A slam dunk

RATHDRUM — The Genesis Prep boys basketball team is deeper, more talented and more experienced than last year’s team that rolled to the state 1A Division II championship.

Not exactly what the rest of the state wanted to hear.

Junior guard Jonny Hillman, a three-year starter, scored 22 points and the Jaguars pulled away in the final three quarters for an 82-34 victory over the Lakeside Knights in the championship game of the 1A Division II District 1 tournament Friday afternoon at Lakeland High’s Hawk Court.

“I think this year’s team has more experience than last year’s team,” fourth-year Genesis Prep coach Marsell Colbert said. “Last year’s team, we only had three varsity players returning, and out of those three, we only had one starter returning (Hillman). This year’s team, we’re returning four starters.

“I just think we’re much more mature, and we’re better in each position. And it helps when you have that experience.”

Genesis Prep (19-4) advances to the state tournament next week at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian. The Jaguars will open state agains Council (18-4), the District 3 champions, Thursday at 2 p.m. PST.

Hillman, seniors Junior Williams and Max Reidt, and junior Jacob Schultz, are returning starters. Hillman hit 4 of 7 3-pointers, and had four steals.

The lone new starter, Kon Ajang, a 6-9 junior, isn’t a bad addition to the starting lineup. Though still a bit raw, the excellent-leaping Ajang added 19 points on Friday, along with eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three assists. Ajang had 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in the first half.

“Kon is pretty skilled,” Colbert said. “He’s a special player; we’ve just got to get him to play more consistently like that. I thought tonight was his best game all year long.”

Genesis Prep beat Lakeside by 36 and 39 points during North Star League play ­— which are relatively close margins of victory, considering the Jaguars beat everybody else by at least 43 points en route to a 10-0 league record.

Lakeside, which finished 14-8, kept up with Genesis Prep for a quarter on Friday. A jumper midway through the first quarter by Kenyon Spottedhorse — one of three freshman starters — put the Knights up 9-8. And a runner by Spottedhorse a minute and a half later tied the game at 11.

Lakeside was last in range midway through the second quarter, when a basket by freshman Jayson Hall cut Genesis Prep’s lead to 24-16.

Then the Jaguars took over, going on a 19-0 run, sparked by Ajang’s dunk off an alley-oop from Hillman, a fast break started by a blocked shot by Ajang, who had three dunks in the game.

“We’ve been a family and (had) a close relationship both years,” said Williams, who finished with 11 points, six assists and three steals. “We lost Stephane (Manzi), and gained Kon; we’re still a big family.”

Reidt added nine points and three steals.

It was the third straight district title won by Genesis Prep, a program in its third season sanctioned by the Idaho High School Activities Association. The Jaguars finished third at state two seasons ago.

Lakeside eventually fell victim to foul trouble and 25.5-percent shooting, as well as 22 turnovers, many committed against Genesis Prep’s half-court trapping defense.

“It happens all the time,” said first-year Lakeside coach James Twoteeth, a member of the Knights’ state A-4 championship team in 1997. “They keep scoring, and then the other team just stops scoring, and they start dropping their heads.”

Spottedhorse and Day Day Higgins, the third freshman starter, each finished with seven points for Lakeside.

“We’re really young, so it (the future) looks promising,” Twoteeth said.

Lakeside 14 4 7 9 — 34

Genesis Prep 19 26 22 15 — 82

LAKESIDE — White 6, Sanchez 4, Higgins 7, Wienclaw 0, Hall 5, Twoteeth 3, Spottedhorse 7, Abuan 0, Fanning 2.

GENESIS PREP — Mwinuka 5, Reidt 9, Williams 11, Schroeder 2, Hillman 22, Schultz 4, Ajang 19, Gonzales 2, Neely 4, Morillo Soto 0, Bohannan 4.

ALL-NORTH STAR LEAGUE

Jonny Hillman, jr., Genesis Prep (Most Valuable Player); Kon Ajang, jr., Genesis Prep; Junior Williams, sr., Genesis Prep; Bryar Sanchez, sr., Lakeside; Erik Brackebusch, jr., Wallace; Kobe Banks, so., Clark Fork; Triston Usdrowski, jr., Kootenai; Zach Welch, jr., Wallace; Day Day Higgins, fr., Lakeside; Gage Maitland, jr., Kootenai; Gryphon Todd, sr., Mullan; Matt Farkas, sr., Wallace.