THE FRONT ROW with Jason Elliott June, 5, 2013

All-star basketball games are often a showcase of how many points a team can score before the final buzzer goes off.

But something about last Wednesday's Jack Blair Memorial All-Star Girls Basketball Classic was a little different.

THE GAME, played between players in the Idaho-based Inland Empire League (Region) and a few surrounding Washington leagues against Spokane's Greater Spokane League (Metro), wasn't quite like the North vs. South game played at North Idaho College in March.

Unlike the game at NIC, which features the best senior players in the state, the Blair game was played between some of the best players in the area that have ties to the Spokane Stars AAU basketball program.

For area boys basketball players, the only all-star games that are played usually are held at Mullan featuring the best seniors in District 1 and the game at NIC.

In March at NIC, that group of North Idaho players lost to the team from Southern Idaho 91-61. Six of those same players from that loss played on the Region team, which defeated the Metro team of Spokane players 74-64 at Post Falls High.

One of those key players in the Region win, Coeur d'Alene High junior Sydney Williams, was playing in her second Blair game.

Williams scored a game-high 15 points in the state 5A championship game for Coeur d'Alene in a 46-44 loss to Post Falls.

"I thought it was awesome," Williams said of the Blair win. "We had a great group of girls between us and Post Falls. Adding some more big players really helped a lot."

Williams is already gathering interest to continue her playing career past Coeur d'Alene, with Saint Mary's, Montana, Boise State and Idaho among those interested.

WHILE THE final score of the game might have seemed a little lower than usual, there was a good reason.

Defense.

Often times a rare thing in a game like that, but the Region team held the Metro squad to 29 second-half points.

Just imagine how interesting the NBA All-Star Game or the Pro Bowl might be if they actually stressed defense.

At least with the All-Star game in baseball, there's something at stake with the winning league earning home field advantage for the World Series.

With the win last week, the Region team has now won twice in the 20 years that the game has been held, but you couldn't tell at the end of the game.

Players had fun, fans had fun and it was just another game.

A little more important to some, but a ton of fun for others to watch get played.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]