State tournament roundup: Highland boys basketball wins first state title since 1996 | Idaho Statesman

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.