trophy at 9:15 a.m. from Meridian High School.
Weiser 55, Shelley 51
Led by senior standout guard duo Alberto Sanchez and Bridger Bumgarner, the Wolverines showed glimpses throughout a solid 32-minute performance of why they were ranked number one in the state of Idaho for a majority of the year. The Russets were led in the scoring column by Adam Driscoll, who finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough down the stretch. Bumgarner led the way for Weiser down the stretch with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Alberto Sanchez, who has led the Wolverines for the majority of the season, really struggled from downtown, as the senior went 1-14 from distance, but he still finished with 13 points to aid Weiser and send them to the consolation final where they will face the Timberlake Tigers. Shelley will go home without a trophy.
Sugar-Salem 57, Gooding 41
The Diggers from Sugar-Salem walked away from Meridian High School on Friday night as the survivor of a brutal, physical clash with the Gooding Senators. Sugar-Salem’s engine, Hayden Wood, knocked down five three-pointers en route to a 21-point night, and perhaps more importantly, he only picked up one foul in his 28 minutes of playing time. As one of the Diggers most important cogs on the defensive side of the basketball, he created turnovers, ran well in transition and orchestrated a maestro-esque performance while running the Sugar offense. Gooding was led by Tyler Visser who finished with 20, but unfortunately for him and his Senators they were outplayed in transition, and now find themselves in the third place game against the Kellogg Wildcats. Sugar-Salem will look to complete a fantastic season with a state championship, as they face the Snake River Panthers in a tilt to determine who will bring home the blue trophy at 3:50 p.m.
Snake River 61, Kellogg 47
Yet again, the story of the game was about a junior post that one team needed to stop, but just couldn’t. Clancy Thomas did it all for the Panthers for the second night in a row, as Snake River finds themselves in their first state championship game since the 2012-13 season. Thomas finished with 18 points, who was helped by senior guard Porter Baldwin, who again took away some of the defensive pressure, pouring in 17 points of his own for the Panthers. Kellogg was led by Tobias Colburn who had 20, but unfortunately the supporting cast just wasn’t enough to propel Kellogg to a state title game berth. The Panthers will play against southeast Idaho foe Sugar-Salem for all the marbles.
2A
Melba 51, Nampa Christian 37
Kobe Phillips started incredibly hot from the field, knocking down seven triples in the first half for Melba, and they were able to hold off the impeding Trojan horse charge near the end to advance to the consolation final. The Mustangs were able to able to jump out to a 17-4 advantage after the first, and although Nampa Christian outscored Melba in each of the following three quarters, it just wasn’t enough to overcome the 13-point deficit they faced early on. Phillips will look to continue his lights-out shooting in the consolation final, where they will face the three-time defending state champion Firth Cougars.
Firth 57, Declo 53
In a game that was back and forth for about 31 minutes, Damon Folkman showed why he is considered one of the favorites to win the 2A Player of the Year award. Folkman threw down a vicious dunk on the fast break, and knocked down free throws in the final moments to stave off the Declo comeback attempt. The Hornets led by as many as eight late in the fourth, but Firth Head Coach Scott Adams prepared his group and gave his guys an opportunity to win the ballgame late. The Cougars will play in the 9:15 consolation finale against the Melba Mustangs, and the Declo Hornets will make the trek back to Declo after going two-and-out.
Ririe 59, St. Maries 41
Eric Torgerson and his Ririe Bulldogs are just one win away from one of the most incredible transitions in the history of the state of Idaho. Just three years ago,the Ririe Bulldogs won one basketball game. Now, all they need is to win 1 more and they will be the 2A State Champions. Ririe was led today by the twin towers, Matthew Johnson and Michael Ure. Johnson led the 'Dawgs in the scoring column, finishing with 16 points. Ure led in the rebounding category, as the sophomore snatched down 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs shot nearly 54 percent in the routing of the Lumberjacks and now will play on the Idaho Center floor, attempting to complete the winter sports trifecta, a rare feat that has rarely been accomplished in the history of Idaho athletics. Ririe will face off against the Bear Lake Bears, who they split with in the regular season. St. Maries will face New Plymouth for the third place trophy at Capital tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.
Bear Lake 54, New Plymouth 40
The Bear Lake Bears showed why they were able to come away as the district champions in Idaho’s most physical conference yet again, as the district 5 champs are now just one win away from the only thing sweeter than being district champions, and that is, obviously, being a state champion. Led by Trey Shaul and Hayden Peterson, who each had 13 points for Bear Lake, the Bears jumped out early and never really allowed New Plymouth any room to breathe, as the defensive pressure for the Bears led to 22 Pilgrim turnovers. Bear Lake will face a familiar foe for the 2A State Championship tomorrow, as the Bears have drawn the Bulldogs from Ririe, who they split with in the regular season. That game will tip at 1:40 p.m. from the Ford Idaho Center. New Plymouth will fall to the third place game, where they will face off against the St. Maries Lumberjacks.
