Boise State commit drills game-winning 3-pointer in OT. ‘Just kind of what he does’
Friday night didn’t start the way Julian Bowie wanted. But he’ll certainly take the ending.
The Boise State commit drained a game-winning 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left in overtime, leading No. 2 Pocatello to a 61-58 victory over No. 3 Blackfoot in the 4A state tournament semifinals at the Ford Idaho Center.
The game-winning shot followed a rough start to the evening for the decorated junior guard. He didn’t score his first points until midway through the second quarter. And he missed the rim on a potential game-winner at the end of regulation.
But he erased all of that and buried the only shot anyone will remember.
“My shot was off all game,” Bowie said. “I struggled. I’m not gonna lie. But I just believed in myself. I knew I should rise up, knock it down and send us to the next round.”
Pocatello (25-2) will face No. 1 Hillcrest (24-1) for the 4A state title at 6 p.m. Saturday in a rematch of last year’s championship. Hillcrest won that in a rout, 75-46.
“Ever since that last buzzer, we’ve been waiting for this moment,” Bowie said. “They got us good last year, the 30-point win. All year, we’ve all been working for this. And we’re ready to roll.”
Bowie finished with 23 points on 7-for-20 shooting. Pocatello coach Joe Green said despite the future Bronco’s early struggles, he never doubted putting the ball in Bowie’s hands with the game on the line.
“He’s hit big shots all year, and, really, in his career,” Green said. “That’s just kind of what he does. He gets buckets.”
Bowie also had a steal at the end of regulation that prevented Blackfoot from taking the final shot after it held the ball for 2 minutes.
The last-second drama overshadowed a monster game from Blackfoot’s Javonte King. The Montana State football signee finished with 30 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Blackfoot (16-9) was looking for its first trip to the finals since 1939. Instead, the Broncos will face Skyview for the third-place trophy at noon Saturday at Rocky Mountain.
HILLCREST CRUSHES SKYVIEW
Hillcrest has played with a target on its back all season as the defending champs and No. 1-ranked team. But instead of buckling under the pressure, the Knights have embraced it and enjoyed it.
The Knights showcased that attitude Friday, following a 40-point win in the first round with an 81-53 blowout of No. 4 Skyview in the 4A state tournament semifinals.
“There’s no pressure because we know exactly what we can do,” Hillcrest coach Dave Austin said. “They’ve just lived up to it, and they’ve just enjoyed it. And that’s the fun thing about this group. They don’t let anything get to him. They don’t get rattled.”
Hillcrest dominated from the opening whistle, building a 19-point lead at halftime and stretching it to 30 in the fourth quarter. The running-clock mercy is not used at state.
Skyview (19-8) dedicated extra help defense to try to contain Hillcrest junior power forward Isaac Davis. But the reigning 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year still racked up 18 points, 20 rebounds and four assists. And it only opened lanes for Hillcrest’s bevy of shooters.
The Knights finished 13-of-29 (45%) behind the 3-point line. Talan Taylor led the way, going 5-for-10 behind the arc to finish with 17 points.
“We knew that they shot it well,” Skyview coach Aaron Sanders said. “We were hoping that sometimes in the Idaho Center, it’s a different background and teams don’t shoot it as well.
“It felt like in the first quarter, there was a little bit of that. But once they got comfortable and started shooting it, that’s what kind of blew the game open.”
Senior point Eloy Chaparro led Skyview with 18 points, and Jonah Wockenfuss added 13. The Hawks face Blackfoot at noon Saturday at Rocky Mountain in the third-place game.
BISHOP KELLY ELIMINATED
The District Three champs went two-and-out at state after a 61-58 loss to Minico on Friday afternoon at Rocky Mountain High School.
In a game with seven lead changes and five ties, the Spartans (16-10) prevailed behind a balanced scoring attack and good shooting. The District Four champs got 16 points from Brevin Trenkle, 14 from Ryker Stimpson and 13 from JT Garza, while shooting 20-for-44 (45%) from the floor.
Bishop Kelly (14-11) senior Joseph Behrend scored 26 points to pace the No. 7 seed, which was only 17-for-52 (33%) from the field. Thomas Lodge added 11 points and Cooper Cammann 10.
TWIN FALLS STAYS ALIVE
The Bruins trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter before rallying for a 40-38 win over Lakeland in the 4A consolation bracket.
Logan Pittard scored 16 points, and Will Preucil added 14 for Twin Falls (16-10).
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 9:25 PM.
