Tuesday’s prep recap: Bishop Kelly girls clinch state bid. Meridian boys upset No. 1 Eagle
Four more Treasure Valley girls basketball teams locked up their state tournament berths Tuesday night.
Bishop Kelly and Middleton rolled in the 4A District Three Tournament semifinals, punching their tickets to state and setting up a third meeting for the district title at 8 p.m. Thursday at Ridgevue.
And in 5A action, Borah and Rocky Mountain secured their spots at state with victories in winner-to-state games in the 5A District Three Tournament losers’ bracket.
BISHOP KELLY HEADED BACK TO STATE
Fielding just one senior, the Knights started the season 1-3 with a young roster. But those days stand as a distant memory as Bishop Kelly (18-5) heads into the 4A district championship as one of the hottest teams in the state.
The Knights topped Columbia 42-29 on Tuesday, ending a three-year state tournament drought and marking their 15th win in their last 16 games. They’ll face Middleton (17-6), a 64-31 winner over Emmett on Tuesday, for the district title.
“Everybody’s just really excited to be able to see that our hard work has paid off,” Bishop Kelly junior forward Caroline Knothe said. “Because this is what we’ve been working for. And we’re just getting started now.”
Bishop Kelly took control of the game early and never let Columbia (15-8) off the mat. Back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from Addy Laible, Knothe and Addie Hiler to open the second quarter gave the Knights a 12-point cushion. Columbia never got any closer than six points the rest of the way.
Bishop Kelly flummoxed the Wildcats with their mix of size and athleticism, forcing 20 turnovers and holding Columbia under 30 points for just the third time this season. One of the previous two also came at the hands of Bishop Kelly.
And on a team where no one averages more than 10 points per game but six players average more than five, Bishop Kelly showcased its depth again. Knothe and Hiler led the way with nine points each, and Keira Lizama and Logan McCarthy both chipped in six.
“At the beginning (of the season), we were just really inexperienced,” Bishop Kelly coach Derek McCormick said. “And then we just got on a roll and we just kept going.”
The lone loss during Bishop Kelly’s two-month run? It came at Middleton last week, giving the Knights a shot at revenge with a district title on the line.
“We’re going to have to play our best game in order to beat Middleton,” McCormick said. “But I think that’s a good challenge for us.”
Ellie Robertson scored 10 points to lead Columbia, which drops into the 4A District Three Tournament losers’ bracket. The Wildcats will have to win three straight elimination games, including a state play-in game, to make it to state for the second time in program history.
TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
MERIDIAN BOYS UPSET NO. 1 EAGLE: The defending state champs proved they are still a force to be reckoned with, sinking 12-of-30 3-pointers to knock off Eagle 64-53 on the road.
Austin Ramos led Meridian (13-7, 12-3 5A SIC) with 17 points while making 5-of-8 3-pointers. Ladu Kaden added 13 points and six rebounds.
Landon White had 16 points and eight rebounds for Eagle (17-3, 13-2), which climbed into a tie with Lake City at No. 1 in the boys basketball state media poll released earlier in the day Tuesday.
ROCKY GIRLS GOING TO STATE: The Grizzlies rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to upset Eagle 44-38 in a winner-to-state game at the 5A District Three Tournament. Sophomore Anna DaBell led Rocky Mountain (12-13) with 16 points, and senior Marli Reed added 10.
BORAH GIRLS PUNCH STATE TICKET: The Lions topped Owyhee 41-33 to qualify for state for the first time since 2018 and just the third time in the past 15 years. No details were reported.
GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 10:58 PM.
