Boys state basketball: Ambrose’s final shot won’t fall. ‘We just wanted a crack at them’
When they felt ready, the Ambrose boys basketball players exited the locker room one at a time.
Each player was greeted with cheers as friends and family tried to lessen the blow. This was no easy loss to take.
The Archers fell a bucket short of a return to the 3A state championship game, losing 52-51 to top-ranked Declo on Friday night at Capital High School.
“We felt like we were on a crash course with Declo all season to meet them in March,” Ambrose coach Jordan Whittenburg said. “Declo was at the top of the polls all season, but we were right there at two and three a lot of the year, and we just wanted a crack at them.
“... I mean, Declo is (25)-1 for a reason, and for us to have a chance to win it at the end, that’s all you can ask for.”
The Archers had the ball with 4.8 seconds left out of a timeout, and they turned to senior point guard and leading scorer Lincoln Mathis with the game on the line. The College of Southern Idaho signee caught the ball at the top of the key on an inbound pass, dribbled to his left and elevated for a contested fadeaway jumper.
The potential game-winning shot hit the back of the rim, rolled briefly and dropped out as Declo fans in the crowded gymnasium erupted in cheers.
Mathis fell to the floor. His teammates were right there to pick him up.
“What I had to share with them was that it’s more than the final score of a state semifinal game,” Whittenburg said. “As much as we want to get back to a state championship — and that’s been our goal — the real value that these kids see is the brotherhood they’ve built with one another and the love that they have for one another.”
The defending state champion Archers (16-9) entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed but boasted the classification’s top offense at 64.5 points per game. No. 1 seed Declo (25-1) owns the classification’s stingiest defense (39 ppg), and it made for a back-and-forth semifinal showdown.
The game featured 14 lead changes and four ties. It then fittingly came down to the final shot.
“I compared it to like the Niners and Cowboys back in the ‘90s, where whoever wins the NFC championship probably is going to win the Super Bowl,” Whittenburg said.
Senior guard Tristen Trevino led the Archers in scoring against the Hornets, totaling 24 points with five rebounds. Junior forward Mark Yenor chipped in 10 points and four rebounds, and Mathis had eight points and 11 boards.
Ambrose will take on Firth (19-6) in the third-place game at noon Saturday at Capital, while Declo will play Wendell (19-6) for the state title at 1:40 p.m. at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Ambrose’s loss came after McCall-Donnelly (4A) and Garden Valley (1A) lost earlier in the day, leaving a Treasure Valley-sized hole in the championship games Saturday. Only Owyhee will be there, shooting for another 6A title, but area teams still have trophies on the line.
5A STATE TOURNAMENT
COLUMBIA 68, LEWISTON 62: The Wildcats put themselves in position to make history, staving off elimination with a win over the Bengals on Friday at Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian.
Columbia (15-13), which is making just the second state tournament appearance in program history, can bring home hardware for the first time if it defeats conference foe Middleton in the consolation championship at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rocky.
The Wildcats shot 56.8 percent from the floor against the Bengals (20-6), including an 8-for-11 performance from sophomore Tavin Jones, who led all scorers with 23 points. Sophomore Max Keller netted 20 points, and senior Blake Hansen contributed a double-double of 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
MIDDLETON 52, JEROME 37: The Vikings cruised into the consolation championship with a victory over the Tigers.
Middleton led by as many as 22 points behind a strong shooting night from junior guard Tye Cornwall, who made 7-of-12 overall and 4-of-7 from 3-point range for a game-high 18 points, to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.
The Vikings (18-8) sank nine 3-pointers as a team, with senior forward Blake Bishop and junior forward Drew Holman making two apiece. Bishop totaled 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Holman had seven points.
Senior guard AJ Johnson was Jerome’s top scorer with 10 points.
4A STATE TOURNAMENT
SNAKE RIVER 67, MCCALL-DONNELLY 47: The Panthers (25-3) built a 20-4 lead at the end of the first quarter of this state semifinal and never cooled off, rolling to a berth in the 4A state championship game.
Snake River shot 26-for-48 (54%) from the floor, hitting 50% or higher of their shots in each half. Marcus Coombs led the way with 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and Bridjer Howard added 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
No. 2 Snake River will take on No. 1 Bonners Ferry (23-1) for the state title at 3:50 p.m. Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center.
Sam Penny (14 points), Sam Scott (12) and Michael Foster (10) all reached double figures for McCall-Donnelly (15-10). The Vandals will face Marsh Valley (14-12) in the third-place game Saturday.
KIMBERLY 77, COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN 66: Senior guard Broden Anthony drew 10 fouls and converted on 8-of-12 free throws for a game-high 24 points to carry the Bulldogs over the Chargers in an elimination game at Eagle High School.
Cole Valley Christian couldn’t overcome foul trouble, as senior Adam Ashmead fouled out and three other players finished with four fouls apiece.
The Chargers, who were led by freshman Soren Fraas with 17 points and nine rebounds, cap the season 15-9.
3A STATE TOURNAMENT
NEW PLYMOUTH 61, MARSING 47: The Pilgrims held 3A WIC rival Marsing to 26.7 percent shooting and dominated the boards to advance to the consolation final.
New Plymouth drew Soda Springs (15-11) at 10 a.m. Saturday at Capital High School in that game.
The Pilgrims (18-8) pulled down 56 rebounds to the Huskies’ 36. Junior center Ashton Robinson led the way with a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds. Junior guard Josiah Gustin totaled 17 points and eight boards, and junior Cohen Evans chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds.
Junior guard Juan Ponce paced Marsing (12-13) with 23 points, five rebounds and three steals.
2A STATE TOURNAMENT
RIVERSTONE 63, VICTORY CHARTER 41: The Otters improved to 3-1 this season against their 2A WIC rivals, this time winning a loser-out contest at Vallivue High School in Caldwell.
Riverstone (21-3) will face Valley (23-1) for the consolation title at 10 a.m. Saturday at Vallivue.
The Otters held the Vipers to just 21.3 percent shooting and enjoyed a 41-23 rebound advantage, building as much as a 27-point lead.
Four players scored in double figures for Riverstone: seniors Finn Simon (19 points), Amer Sangha (18), Conrad Ness (11) and JB Brooks (10).
Senior Cody Luce tallied 22 points and five rebounds for Victory Charter (14-11).
1A STATE TOURNAMENT
DIETRICH 65, GARDEN VALLEY 57: The Blue Devils rode a 23-point halftime lead to a victory over the Wolverines in the semifinals at Caldwell High School.
Top-ranked Dietrich (21-3), which led 40-17 at the half, will play No. 6 Challis (16-11) for the championship at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Garden Valley fell into the third-place game, where it will face No. 2 Rockland (21-4) at noon Saturday at Caldwell.
Senior guard Trevor Corn (15 points), senior post Conor Ross (14 points, 11 rebounds) and junior guard Madix Miller (11 points, 7 rebounds) paced the Wolverines.
CASCADE 64, COEUR DU CHRIST 57: Cole Olson poured in 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Hayden Hull recorded a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Ramblers to a season-extending win in the consolation bracket.
Cascade (18-7) will battle Watersprings (21-4) for the consolation trophy at 10 a.m. Saturday at Caldwell High.
