District boys basketball: Timberline, Kuna advance. Parma wins first title since ‘06
Three more Treasure Valley boys basketball teams are headed to state.
Timberline and Kuna prevailed in the 6A District Three Tournament, while Parma hoisted its first district championship trophy since 2006.
Here’s a breakdown of state-qualifying games Tuesday night.
TIMBERLINE 75, CAPITAL 67: Timberline coach Travis Noble grabbed two water bottles and took a deep breath before pushing open the door to the locker room.
It was never going to be a fair fight.
The Wolves drenched their coach in celebration of a state-qualifying win over Capital in the 6A District Three boys basketball tournament Tuesday night at Ridgevue High School.
“We spend a lot of time working on our craft. It’s year-round,” Noble said. “ ... You take all that work that goes into a game like this, and it’s kind of the culmination. You want to get through this game so that you can be one of the eight best teams that get to the end.
“All that hard work, it just makes you feel like it was worth it. I know they’re excited. I’m excited, but I’m just happy for them.”
Timberline (17-9) led 54-39 at the start of the fourth quarter after a layup from senior guard Sam Richins, but the Wolves knew it was far too early to celebrate. The two teams split their regular-season meetings by a total of just three points.
And Capital sophomore Quincey Clay has a way of turning the game on a dime. The 5-foot-11 guard dropped 51 points in a game earlier this season.
Clay had 38 points Tuesday night against the Wolves, including Capital’s final 12 points. Clay’s 3-pointer with 16 seconds left pulled the Eagles (14-12) within 71-67, but Timberline converted 4-of-4 from the free-throw line to secure the victory.
“Man, it’s everything. A lot of people doubted us,” Timberline junior Collin Morris said. “They doubted us at the start of the season, but we believed in ourselves, and we work hard every single day in practice. We knew we could get back here.”
The 6-foot-7 Morris paced the Wolves with 27 points and nine rebounds, shooting 10-for-13 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Richins (17 points) and junior Parker Ingram (11 points) also reached double figures for Timberline, which is headed to state for the fourth straight season after collecting the third-place trophy a year ago.
Capital’s season isn’t over yet. The Eagles face Meridian at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Capital. The winner advances to state.
KUNA 57, MERIDIAN 51: Behren Ryden stole the basketball and streaked down the court for a layup.
The Meridian senior forward’s bucket brought the Warriors within two points with 21 seconds left. But Kuna didn’t crack at the free-throw line.
Juniors Hendrix Castro and Bridger Barrus each made a pair of freebies in the final seconds to deliver Kuna a state-qualifying victory over Meridian in the 6A District Three tournament.
The Kavemen are headed to state for the first time since 2020.
“A lot of people doubted us just because we’re Kuna,” Kavemen junior Emmanuel Chabuka said. “We’re not necessarily the biggest basketball school. But we believe you can do it from anywhere. As long as you stick to your work, you’ll be good.”
Kuna defeated Meridian 73-65 in overtime on Feb. 6, and Tuesday’s game had the hallmarks of another back-and-forth contest.
The Warriors led by as many as 10 points, 33-23, about midway through the third quarter, before the Kavemen closed the frame on a 15-5 run to knot the game at 38-all going into the fourth quarter.
“It’s just good grit and good determination,” Kuna coach Kelly Bokn said. “Our defense caused them to be uncomfortable in the end. And then we finally hit some shots.”
Clinging to a one-point lead, Chabuka sank a 3-pointer with 1:51 to play for a 51-47 Kuna advantage. Chabuka finished with a team-leading 19 points, including four 3-pointers, while adding seven rebounds, two blocked shots, one assist and one steal. Barrus and senior Jackson Edwards added 14 points each.
Meridian (15-10) was led by juniors Sammy Kahn and Drake Hope with 16 points apiece. The Warriors take on Capital at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Capital with a chance to advance to state.
3A BOYS BASKETBALL DISTRICT THREE TOURNAMENT
PARMA 52, MELBA 48: The Panthers bested the top-seeded Mustangs (14-9) on their home court to win their first district championship since 2006.
Parma (14-10), the No. 3 seed in the district tournament, advances to state for the first time since 2019, when it won the consolation championship.
Stats were not reported for Tuesday’s game.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 11:25 PM.
