Boys High School Basketball
State tournament roundup: Highland boys basketball wins first state title since 1996
CHAMPIONSHIPS
5A: HIGHLAND 65, MADISON 55
With no drama last-second drama, Highland senior didn’t know how to react when the Rams wrapped up their first championship since 1996.
“Seriously, after we won it, I was in absolute shock,” the BYU signee said. “I was more excited after our second game when Mason (Baker) hit the game winner. It’s just something great to be a part of it. I can’t describe it.”
Madison jumped out to a 14-6 lead. But the Rams responded with an 18-3 run of their own and held on with a steady march to the free-throw line to avenge a loss in the District Five-Six championship game.
Highland finished 34-of-46 at the line, including 20-of-25 in the fourth quarter, while Madison went 8-of-14.
“One, we got ourselves in a position where we had to foul,” Madison coach Bill Hawkins said. “And then of course, they put a lot of pressure on the basket a lot of times.”
Harding finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 1-of-9 from the field but 11-for-12 at the line. Baker scored a game-high 19 points to go along with three assists.
2A: FIRTH 42, WEST SIDE 36
Firth further solidified its claim as one of Idaho’s top high school boys basketball programs of all time, pulling away from West Side late in the fourth quarter for its third straight 2A championship and its seventh in 10 years.
Senior guard Lucus Orme carried the Cougars (24-2) in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his team’s 17 points in the final eight minutes to secure another title for coach Scott Adams. With seven titles in 12 seasons at Firth, Adams ties former Rigby coach Elliott Anderson for the most championships in the state’s boys basketball history, according to IHSAA records.
Orme finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots for Firth, while Connor Burkart added 11 points.
Firth (2007-10), Capital (1975-78) and Moscow (1917-20) are the only programs to win four straight titles.
THIRD PLACE
5A: BORAH 54, CENTENNIAL 43
Senior point guard DeAndre Jones poured in a game-high 24 points, three assists and three steals to lead the Lions (23-3) to their fourth state trophy in the past five years.
Max Reitman added 16 points, and Rylan Bergersen finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds as Borah earned a season split at 2-2 with Centennial. Taylor Wallick scored 12 points for the Patriots (21-6), and Brooks King added nine.
CONSOLATION
5A: ROCKY MTN. 66, LEWISTON 54
Junior Jacob Erickson scored led all scorers with 16 points to earn the Grizzlies (19-7) the state consolation title for the second year in a row.
Fellow juniors Kolby Lee (13 points, seven rebounds) and Kobe Terashima (13 points, seven assists), and sophomore Hunter Ranstrom (11 points) also topped double digits for Rocky Mountain.
4A: RIGBY 53, MIDDLETON 46
Tyler Wilson scored 11 points, and Reece Robinett added eight points and nine rebounds. But Middleton (11-15) finished one win shy of its first state trophy since finishing second in 3A in 2004.
2A: SODA SPRINGS 56, MELBA 52
Three Mustangs finished in double figures — Trey Trappett (18 points), Devin Edmiston (10) and Justin Trappett (10) — but Melba’s (19-6) fourth-quarter comeback fell short.
Michael Lycklama: 208-377-6424, @MichaelLycklama
Coaching legends
Firth’s Scott Adams tied Elliott Anderson for the most boys basketball championships by one coach in state history, according to IHSAA records.
Coach Titles | |
Elliott Anderson, Rigby | 7 |
Scott Adams, Firth | 7 |
Terry Jones, Malad | 6 |
Bill Hawkins, Madison | 5 |
Kirk Williams, Borah | 5 |
Bob Coombs, Snake River | 5 |
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