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Post Falls charges past Vallivue, into state semis

by MARK NELKE
Sports Editor | March 4, 2010 8:00 PM

NAMPA - Some may have wondered if Post Falls High boys basketball coach Mike McLean could get away with a rotation of 10 or 11 players when the state 5A tournament rolled around.

Turns out, that depth was a big reason Post Falls was able to scratch out a 55-53 victory over Vallivue of Caldwell in a state tournament first-round game Thursday afternoon at the Idaho Center, in a matchup of teams ranked in a tie for second in the final media poll.

"The difference between us, the place where I felt confident, was our depth," McLean said. "We had 11 players play tonight, and not only play but contribute, and have some type of positive stat for us."

With guards Shawn Reid and Marcus Colbert, and post Jeremy Cragin sitting out portions of the game in foul trouble, and guard Malcolm Colbert missing some time in the first half after hurting his knee, others stepped up.

Junior post Matt Lickfold came off the bench with six points, three rebounds and two blocked shots. Justin Mikkelson and Jared Kennedy also played well inside, particularly on defense.

"And I thought down the stretch, they (Vallivue) looked tired," McLean said. "The rebounds, the 50/50 balls, when we came out with that full-court pressure, they just looked tired. And I think that has a lot to do with our depth."

With the win, Post Falls (20-4) will get a rematch in the semifinals tonight at 5:15 p.m. PST vs. Madison (18-7) of Rexburg. Madison, which beat Centennial 59-54 on Thursday, rallied to beat Post Falls in overtime in the semis last year at state.

Still, as big as the bench was, it helped that Post Falls' top four players also came up big when it mattered.

Junior guard Connor Hill scored 12 of his 13 points in the second half, after sophomore point guard Marcus Colbert scored 11 of his 13 in the first half. Reid was just 2 of 11 from the floor, but finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Malcolm Colbert, who left the arena with ice on his right knee, had nine points and three assists. His steal and two free throws from the resulting foul put Post Falls up 48-44 with 3:11 left - enough of a cushion to keep Vallivue (18-6) at bay.

"I don't think depth was a problem; Eagle's the deepest team here," Vallivue coach Mike Chatterton said. "I think their starting five was really good. They've got four guys that score in double figures, and those guys are really good. And when it came down to crunch time, those four guys really stepped up and made plays."

Hill, who missed all three of his 3-point shots in the first half, heeded his coaches' advice to follow through and hit a couple big 3s in the second half.

"When they (the other starters) go out of the game with foul trouble, I feel like I have to step up," Hill said. "I thought our bench players played good minutes, and in the fourth quarter we finally wore 'em down."

Zach Kelsh, a 6-foot-5 post who started two years ago on the Vallivue team that beat Coeur d'Alene for the state title, totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds. Kelsh, J.J. Hyde (15 points, 10 boards) and Devan Telken (14 points) combined to score all but six of the Falcons' points.

Post Falls, which shot just 31.5 percent (17 of 54) from the field, built a 21-14 lead with 5:18 left in the first half. Vallivue answered with an 8-0 run, and the game was tied at 27 at the half.

Vallivue took a 35-30 lead midway through the third quarter, only to see Post Falls answer with a 7-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Hill.

A fast-break basket by Kelsh tied the game at 44 with 3:36 left. But Reid and Malcolm Colbert each hit two free throws, as Post Falls made 11 of 12 free throws to lead 55-50 with 18.2 seconds left.

Kelsh made a 3 with 7 seconds left. Marcus Colbert missed two free throws with 2.3 seconds left, and Kelsh's half-court shot at the buzzer bounced off the top of the backboard.

"It looked good from my angle," Hill said. "I thought, 'Oh crap, it's going to go in.'"

Madison, which lost to Lewiston in last year's title game, is ranked fifth in 5A. Josh Fuller, a 6-7 post who has signed to play at the University of Utah next year, scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds on Thursday.

"We're excited to play Madison," McLean said. "Coach (Bill) Hawkins and those guys, this is what they do over there - they go to state tournaments and they just win. For us, as a coaching staff and players, trying to build an elite program in this state ... for us to get to our ultimate goal, the top four teams in the state in the media rankings, we're going to have to go through all of them. Madison is just the next step."

Post Falls 15 12 14 14 - 55

Vallivue 14 13 13 13 - 53

POST FALLS - Gonzales 0, Hill 13, Reid 12, Cozzens 0, Muncey 0, Mal. Colbert 9, Mar. Colbert 13, Mikkelson 2, Lickfold 6, Kennedy 0, Cragin 0. Totals 17-54 15-22 55.

VALLIVUE - Hyde 15, Kelsh 18, Barnes 0, Telken 14, Kener 0, Osburn 0, Betancourt 4, Williams 2. Totals 21-51 7-10 53.