‘We’ve worked so hard’: With strong 2nd half, Middleton cruises to 5A district title

The 5A District Three Tournament championship game could not have been much closer.

When Middleton sophomore Robbie Baird knocked down a third-quarter 3-pointer, he gave the top-seeded Vikings a 34-32 lead and accounted for the ninth lead change of the night.

It would be the last.

From that point forward, Middleton (17-7) outscored Skyview (19-5) by a 25-7 count to roll to a 59-39 victory and the district title at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise on Friday night. The Vikings will now await their seeding for next week’s state tournament. They were No. 4 in the final media poll, but MaxPreps rankings are used to fill out the bracket.

“We’ve worked so hard this whole season, and it’s just great to finally get here and get the win,” Baird said.

The Hawks grabbed early momentum in the game behind Kaden Salvadori and Braedon Schelhaas, but Middleton bounced back for a 26-20 halftime lead.

Early in the second half, Salvadori was the key again for Skyview, hitting two floaters, and then coming up with a steal and a 3-pointer as the Hawks retook the lead.

After that, Middleton showed why it was the district’s best team this season, as it worked to avenge a 10-point loss to Skyview that came in late January. Baird’s three put the Vikings back in front, and a block from junior Tye Cornwall led to another Baird three.

Middleton junior Drew Holman and Cornwall helped continue the onslaught, combining for seven quick points in the fourth quarter to balloon the Vikings’ lead to 47-32, part of a 16-0 game-deciding run.

Middleton shot 10-for-23 in the second half and made 10 3-pointers in the win, while Skyview was only 8-for-27 from the floor in the final two quarters, going cold at the worst time and watching the Vikings run away.

“We buckled up a little bit on the rebounds, but really it was the offense,” Middleton coach Josh Downey said. “We were saving a couple things for what we really wanted to run (in the second half), and that’s when we kind of broke it open.”

Downey’s team has won 16 of its past 18 games. In just his second season leading the program, the Vikings are making back-to-back state tournament appearances and celebrating their first district title since 2021.

Baird led the Vikings with 13 points and was 4-for-7 on 3-pointers, with Cornwall (11 points), Blake Bishop (10) and Holman (9) added to a versatile attack. Baird’s point total headlined the 21-3 advantage that Middleton had in bench points.

Salvadori led all scorers with 15 points.

Skyview now will host Columbia (13-12) in Saturday’s winner-to-state game at 2 p.m.