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NAMPA — The Kendrick Tigers closed out the 2A state final championship game like they did their season, finishing on a 16-0 run to defeat Kamiah 66-49 Saturday.
Kendrick (20-7) started the season 7-7 before entering the state tourney on a 10-game winning streak and then sweeping its way to the school’s 11th basketball title in program history and second in the past three seasons.
Heading into the tournament, Kendrick’s players and staff were possibly the only one who believed a state title was possible after the team’s slow start to the 2024-25 campaign.
“We only had a few returning starters and a lot of new pieces,” Kendrick first-year coach Steve Kirkland said. “It took us a while to put all that together. Ultimately, I attribute the success of this team to its will to keep working and growing together.”
It was a disappointing end for Kamiah (23-3), which entered the tournament with the No. 1 seed and hopes of winning its first title in its sixth attempt.
“We knew what kind of year we were going to have, so we talked about it,” Kamiah coach Aaron Skinner said. “We were trying to make the kids believe that they could do this, and they believed.”
Kamiah with its six-man rotation seemed fatigued as the Kubs reached the final quarter with nothing left in the tank.
Despite trailing for most of the second half, the Kubs had a chance to rally and pull out the victory.
After closing the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to pull within 50-47, Kamiah had an opportunity to retake control of the game. The Kubs scored on a steal and layup to pull within one twenty seconds into the fourth quarter.
Then the Kubs didn’t score again, as Kendrick locked down Kamiah leading scorer and College of Idaho signee David Kludt.
“Being tired isn’t an excuse,” said Kludt, who was guarded by two players for most of the game but still finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds. “Kendrick had to play three games in three days too. But it was wearing on us.”
Ralli Roetcisoender hit a pair of 3-pointers early in the Tigers’ 16-0 run, compounding the Kubs’ offensive woes.
Roetcisoender, who was hospitalized with an illness and missed four games early in the season, led the Tigers with 25 points and seven rebounds.
“I think we just focused a lot more at the end, concentrating on getting rebounds by getting between the man and the ball and having good possessions,” said Roetcisoender, who played on Kendrick’s 2023 state title team.
“Coming back down here every year and playing against this level of competition has made me a better player. And it made winning this season that much more special for me.”
Kamiah started hot, taking a 20-16 lead into the second quarter. But the Tigers muscled their way to a 40-30 halftime lead, scoring seven of the quarter’s last nine points.
Kamiah chipped away in the third quarter, outscoring Kendrick 17-10 to pull within 50-47 before suffering a fourth-quarter drought.
With Kendrick losing just two seniors, the Tigers will definitely be considered a contender next season as well.
“We have a lot of pieces coming back, so I think expectations will be higher for us next year,” Kirkland said.
Maddox Kirkland and Hudson Kirkland added 14 and 13 points, respectively, for Kendrick, while Cade Silflow chipped in with 10.
Aside from Kludt’s 23 points, Jaydon Crowe added 11 for the Kubs.
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