Rocky Mountain senior is on target

Rocky Mountain High basketball player Josh Hasquet was in a slump, but the long-range sniper didn't stop shooting.

Why would he?

Despite making just 1-of-11 shots from 3-point range in consecutive losses to Boise and Borah last week, Hasquet leads the 5A Southern Idaho Conference in accuracy behind the arc. Through 13 games, one of the state's top shooters has drained 40-of-73 treys (54.8 percent) and leads the Grizzlies (9-4, 7-4 5A SIC) in scoring with 12.9 points per game after making four 3s and scoring 17 points in Friday's 52-44 victory at Capital.

"If I am open, I am going to shoot the 3," said Hasquet, a 6-foot-3 forward. "You have to believe it's going in every time it leaves your hand. If you don't think it's going to go in, there's no reason to shoot."

While Rocky Mountain coach Todd Morrison values Hasquet's ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, he said the Grizzlies must avoid taking his points for granted to rediscover their winning ways. Rocky Mountain opened the season 7-1, but had lost three of its last four games before Friday's victory.

The Grizzlies host Centennial at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

"If he's on, things are going well," Morrison said. "The downside is depending on him too much. The other kids have to be ready to step up. We believe that every time he shoots, it will go in, but we've got to have everybody else there along the way."

The senior's hot shooting was a catalyst for Rocky Mountain's quick turnaround after suffering through a 2-19 meet-and-greet season a year ago. The school opened its doors in the fall of 2008 and the basketball team's players came from Eagle, Meridian and Centennial.

Hasquet played his freshman and sophomore years at Meridian, while senior point guard Stetson Pace is an Eagle product.

"Last year, we really didn't know much about each other, or how our teammates played," said Pace, who averages 7.2 points and a team-high 4.0 assists per game. "We're all just coming together."

Senior post player Travis Van Diest averages 8.8 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game.

"We all kind of just came together this year. Something just clicked with everybody," said Van Diest, who moved to Idaho from Washington and attended Eagle for one semester before arriving at Rocky Mountain last year.

Said Hasquet: "The chemistry is finally there. We really know each other's tendencies. We trust each other."

Hasquet finished his junior season 23-of-53 (43.4 percent) from 3-point range, but wasn't satisfied and went to work on his mechanics, Morrison said.

It paid off and Hasquet was sizzling at this season's halfway point. Through 10 games, he made 35-of-55 (63.6 percent). His recent slump shaved about 10 points off his 3-point shooting percentage, but the league regular-season record of 58.7 (Bill Perkins, Borah, 1984-85) is within reach.

"The coaches really helped me work on my shot," said Hasquet, whose cousin, Justin, was a standout at the University of Montana and now plays professional basketball in Switzerland. "You have to make sure you're shooting the same shot every time, getting on balance, trusting it - trusting your shot."

Hasquet said he developed a love for the 3-pointer while watching former Warriors standout Matt Creech, who set 5A SIC records for 3-pointers attempted (250) and made (84) in a season in 2007-08.

Hasquet, however, said he doesn't want to be a one-trick pony and is focused on improving the rest of his game.

"I've got to work on my toughness inside and my ball handling," he said. "When I catch it out there, I will take the 3, but I look to drive and create, too."