South teams sweep North in Idaho high school all-star basketball games

COEUR d'ALENE - They came.

They saw.

And then they swept away the North All-Stars.

For the third straight time and seventh time in 11 meetings, the South All-Stars swept the annual North vs. South high school all-star basketball games, held on Saturday at North Idaho College's Rolly Williams Court.

In the boys game, the South team made 17 3-point field goals and ran away from the North in a 117-95 win.

Jared Stutzman, a 6-foot-6 University of San Francisco signee from Bonneville High in Idaho Falls, won the slam dunk contest, then scored a game-high 23 points to pace the South to the win. Guard Hunter Young from Capital High in Boise had 20 points and was named MVP for the South.

Using a pressing defense in the second half, point guard Bailey Pasta from Skyview of Nampa - who has signed to play at NAIA Carroll College - scored 19 points for the South, which pulled away from the North for a 89-73 win in the first game.

Between games, Delaney Sauer of Capital won the 3-point contest, beating Buhl's Kade Crossland 11-7 in the finals. The girls outshot the boys in the team scoring 54-41.

BOYS: Lake City forward JJ Winger kept his team close in the game early, hitting a pair of 3-pointers to give the North a 6-3 lead early.

"I was feeling it pretty good to start the game," Winger said. "I didn't do very well in the 3-point contest, but seemed to get it going when I needed to."

The North was coached by Jim Winger, JJ's dad.

"It was really special to get to play for him one last time," JJ said. "It was a lot of fun, even though we didn't get the win."

Leighton Vander Esch, of 1A Salmon River in Riggins, scored 12 points for the North.

"I've been playing a lot of summer ball with those bigger school kids, so that was a lot of fun," Vander Esch said. "I was able to make some new friends playing with a different group of guys. It was a fun experience, and I'd do it again. We gave it a battle, but just came up a little short."

Vander Esch has signed to play football at Boise State in the fall.

"He's a freak athlete," Lake City guard Justin Pratt said. "It was a lot of fun to play against some of those kids that I've played with forever like JJ, Kyle (Guice) and Justin (Carpenter)."

South 56 61 - 117

North 39 57 - 96

SOUTH - Connor Meyerhoeffer (Twin Falls) 6, Lyle Sutton (Madison) 5, Sam Simpson (Boise) 11, Alec Meyerhoeffer (Twin Falls) 13, EJ Boyce (Rocky Mountain) 11, John Sherle (Rocky Mountain) 4, Jedd Tibbits (Salmon) 7, Kade Crossland (Buhl) 9, Isaiah Wright (Borah) 4, Jared Stutzman (Bonneville) 23, Damon Leach (Century) 6, Hunter Young (Capital) 20.

NORTH - Jaydan Kaufman (Lewiston) 9, Nick Hall (Post Falls) 6, Derek Bayley (Lakeland) 6, Justin Pratt (Lake City) 12, Jesse Lambert (Kellogg) 3, Justin Carpenter (Coeur d'Alene) 2, Jeremiah Gagnon (Sandpoint) 14, Kyle Guice (Lake City) 4, Leighton Vander Esch (Salmon River) 12, Corey Koski (Post Falls) 7, JJ Winger (Lake City) 18, Nick Ellison (Moscow) 3.

GIRLS: Even with six on the court momentarily, the North girls couldn't slow down the pressing South team in second half, getting outscored 52-36 in the final 20 minutes.

"They were really feisty and throwing their arms in there," said Coeur d'Alene forward Brittany Tackett, who has signed with NAIA Lewis-Clark State. "Even though we lost, I still had fun. At least we kept the point differential a little closer, so that was a plus."

Lake City guard Hailey Jackson led the North with 15 points, hitting five 3-pointers.

"It's the last game I'll ever play, but I played my heart out," said Jackson, who has signed to play softball at NJCAA Daytona State in Daytona Beach, Fla. "It was such a great opportunity. I'm glad I went out with a bang."

A 3-pointer by Pasta gave the South a 55-44 lead with 12:33 remaining.

The North made seven 2-point field goals in the game and 12 from beyond the 3-point line.

"They played good defense," Sandpoint forward Hailey Olin said. "It's a little bit different of a style, but it was all-around really fun to be a part of this game."

Olin finished with 10 points for the North.

"It was an honor to get to play in this game and fun to get to play at a faster pace," Olin said.

Olin, who was the 4A Inland Empire League for Sandpoint, said she's still weighing her options for college.

"I'm really just undecided at this point," Olin said. "I'm just kind of seeing what my options are and where I want to be."

South 37 52 - 89

North 37 36 - 73

SOUTH - Delaney Sauer (Capital) 0, Timmie Bowie (HIghland) 2, Tilar Clark (Skyline) 13, Raquelle Mouw (Bishop Kelly) 6, Katie Hughes (Filer) 1,Larissa Knight (Hagerman) 2, Madi Kelly (Rocky Mountain) 4, Leah Bonner (Skyview) 17, Deshka Olson (Salmon) 5, Bailey Pasta (Skyview) 19, Megan Hochstein (Rocky Mountain) 12, D'Rae Tullock (Middleton) 8.

NORTH - McKenna Stewart (Kellogg) 0, Sydni Parker (Coeur d'Alene) 10, Rayla Lohman (Lewiston) 8, Sara Chalich (Coeur d'Alene) 7, Hailey Jackson (Lake City) 15, Jill Weimer (Priest River) 5, Kyndahl Ulmer (Prairie) 1, Brittany Tackett (Coeur d'Alene) 6, Hailey Olin (Sandpoint) 10, Jessica Norlander (Timberlake) 0, Kelly Ramus (Lakeland) 0, Sydney Williams (Coeur d'Alene) 10.