Genesis Prep nabs first state berth
LISA JAMES/ Press Bella Murekatete, left, of Genesis Prep, passes as Lillian Rhea of Lakeside defents during the first half of their 1A Division II District 1 girls basketball championship game at Timberlake High on Thursday night.
LISA JAMES/ PressAlyssa SiJohn of Lakeside collects herself before making her free throw in the last seconds of their 1A Division 2 District 1 girls basketball championship game against Genesis Prep at Timberlake High School Thursday night.
LISA JAMES/ PressBella Murekatete, #55, center, of Genesis Prep, gets congratulatory hugs after their winning 1A Division 2 District 1 girls basketball championship game against Lakeside at Timberlake High School Thursday night.
SPIRIT LAKE — Genesis Prep sophomore Bella Murekatete has grabbed countless rebounds during the 2016-17 season.
Her rebound — the 20th on the night — and putback with 2.7 seconds left did something that hadn’t quite been done yet in the school’s short two-year period as a Idaho High School Activities Association-sanctioned program.
Book a trip to the state 1A Division II tournament starting next Thursday at Nampa High.
The 6-foot-4 Murekatete’s follow of a Jayci Blood shot was the difference in a 48-46 win over the third-ranked Lakeside Knights on Thursday at Timberlake High.
“At first, I didn’t think she was going to get the shot off,” second-year Genesis Prep coach Debbie Holte said. “Bella has been hitting the boards and finishing all year for us.”
Genesis Prep (13-5) advances to face the winner of a play-in game between the District 3 and District 5-6 runner-up in the opening round next Thursday at 7 p.m. PST at Nampa High.
“It’s incredible,” Holte said. “It’s an incredible feeling. Even though they’re young, I’m excited for them. They work hard in practice, just like any other team. I’m so proud of them.”
Genesis Prep trailed 38-28 with 1:04 remaining in the third quarter, but outscored Lakeside 20-8 the rest of the way.
“The girls never quit,” Holte said. “They weren’t going to lose tonight. They had to fight, but they didn’t quit. I’m proud of them for putting it together.”
Mureketate and fellow sophomore Rachel Schroeder scored 17 points each for Genesis Prep, which lost to Lakeside in last year’s district title game when only the champion advanced to state.
“It felt like we had a hold on the game the entire way,” said Schroeder, who finished with four assists and four steals. “We trust in Bella at the end of the game and she did it tonight.”
Lillian Rhea and Tommia Pakootas had 14 points each for Lakeside (15-2), which moves on to a play-in game Saturday in Grangeville against the District 2 runner-up.
“The good news is we’ve still got a chance to go,” Lakeside coach Chris Dohrman said. “We’ll get ready for that and see who we’ve got.”
It is the first year that the league has had a play-in for the runner-up in five years.
Rhea scored eight straight points to give the Knights a 32-26 lead midway through the third, with Pakootas hitting a pair of 3-pointers to stretch the advantage.
“Lillian’s been leading us for the last two years,” said Dohrman of Rhea, who was named the North Star League Most Valuable Player following the game. “She does a great job inside for us. It’s a tough matchup for her inside with Bella because she (Murekatete) has so much length.”
Genesis Prep 15 7 10 16 — 48
Lakeside 10 14 14 8 — 46
GENESIS PREP — Imanzi 2, Morrow 6, Schroeder 17, Scribner 4, Murekatete 17, Blood 0, Kim 0.
LAKESIDE — Peone 5, Arthur 8, Daman 0, Rhea 14, Lambert 0, S. Pakootas 0, T. Pakootas 14, Palmer 2, SiJohn 0, Adrian 2.
ALL-NORTH STAR LEAGUE
Lillian Rhea, sr., Lakeside (Most Valuable Player); Yazmin Gallaway, sr., Mullan; Paxton Dotson, sr., Kootenai; Tessa Sutton, so., Clark Fork; Corine Peone, sr., Lakeside; Sierra Brantz, sr., Wallace; Kaili Gentry, jr., Kootenai; Tommia Pakootas, so., Lakeside; Brooke Stevens, so., Clark Fork; Rachel Schroeder, so., Genesis Prep; Bella Murekatate, so., Genesis Prep; Maryssa Hogamier, sr., Wallace.