‘I don’t think we ever doubted.’ Ambrose holds off rival Cole Valley for 2A state title
After Cole Valley Christian’s potential game-tying 3-pointer clanked off the back of the rim, Ambrose senior Eli Sugarman scrambled for the rebound and held on tight.
He couldn’t believe what was happening.
Sugarman chucked the basketball high toward the rafters of the Ford Idaho Center as the buzzer sounded, signaling a 46-43 win for the Ambrose boys basketball team in the 2A state championship game Saturday afternoon.
“I was like, ‘Is it really over? Is it over already?’” Sugarman said. “I grabbed the ball and threw it up and just ran over to my team. It was crazy.”
The Archers’ state title Saturday was their first at the 2A level but third overall for the program, adding to wins in the 1A Division I classification in 2020 and 2016.
“I mean, it means a lot. I love playing with these guys,” junior Tristen Trevino said. “I’m gonna miss (the seniors) a lot next year. I think our team works so hard, especially having not so great of a season last year and a disappointing outcome. To end like this, it’s just so much better and it feels a lot more satisfying.”
Ambrose (21-6) failed to make the state tournament last season, ending a streak of nine straight appearances. The disappointment proved to be a great motivator.
“Last year during the state championship for 2A, I was with (teammates Tyson Hughes and Sugarman), and we were watching all the way up there (in the stands),” Trevino said. “Our coach was telling us, ‘We’ve got to come back here.’ And I believed it from that point. I told my friends, I told people, ‘We’re gonna win a state championship.’ It worked out.”
Cole Valley Christian (25-3) entered the state tournament as the wire-to-wire No. 1-ranked team in the state media poll. The Chargers had beaten the Archers during the regular season, with both games decided by three points.
On Saturday, another three-point game had a different outcome.
“I just knew all along, if we get another shot at these guys, we’re gonna beat them,” Ambrose coach Ken Sugarman said. “I don’t think we ever doubted that. We knew that it was likely to come down to one possession — the teams were evenly matched — and again it came down to one possession.
“… It was not a surprise that (Cole Valley) would make a hard run at the end. … You’ve got to earn it, and the kids did that.”
Ambrose took its largest lead of the game at 43-24 on a layup and free throw from Hughes with 7:50 to play in the fourth quarter. It was part of a 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters that included four made 3-pointers from three different players.
But the Chargers rallied, stringing together a 13-0 run of their own to pull within 43-37 with 2 minutes left. Cole Valley further whittled away at the deficit, making it a one-possession game, 45-43, on sophomore guard Isaiah Holsinger’s driving layup with about 25 seconds left.
With the Archers in the bonus, Hughes was fouled on the other end, and he made one of two with 17.1 seconds remaining.
Cole Valley then got the ball across half-court and set up for the final shot. Senior guard Eli Kingery let loose a 3 with an Ambrose defender leaping toward him, but his shot was just off the mark.
“Cole Valley is a tough team. They weren’t gonna quit,” Ken Sugarman said. “There’s no quit in those kids. I’m just glad we won this one. I’d rather win this one than the other two.”
Hughes, a senior guard, led all scorers with 19 points, while adding nine rebounds and three steals. Trevino totaled 11 points and four rebounds, and the younger Sugarman added nine points.
Cole Valley Christian got 16 points apiece from Holsinger and senior Ben Beglinger.
TROJANS FINISH THIRD: Nampa Christian (17-8) ended its fun postseason run with a bang and a trophy, rallying with a 21-point fourth quarter for a 61-58 win over West Side in the third-place game at Timberline High. Donovan Wiles scored 22 points and Dylan O’Brien 18 for the Trojans.
1A DIVISION I TOURNAMENT
LAPWAI WINS 13TH TITLE: Utah State signee Kase Wynott scored 46 points to carry Lapwai (25-2) to a 67-54 victory over Lakeside (17-4). It marked the 13th state championship in program history for the Wildcats.
VIPERS EARN HARDWARE: Noah Palomares poured in 27 points, 12 of those coming on made free throws, to lead Victory Charter (20-7) to the consolation title at Vallivue High School with a 70-61 win over Valley.
1A DIVISION II TOURNAMENT
MUSHERS WIN SECOND TITLE: Camas County (23-3) rode an 11-point lead after the first quarter to a 56-42 victory over Kendrick (21-5) in the championship game Saturday morning at the Ford Idaho Center. It was the second title in program history for the Mushers, who got a game-best 18 points from Tristen Smith.
RAMBLERS WIN THIRD-PLACE GAME: Cascade (19-7) used an overwhelming second half to defeat Garden Valley 55-42 and take home a trophy at Caldwell High School. Samuel Huckaby scored 16 points for the Ramblers, who held the Wolverines (22-4) to 11 points after intermission.
This story was originally published March 2, 2024 at 5:25 PM.
