No 5A repeat for Trojans
<p>Post Fall High School's Marcus Colbert puts up a shot as Borah's Brett McCutchen collides with him Thursday in the second half of the 2011 Idaho State 5A Boys Basketball Tournament in Nampa.</p>
<p>Connor Hill of Post Falls is frustrated as he walks after the court at the Idaho Center following an overtime loss to Borah High School.</p>
NAMPA - As the final buzzer sounded, ending their hopes of repeating as state champs, the Post Falls Trojans hovered in front of their bench, some heads down, some hands on hips, most seemingly in a daze.
"It's frustrating, because we worked hard all season. It's not the way I wanted to end my senior season," teary-eyed Post Falls guard Connor Hill said after the top-ranked Trojans lost 70-64 in overtime to the second-ranked Borah Lions in the first round of the state 5A boys basketball tournament Thursday night at the Idaho Center.
Post Falls (19-5) held a slim lead throughout most of the second half, and led by as much as seven points with 4:21 to play. But the Trojans couldn't put Borah (19-5) away. The Lions tied it at 51 in the final second of regulation on a coast-to-coast drive by freshman point guard Isaiah Wright.
For the game, Post Falls missed 10 of its 23 free throws, including three of its first four in overtime with a chance to regain control.
"Sometimes sports can be a real good life lesson," Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. "I thought we executed pretty well, especially in the second half. But we're using this as a life lesson. You plan the best that you can, a couple kids come out and make shots, you have to give them credit. Kind of like life, sometimes it's not always fair. You have to be able to deal with adversity."
Ben Tucakovic, a 6-foot-6 junior wing, scored 35 points for Borah. He made 15 of 17 free throws, including 11 of 11 in overtime.
Post Falls took a 51-49 lead with eight seconds to go when Michael Hillman followed in a missing driving layin try by Marcus Colbert. Borah called timeout with 6.7 seconds left.
The Lions inbounded the ball to Wright, who drove up the middle of the floor, got into the lane, spun and kissed a short bank shot off the glass with one second left to force overtime.
“I got a piece of it, and it still went in,” Hill said. “I got a fingertip on it. I thought it would be enough to make him miss, but he hit a good shot.”
“That was one athletic move — an incredibly gutsy play,” Borah coach Cary Cada said.
“I just saw a lane open, and I just went,” said Wright, a 14-year-old who finished with 15 points. “I saw him go to the left so I spun off of him and let the ball go. Fortunately it went off the backboard and went in. It helped us get momentum into overtime.”
McLean was shaking his head over Wright afterward — not over the game-tying play, but because the freshman came into the game 7 for 45 from 3-point range, McLean said, and made 3 of 4 from behind the arc against the Trojans.
Hill and junior Luke Thoreson each scored 18 points for Post Falls. Colbert, who was out momentarily in the final minute of regulation, face down on the floor in front of the Trojan bench getting his back worked on, added 13 points. Michael Hillman had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Tucakovic tore up Post Falls inside early, hitting his first eight shots and scoring 17 points in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Trojans made a defensive adjustment, and McLean praised the defense of Matt Lickfold, who held Tucakovic to just two baskets the rest of the way. Most of his free throws in OT came after rebounds, when the Trojans had to foul.
Tucakovic scored nine points in the first four minutes as Borah built a 12-5 lead. Hill hit two 3-pointers in a span of 12 seconds as Post Falls went on a 16-5 run to lead 21-17. Midway through the fourth quarter, Hill whipped a pass inside to Lickfold for a layup and a 44-37 lead, and things were looking good for Post Falls.
“Really, it was a fight to the end,” Cada said. “It was almost like we were punched in the stomach again and again and again. And just as we’d get our feet back under us, they’d knock another one down. But we stayed focused, and Isaiah’s play at the end of the game just completely fired us up, and we just completely forgot about everything else.”
Post Falls came down south looking at a possible all-5A Inland Empire League matchup with Coeur d’Alene in the title game. Now the Trojans must refocus and try to win two games and bring home a fourth-place trophy.
“We’re really going to judge our team’s character,” McLean said. “I challenged them — this is a character check. Everybody can bounce back after a win. Let’s see how you bounce back after a tough loss.”
The Trojans play Idaho Falls in a loser-out game today at 2 p.m.
Borah 14 14 4 19 19 —70
Post Falls 12 15 10 14 13 —64
BORAH — Jones 5, Corpus 5, McCutchen 0, Tucakovic 35, J. Wright 8, Isaiah Wright 15, Scott 0, Holubetz 2. Totals 21-49 22-27 70.
POST FALLS — English 0, Gonzales 0, Hill 18, Anderson 4, Valente 0, Thoreson 18, Colbert 13, Hillman 9, Lickfold 2. Totals 22-50 13-23 64.