Same matchup, different result. Lake City upsets Owyhee for 6A state title
Lake City spent an entire year stewing over last season’s embarrassment. The Timberwolves earned payback Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center.
Lake City’s suffocating defense powered a 55-47 upset win over top-seeded Owyhee in the 6A boys basketball state championship game, erasing some of the painful memories from last year’s title matchup.
Owyhee beat Lake City by 31 points a year ago, a victory that marked the biggest blowout in 106 years in the championship game of Idaho’s top classification. But it came with a silver lining, as the Timberwolves dedicated the offseason to taking their program to the next level.
“We came back, and we showed who we are,” Lake City junior forward Jordan Carlson said. “We showed our work. We showed that our work paid off.”
That payoff came in the second quarter, when No. 3 seed Lake City (19-8) took control of the game, holding Owyhee to just three points. The Timberwolves’ long, athletic defenders kept the Storm scoreless for the final 6 minutes, 20 seconds of the quarter, fueling a 12-0 run to close the half.
No. 1 Owyhee (20-7) struggled to find an offensive rhythm as Lake City switched screens all over the floor, denying the Storm a path to the basket and forcing quick kickout passes. Owyhee couldn’t take advantage behind the 3-point line, missing 14 straight behind the arc between the first and third quarters.
Owyhee finished the night 7-for-29 (24%) from long range. It could never climb out of a deficit that grew as large as 16 points in the third quarter.
“It just speaks to the work we put in this offseason — doing a lot of strength training, a lot of speed work — just so we can match their physicality and, honestly, outdo them in that facet of the game,” Lake City junior guard Jackson Anderson said. “The jump-switch defense really bogged them down, and we made them struggle.”
The two-time defending state champs threatened a comeback, trimming that 16-point deficit to two when Owyhee point guard Logan Haustveit drained a corner 3-pointer with 6:58 left in the fourth quarter. But Carlson took over from there, mounting a 7-0 run of his own, including a steal and a thunderous two-handed dunk to swing momentum.
Owyhee faced-guarded the reigning second-team all-state selection most of the night. But he stepped up when the Timberwolves needed him the most, scoring eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
“Jordan is their best player, and he put them on his back for that run,” Owyhee coach Andy Harrington said. “... It was deflating because we had all the momentum. We got it to two, but he still had to go make those plays, and he did. So credit to Jordan.”
Three-year starter Joshua Watson led Lake City on the stat sheet, putting up 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Anderson also added 11 points as the Timberwolves captured the second state title in program history.
Lake City and Owyhee stand as the crown jewels of Idaho’s top classification, trading the championship banner back and forth the past five years. Lake City coach James Anderson credited the Storm for raising the standard of basketball in the state.
And Watson added that the Timberwolves changed how they trained and what they ate with an eye on catching Owyhee.
“I think we are who we are because of them,” Anderson said. “They set the bar so high that we’ve been chasing (them). So a lot of credit goes to them for creating this need to find next levels and next ways of doing things.”
The loss left Owyhee 94-6 vs. Idaho competition since the school opened five years ago in Meridian. That run includes three titles, four trips to the championship game and five state tournament trophies.
Haustveit helped lead Owyhee to the finals every season of his three years with the Storm. And the Utah Valley signee capped his high school career with a game-high 19 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Senior Canaan Magness added 12 points and five rebounds, and sophomore Owen Brown stood as the team’s third-leading scorer with six points.
“I love these guys. There’s no one I would rather go out swinging with,” Harrington said. “What we’ve accomplished in five years is pretty dang incredible. For the seniors, (it was a) heck of a run. And for our younger guys, we’ll be back.”
IDAHO 6A BOYS BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
CENTENNIAL 60, HIGHLAND 53: The Patriots bounced back from Friday’s semifinal loss to capture the tournament’s third-place trophy.
Centennial’s Tobin Knudson erupted for 28 points while sinking 6-of-12 3-pointers. The junior also grabbed nine rebounds and added two steals, and Gabe Eddins and Griffin Taylor each chipped in nine points for the Patriots (22-4).
Centennial led by 20 points entering the fourth quarter, but Tracen Tripple scored 16 points to lead a comeback effort for Highland (20-6).
KUNA 72, CAPITAL 67: Capital sophomore Quincey Clay broke the 6A state tournament single-game scoring record with 46 points, but the Kavemen still brought home the consolation title for their first state trophy since 1999.
Emmanuel Chabuka posted a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Kavemen (20-7). Bridger Barrus added 21 points and Jackson Edwards contributed 17 as Kuna shot 52% from the floor in a game that featured 10 lead changes and eight ties.
Clay finished 14-for-29 from the floor, including 8-for-16 behind the 3-point line, to add another record to his resume. He also broke the 6A SIC’s single-game conference scoring record with 51 points in January.
Brayden Dudley was the only other Capital (16-13) player in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.
This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 11:54 PM.
