Boys basketball: McCall scores first-round upset. Ambrose keeps repeat hopes alive
It was a tough opening round for Treasure Valley boys basketball teams on the first day of the state tournament.
Of the 11 District Three teams playing in the 5A through 1A classifications, only McCall-Donnelly (4A), Ambrose (3A) and Garden Valley (1A) advanced to the semifinals.
Here is a roundup of how Boise-area teams did in first-round action.
[Related: First-round scores, semifinal matchups from 6A to 1A]
5A STATE TOURNAMENT
HILLCREST 46, COLUMBIA 37: A 20-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters erased the Wildcats’ eight-point lead and gave Hillcrest a win in the first round Thursday at Rocky Mountain High School.
Columbia led 30-22 with 5:08 remaining in the third quarter before a scoring drought doomed its chance at the program’s first win in the opening round at state. The Wildcats were making just their second tournament appearance, the only other coming in 2019.
“We start three sophomores and a freshman, so to come here and play a team like Hillcrest, who has been here before and understands what it looks like and the physicality of the state tournament, everything that they do, it was eye-opening, obviously,” Columbia coach Blaine Wright said.
“But it’s a great springboard into where we want to be and for these young guys to see just how basketball is played at the state tournament.”
Third-seeded Hillcrest (19-5) has made three straight state championship games, including wins in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, No. 6 Columbia (14-13) finished fifth out of eight teams during the 5A SIC regular season and had to upset No. 2 Bishop Kelly and No. 3 Skyview in the district tournament to qualify for state.
The Wildcats had nothing to lose Thursday against the favored Knights, and for the first few minutes of the third quarter, it appeared as though they might pull off the upset.
Hillcrest led 30-29 at halftime before Columbia stormed out of the locker room on a 13-0 run, including seven points during that stretch from sophomore Max Keller, who finished with a game-high 18 points.
But just as swiftly as the Wildcats seized the lead, the momentum shifted in Hillcrest’s favor, as the Knights rattled off that 20-0 run, part of which allowed them to outscore Columbia 17-7 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
“I was in fourth grade the first time Columbia made it to state,” Keller said. “I was a little kid, and I got to leave school and go watch the game. Then we’ve been bad for so many years, and I’ve been really thinking about that. I want to be that team that inspires little kids.”
Keller and the rest of the Wildcats still have a chance at history if they can play their way through the consolation bracket. That win-or-go-home journey starts Friday when Columbia takes on Lewiston (20-5) at noon at Rocky Mountain.
BONNEVILLE 53, MIDDLETON 48: For nearly three quarters, the Vikings did an admirable job disrupting the Bees’ 3-point shots.
Then came the fourth quarter.
Bonneville knocked down five 3-pointers in the final frame to rally for a victory over Middleton on Friday at Rocky Mountain. The Bees were just 1-for-14 from beyond the arc in the first half before finding their stroke down the stretch to erase as much as a 12-point deficit.
“I give those guys credit,” Middleton coach Josh Downey said. “Because they hit some deep, contested threes.”
Bonneville started off the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from senior point guard Dallin Jardine, and junior guard Tyler Jordan quickly followed with a triple of his own to give the Bees their first lead of the game, 39-37, with about seven minutes remaining.
“I took the blame, because they were 1-for-14, and I’m like, ‘Alright, I feel like they’re gonna get comfortable in the second half and start making those, so let’s go zone and throw them off a little bit,’” Downey said. “We’ve done that a few times this year, but then it backfired, and that’s on me.”
With the game tied at 48-all, Jordan sank a 3-pointer — his third of the game — about five feet beyond the arc. Middleton got the ball back and tried for a 3 of its own with under 40 seconds left, but the shot rolled in and out.
The Vikings then attempted to force a turnover with full-court pressure, only to see the Bees break the press and score an easy layup.
Jordan and senior Ryan Egbert each totaled 19 points to lead the Bees (16-10), who take on No. 1 Preston (23-1) in Friday’s semifinals at 7:30 p.m. at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. Hillcrest and Twin Falls meet in the other semifinal at 5 p.m.
Junior guard Tye Cornwall was the only Viking to score in double figures, netting 11 of his team-best 17 points in the second half. Senior forward Blake Bishop chipped in eights points and 10 rebounds, and senior Luke Jones and junior Drew Holman added seven points apiece.
Middleton (17-8) will try to keep its season alive in an elimination game against Jerome (11-14) at 2 p.m. Friday at Rocky.
“Hopefully tomorrow they bounce back and realize that they need to do what they’ve been doing all year to get here,” Downey said. “The scoreboard will take care of itself if you just stay the course.”
4A STATE TOURNAMENT
MCCALL-DONNELLY 48, SUGAR-SALEM 47: Senior guard Maddox Arnold made 1-of-2 free throws with 9.6 seconds left to give the Vandals just enough cushion in a first-round victory at Eagle High School.
Sugar-Salem (18-6) missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer on the final possession, and the Diggers’ putback at the buzzer accounted for the final margin.
