MERIDIAN — Second-seeded Mountain View and No. 5 Capital were the first girls basketball teams to secure spots in the 5A state tournament, winning their district semifinal games Saturday night.
Capital upset top-ranked Rocky Mountain 30-28 on the Grizzlies’ home floor, while the Mavericks knocked off Meridian for the third time this season 59-42.
Mountain View (18-4) and Capital (15-7) square off in the district championship game at 7 p.m. Friday at Rocky Mountain High. The winner earns the league’s No. 1 seed at state and a first-round matchup with the District Five-Six runner-up, while the loser must face the District One-Two champion.
The state tournament is Feb. 14-16 at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
Here is a recap of Saturday’s 5A District Three semifinal games:
CAPITAL 30, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 28
It is safe to say that this has been a long time coming for the Eagles, as head coach Blas Telleria couldn’t say when Capital last played in a district championship game.
Telleria and his Eagles will find out what they’ve been missing soon enough after holding off top-seeded Rocky Mountain in the semifinals.
Capital senior Liz Landreth — the reigning 5A SIC player of the year — scored four of her team’s five points in the fourth quarter to finish as the only player in double figures with 11 points.
“At the beginning of the year we were really hectic and not playing as a team,” Landreth said. “Now that our defense has come together and we’re passing the ball more, we’re playing really well as a team.”
It was an off night for regular-season champion Rocky Mountain (19-3). The Grizzlies shot just 16.7 percent from the field in the first half and 27 percent for the game.
With the score tied 25-25 with 5 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, senior Taylor Nate fouled out, adding to Rocky’s woes.
“I just told them it was my fault and we’ll get better,” Rocky Mountain coach Emery Roy said. “We’re not done yet, we’ve still got a chance for third, if that’s not there, then a chance for fifth. These things happen.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW 59, MERIDIAN 42
This time last year, Mckensey Herron and her Mountain View teammates were crying in the locker room after being eliminated from the district tournament.
It’s a much brighter picture for the Mavericks this year. They’ll be playing in their first district championship game in the program’s history next week.
“Now we were all screaming in the locker room. We were so excited,” Herron said. “This is the best moment in my life so far.”
Herron got the Mavericks going in the second half. The senior scored the first nine points of the third quarter to help the Mavericks go from trailing by two at halftime to leading 33-28.
“At halftime when we came out, I told (Mckensey) to shoot with authority and it would go in,” Mountain View coach Connie Skogrand said. “That’s what she did.”
Herron finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, and fellow senior Kayley Hastings also had 15 points. Mavericks freshman point guard Destiny Slocum led all scorers with 16.
Meridian (17-5) — which was paced by senior Holly Blades with 14 points — plays Centennial (14-8) on Tuesday for a state berth, while Rocky draws Boise (11-11).
Rachel Roberts: 377-6422