1AD1
Riverstone 47, Wilder 36
Riverstone is trying to make the most of its first state tournament appearance, now sitting just one win away from bringing home a trophy. The Otters were slick on the offensive side of the basketball, and with Dedi Seme leading the charge finishing with 20 points and 7 rebounds, Riverstone left no doubt who was going to be playing in the consolation final. Wilder’s Fabian Blanco led the charge for Wilder, and although he was great, he needed more from his supporting cast, as he scored 21 of the Wildcats 36 points. The Otters will face off against the defending state champion Ambrose Archers in the consolation final.
Ambrose 85, Horseshoe Bend 42
Ethan Christensen of the Ambrose Archers may have had the single most incredible performance that the Real Dairy Shootout has seen so far this year. After finishing with 35 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 9 steals, the Archers senior will look to lead his team to one more trophy tomorrow. Jaxon Hughes had an unbelievable shooting display, pouring in 25 points for the Archers, as the senior guard knocked down four trifectas. Horseshoe Bend was led by Michael Osorio, who finished with 15 points. The Archers will face Riverstone for the consolation championship trophy and Horseshoe Bend will head home after losing two straight.
Prairie 44, Valley 32
Hunter Chaffee led the charge for the Prairie Pirates, who will make the journey to the Idaho Center yet again for another state championship game, as he finished with 15 points and 3 rebounds. The Pirates held the advantage for a majority of the game, and despite the best efforts of the Valley Vikings, Prairie showed exactly what championship teams are made of as they knocked down free throws, rebounded well and finished off the easy ones. Perhaps most importantly, they played excellent defense for the entire duration of the 32-minute ballgame from Vallivue. The Pirates will draw their Whitepine League rival, the Lapwai Wildcats, in the state championship game tomorrow at the Idaho Center at 11:30 a.m. Valley will play the Grace Grizzlies for the third place trophy tomorrow at Vallivue at 11:15 a.m.
Lapwai 69, Grace 54
The Lapwai Wildcats are back, and this time, they plan on a different outcome on the Idaho Center floor. Ivory Miles-Williams solidified his campaign for player of the year in 1AD1, as he finished with another near triple-double effort for the ‘Cats, ending up with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Lapwai will look to avenge their lone loss on the season to the Prairie Pirates with the potential for the sweetest of revenge scenarios tomorrow. The Grace Grizzlies were led by Payton Lloyd, who finished with 25 points and 4 rebounds, but unfortunately after Lloyd fouled out with about 2 minutes left, the Grizzlies hopes of a comeback were promptly dashed. Grace will play for the third place trophy against the Valley Vikings tomorrow morning at 11:15 a.m.
1AD2
Dietrich 75, Rockland 52
Dietrich’s Garrett Astle led the charge for an incredibly well-rounded Blue Devils team that was in front for the entirety of the ballgame. For Rockland, two key players, Spencer Permann and Rodney Parrish, fell into foul trouble and would eventually foul out before the fourth quarter even began. The hot shooting of Jake Smith continued in this one as well, as he knocked down three more triples for Dietrich, which will face the Genesis Prep Jaguars for the state championship tomorrow morning at 9:30. Rockland will drop down to the third-place game where they will face the Carey Panthers.
Genesis Prep 68, Carey 33
The Jaguars of Genesis Prep haven’t been around too long. For a school that gained eligibility to participate in IHSAA athletics just two years ago, they sure seem like a program that could dominate going forward. From beginning to end, there was very little doubt that the Jaguars would punch their ticket to a dance with the defending state champion Dietrich Blue Devils at 9:30 tomorrow morning. The Jaguars were led in scoring by Stephane Manzi, who finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Junior Williams added three triples for the Jags, who knocked down 7-17 from distance. Carey was led by Derrick Baird, who finished with 14, but his scoring wasn’t enough for the Panthers, who finished with just two points in the final stanza. Genesis Prep will play for their first state championship and Carey will face the Rockland Bulldogs in the third place game at 9:15.
Kendrick 54, Deary 48
Wyatt Hardin led the charge for the Kendrick Tigers, who would come away with a consolation bracket victory over the Deary Mustangs. Hardin finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers, who led for a majority of the ball game. Although Kendrick really struggled from the field, they won the rebound battle 43-34, which was the difference in the game. Deary’s Seth Winter played well, scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds for the Mustangs, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as Kendrick knocked down free throws down the stretch. The Tigers clinch a berth in the consolation championship game where they will face the Council Lumberjacks.
Council 49, Butte County 46 (OT)
The Butte County Pirates led the Council Lumberjacks for a majority of this one, but Council jumped ahead when it mattered most to pull out the win. Council’s J.T. Mahon came up clutch in the final moments, scoring four of the Lumberjacks six points in the extra period. Butte County’s Landon Gamett spearheaded the charge for Butte County in OT, as he buried a triple with less than 20 seconds left. That three would prove to not be enough, as Council would play lockdown defense in overtime. The Pirates will make the drive back to Arco after going two-and-out. The Lumberjacks will play Kendrick in the consolation final.
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