Boys basketball roundup: Southwest Idaho rivals roll into 2A state championship game
Six points separated the top-rated Cole Valley Christian and Ambrose boys basketball teams in the regular season.
Now the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in 2A will face off for a third time Saturday afternoon, with a state championship on the line.
The top-seeded Chargers (25-2), who won their semifinal game by 23 points Friday at Capital High School, defeated Ambrose twice in the regular season, winning by three points each time — 46-43 and 57-54 in overtime.
The second-seeded Archers (20-6), who won their semifinal by 16 points, will try to keep Cole Valley from a season sweep in the title game, scheduled to tip off at 1:40 p.m. at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a while,” Ambrose coach Ken Sugarman said Friday night. “Two three-point losses and overtime. We’ll be ready.”
They are two of just four Treasure Valley teams that made finals, and the other two also will face off: Owyhee will meet Timberline in the 5A game Saturday night.
There were two 4A semifinalists and two 1A Division II semifinalists from the Treasure Valley playing Friday for spots in championship games, but they all lost.
2A
COLE VALLEY 56, WEST SIDE 33
There wasn’t much stress for the Chargers, who topped the 2A state rankings all season.
Cole Valley Christian stormed to a 17-2 lead after the first quarter and was up 39-12 at halftime. Senior shooting guard Hunter Graham led the way for the Chargers, scoring 21 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 on 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Isaiah Holsinger also enjoyed a tidy shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the field and scoring 10 points.
Ben Beglinger had eight points and nine rebounds for Cole Valley, which shot 44% (17-for-39) as West Side forced the Chargers into a faster-paced game. It didn’t prove to be a problem for the team with the best 2A defense in the state (42.6 ppg).
“I think we can play multiple ways,” Cole Valley coach Dan Waldeck said. “I think we found success playing multiple ways. And for us, it’s kind of whatever the game dictates, and our guys managed the game well.”
The Pirates (16-10) were led by junior Crew Sage, who scored 10 points. The Chargers’ defense harassed West Side into 23% shooting (13-for-56) and allowed only five made baskets in the first half.
Cole Valley will try to win its first state championship since 2012, a year after the Chargers were upset in the first round and had to settle for winning the 2023 consolation trophy.
“I think winning championships can be overrated,” Waldeck said. “I think the process is more important. Last year, we lost the first game, and we had to fight like crazy against West Side to come back and win. That process prepared us for this moment.”
AMBROSE 54, NAMPA CHRISTIAN 38
A week after losing the district championship game to Nampa Christian, the Archers got decisive revenge to earn a shot at a bigger title.
Ambrose never trailed and just gradually pulled away, using an 11-0 run at one point to take control of the game. The Archers relied heavily on the work of sophomore big man Mark Yenor early, with the 6-foot-6 forward scoring 12 of his 16 points in the first half.
Once the Trojans (16-8) adjusted their defense, Ambrose put the ball in the hands of its guards. Junior Tristen Trevino scored 14 points and senior Tyson Hughes finished with 12, as they frequently drove into the paint and nailed midrange jumpers. The duo combined for just one 3-pointer.
The Archers shot 45% (21-for-47) and made just two from behind the arc the entire game. Their other two starters, Eli Sugarman and Lincoln Mathis, combined for 11 points.
“We don’t rely on any one person,” coach Ken Sugarman said. “We share the ball, and everybody plays a role.”
Nampa Christian, which scored upsets over both Cole Valley and Ambrose to win its district title, was led by junior guard Dylan O’Brien, who scored 11 points. The Trojans struggled with 3-point shooting, going 4-for-22, as they constantly fought to whittle down the Archers’ lead.
Nampa Christian will play West Side at noon Saturday at Capital High in the third-place game.
1A Division II
CAMAS COUNTY 55, CASCADE 49
The top-seeded Mushers (22-3) sent Cascade into the third-place game by winning a tense affair that saw them overcome shooting 26% (6-for-23) in the second half.
The Ramblers (18-7) weren’t much better in the half, shooting 32% (9-for-28), and both teams shot just 39.6% (19-for48) for the game.
Tristen Smith scored 19 points to lead Camas County, which nursed a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter, when it limited Cascade to nine points. Emmett Palan added 16 points.
Tyler Thurston scored 15 points and Samuel Huckaby 14 for the Ramblers, who will face Garden Valley at noon Saturday at Caldwell High School.
KENDRICK 71, GARDEN VALLEY 58
Holding a 10-point lead in the third quarter, No. 3 seed Garden Valley looked on its way to the state championship game.
A short while later, the Wolverines (22-3) were left to ponder what happened, as the second-seeded Tigers (21-4) used a 26-point fourth quarter to win going away.
Nathan Tweit and Ty Koepp led the charge for Kendrick, scoring 22 and 17 points, respectively, and grabbing 23 rebounds between them.
Madix Miller had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Garden Valley before fouling out. Fellow starter Tacoma Kelly also fouled out. Maxon Yearsley scored 14 points, and Trevor Corn had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Wolverines will play Cascade at noon Saturday in the third-place game.
This story was originally published March 1, 2024 at 9:46 PM.
