Done in from deep
LOREN BENOIT/Press Post Falls’ Drake Thompson drives by Centennial’s Jackson Cleverley on his way to the basket for a score in the 5A state semifinal game Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center. Post Falls lost 72-61.
LOREN BENOIT/PressTanner McCliment-Call (10), of Post Falls, dribbles the ball along the arc during the second half of the 5A state semifinal game against Centennial High School Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressKam Modrow, of Centennial, defends against Post Falls' Jake Pfennigs in the second half of the 5A state tournament semifinal game Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressMike McLean talks with an official after a Post Falls foul in the second half of the 5A state tournament semifinal game against Centennial High School Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls' Colby Gennett dribbles the ball by Centennial's Brooks King during the 5A state semifinal game on Friday at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls' David Dourgard (12) drives to the basket while defended by Centennial's Jackson Cleverley.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls' Colby Gennett defends Centennial's Jackson Cleverley in the second half of the 5A state tournament semifinal game Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressBasketball players from both Post Falls and Centennial High Schools try to keep the basketball inbounds during the first half of the 5A state semifinal game Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls' Jake Pfennigs goes for a layup during the second half of the 5A state tournament semifinal game Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls' Jake Pfennigs dribbles the basketball as he surveys the Centennial High School defense during the 5A state semifinal game against Centennial High School Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressJake Pfennigs, of Post Falls, shoots a three-pointer in the seconds of the 5A state semifinal game against Centennial High School Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressCheerleader Mindie Schmeling watches Centennial High School players celebrate their 72-61 win against Post Falls Friday night o advance to the title game.
LOREN BENOIT/PressTanner McCliment-Call (10), of Post Falls, dribbles the ball along the arc during the second half of the 5A state semifinal game against Centennial High School Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls fans watch Centennial High School basketball players celebrate their 72-61 win against Post Falls Friday night to advance to the title game on Saturday. Post Falls will battle Lewiston for third place.
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls senior Cameron McKeown reflects after losing 72-61against Centennial High School in the 5A state tournament semifinal game Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
NAMPA — The Post Falls Trojans tried to take away Option A from their opponent, but the Centennial Patriots showed they were pretty good at Option B.
Centennial made 11 of 23 3-pointers and held off Post Falls throughout the second half as the Trojans fell 72-61 in a state 5A basketball semifinal Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center.
“We wanted to take away their dribble penetration,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “We wanted to make them become jump shooters, because we felt their strength was getting to the basket, looking at season-long statistics and as much film as we could watch on them.
At the state 5A level, you can’t take everything away. We tried to take away their first option, and make them work for their second option, and tonight they shot the ball … I don’t know what their percentage was, but it seemed like they made most of them.”
Post Falls (19-4) will face Lewiston (14-9) in the third-place game today at 11 a.m. PST at Columbia High in Nampa. Lewiston beat 5A Inland Empire League champ Post Falls last week in the Region 1 title game. Lewiston was pummeled by Rocky Mountain 70-38 in the other semifinal. Centennial (17-10) will face Rocky Mountain (25-1) in tonight’s title game.
Senior guard Brooks King hit 4 of 10 3-pointers for Centennial, and led all scorers with 24 points. Senior point guard Jaydon Clark hit all three of his 3s, and finished with nine points. Jackson Cleverley hit 2 of 4 3s and added 12 points. Senior Delveion Jackson had some success on the drive and finished with 21 points, making 11 of 17 free throws.
“It’s frustrating,” Post Falls sophomore guard Drake Thompson said. “We tried to adjust, but they kept hitting shots after shots after shots.”
“We gave up a couple open 3s, probably,” McLean said. “You look back at it, and maybe we helped too much at times, and we tried to take away too much penetration, possibly. But if we don’t do that, then they’re killing us at the rim. You’ve got to play the percentages, and the percentages were telling us that they wanted to get to the rim, and we took that away pretty well. Centennial did a good job making the extra pass to get the guy open.”
Jake Pfennigs had 16 points and seven rebounds for Post Falls, which shot 22 of 45 from the field, including 6 of 15 from 3-point range. Thompson added 15 and Tanner McCliment-Call had 13.
“It was sad in the locker room,” Thompson said. “We worked hard all year to get to this spot, and we just couldn’t make it happen. We had opportunities at the end, but our shots just didn’t fall.”
Neither team led by more than three points in the first half, which ended tied at 33.
Thompson started the third quarter with a 3-point play, but Cleverley answered with a 3, and King’s jumper from the top of the key put Centennial up 38-36 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.
As it turned out, the Patriots never gave up the lead. Post Falls stayed within a basket or two the rest of the way, but could never change the momentum by tying or taking the lead.
Pfennigs made two free throws with 2:21 left to bring Post Falls within 60-59. But King answered with two of his own from the line. The Trojans turned the ball over on their next possession and a 3 rattle out on the next, and Centennial pulled away from the line in the final minute.
“It felt like every time we got a run, and got right where we wanted, they’d come down and hit a 3,” McLean said. “The game started like that, and it was like that for four quarters. Every time we got them where we thought we had a chance, their offense would break down a little bit, and in a scramble the ball gets kicked out to a shooter and he hits it. There’s not a lot you can do.”
Centennial didn’t look like a 10-loss team, with good reason. Coach Josh Aipperspach, whose dad Tom coached Centennial to state titles in 1995 and 2003, said the Patriots have been sick or injured all year. Jackson missed six games late in the season with a high ankle sprain.
“They’re good,” Aipperspach said of Post Falls. “They’ve got guys that can run, their transition game’s very tough. That’s one thing we tried to concentrate on today. And their guards, they can get to the rim. We didn’t defend great, but we defended when we needed to.”
Post Falls 21 12 15 13 — 61
Centennial 20 13 16 23 — 72
POST FALLS — Gennett 4, Thompson 15, McKeown 2, McCliment-Call 13, Walker 1, Bourgard 8, Ballew 0, Pfennigs 16, Morris 2. Totals 22-45 11-13 61.
CENTENNIAL — King 24, Martens 3, Kam. Modrow 3, Clark 9, Cleverley 12, Dulski 0, Jackson 21. Totals 20-41 21-28 72.