District Three champion McCall-Donnelly (15-9), the No. 6 seed, moved into the semifinals against No. 2 Snake River (24-3) at 5 p.m. Friday at Eagle.
Senior power forward Michael Foster paced the Vandals with 12 points and five rebounds, senior guard Sam Penny totaled nine points, four boards and two assists, and junior guard Sam Scott chipped in eight points.
MARSH VALLEY 58, COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN 52: The Eagles bettered last year’s 2A state runner-up in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 first-round matchup.
Senior guard Justis Whitworth guided Marsh Valley (14-11) to the win with a well-rounded outing, scoring 19 points with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior forward Kaden Hansen netted 15 points and eight boards and juniors Jaxon Smith and Tate Whitworth had eight points apiece.
Senior Adam Ashmead was the Chargers’ top scorer, totaling 14 points, and junior Kaden Krogh had 13 points and five rebounds in the losing effort. Cole Valley (15-8) continues tournament play with an elimination game against Kimberly at 2 p.m. Friday at Eagle.
3A STATE TOURNAMENT
AMBROSE 56, SODA SPRINGS 54: Sophomore guard Zane Gammon popped the basketball loose as Soda Springs junior Cooper Thompson came barreling down the lane in the closing seconds, preserving the Archers’ first-round victory at Capital High School.
The defending 2A state champions advanced to the semifinals against No. 1 Declo (24-1), a 67-47 winner over Orofino. Tipoff is 7 p.m. Friday at Capital.
Ambrose (16-8) led by as many as 13 points, 53-40, before Soda Springs made a frantic comeback late in the fourth quarter.
The Archers knocked down 11-for-25 from 3-point range, with senior point guard Lincoln Mathis making six of those triples for a team-high 22 points with 11 rebounds. Senior guard Chuck Kingsley added four 3-pointers for 14 points, and junior forward Mark Yenor totaled seven points and a team-leading 13 rebounds.
Junior guard Cooper Thompson contributed a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinals (14-11).
WENDELL 53, NEW PLYMOUTH 42: The Trojans knocked down eight 3-pointers and forced 20 turnovers to dispatch the Pilgrims in the first round at Capital High School.
Wendell (18-6) turned those 20 takeaways into 22 points, and juniors Jonathan Swainston and Jarett Borges each made three triples. Swainston totaled a team-leading 17 points along with six steals, five rebounds and one assist, junior Jordon Swainston added 15 points, and Borges had 14 points and four boards.
Junior guard Josiah Gustin (12 points) and junior center Cohen Evans (11 points, 9 rebounds) led the Pilgrims (17-8), who face 3A SIC opponent Marsing in an elimination game at noon Friday at Capital.
FIRTH 58, MARSING 49: The second-ranked Cougars dominated the glass 51-25, topping the No. 7 Huskies in a the first round at Capital.
Sophomore center Wyatt Killpack led the charge on the boards, pulling down 14 rebounds with eight points. Fellow sophomore Brycen Anderson led all scorers with 20 points and eight rebounds, and senior Michael Adams notched 19 points and nine rebounds to send Firth into the semifinals against Wendell.
Senior guard Jace Chadez (17 points, 5 rebounds) and junior guard Juan Ponce (13 points) led Marsing (12-12).
2A STATE TOURNAMENT
KAMIAH 83, VICTORY CHARTER 43: The top-ranked Kubs shot a blistering 52.2 percent from the floor to overpower the No. 8 Vipers in the opening round at Vallivue High School in Caldwell.
Kamiah also forced 20 turnovers, which it converted into 27 points, and outrebounded Victory Charter 42-28.
Senior David Kludt posted a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds for the Kubs (22-2), while senior Matthew Oatman notched a game-leading 26 points.
Victory Charter (14-10) got a team-leading 23 points from senior Cody Luce. The Vipers play Riverstone in a loser-out game at 2 p.m. Friday at Vallivue.
LAKESIDE 75, RIVERSTONE 59: Juniors Hallah Peone and Tyson Charley combined for more than 75 percent of the Knights’ scoring in a first-round win over the Otters at Vallivue.
Peone made 12-of-19 from the floor, including five 3-pointers, for 30 points. Charley fell an assist short of a triple-double, collecting 27 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and six steals for the Knights (16-5).
Riverstone trailed just 38-34 at the half, but the Otters were outscored 25-10 in the third quarter and fell behind by as many as 21 points. Seniors Finn Simon (20 points), Amer Sangha (13) and Conrad Ness (10) each reached double figures for Riverstone (20-3), which draws conference foe Victory Charter on Friday.
1A STATE TOURNAMENT
GARDEN VALLEY 49, CASCADE 44: The Wolverines won the rubber match against their 1A Long Pin rivals in the first round at Caldwell High School.
Garden Valley (20-8) draws No. 1 Dietrich (20-3) in the semifinals at 2 p.m. Friday at Caldwell. Cascade (17-7) can extend its season with a victory over Coeur du Christ on Friday in the consolation bracket.
Stats were not available from Thursday’s game.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 4:57 PM.
