STATE 5A BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP: Struck by a Bolt ... Borah star too much for Post Falls in Trojans’ bid for first state title since 2015

Borah star too much for Post Falls in Trojans’ bid for first state title since 2015

NAMPA — Officially, the Post Falls Trojans lost the state 5A boys basketball championship game to the Borah Lions of Boise on Saturday night.

But really, the Trojans were beaten by Austin Bolt — with an assist from Isaac Dewberry.

But mostly, by Bolt.

Bolt, the Boise State football signee, scored 35 points, and Dewberry added 19 as the defending champion Lions held off a late charge from the Trojans for a 65-56 victory at the Ford Idaho Center.

Afterward, before he introduced his team so they could receive their second-place medals, Post Falls coach Mike McLean told the crowd his teams have played against future NBA players and other highly touted high school players over the years.

“Those kids dominated — dominated games,” McLean said later. “None of those kids did it the way Austin does it. I just wanted everyone to know the respect I have and our program has for someone like that.”

Junior Caden McLean scored 14 points to lead Post Falls (22-4), which was bidding for its third state title since 2010, and fifth overall. Colby Gennett, the lone senior starter, added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Cole Rutherford also scored 12. Alex Horning scored 11.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Bolt, who the Broncos see as a tight end/inside receiver, was credited with just six rebounds, but seemingly gathered many more. And on offense, he bulled his way to the basket, but also hit jump hooks and scored on some driving, flying shots.

Post Falls tried to stop him with its man-to-man defense, but was unsuccessful.

Just ask Horning, a 6-4 junior who tried his best despite giving away girth to Bolt.

“He’s hard to guard,” Horning said. “He has those long arms and can make shots that you can’t guard. I’ve never played against a player like that. I thought if I just put my body up against his, I was going to be all good, but … he’s got some skill. He’s a big man.”

“He’s a freak athlete,” Gennett said. “He’s legit; he had one of the best performances I’ve ever played against. When someone’s hitting their shots like that that he was hitting, it’s hard to stop him.”

Horning took the ball at Bolt early, scoring seven points in the first quarter. But he picked up his second foul early in the second quarter and went to the bench, as McLean tried a variety of other players on Bolt.

Meanwhile, Dewberry, a 6-1 senior guard, scored nine points in the first quarter, including a 3 at the buzzer for a 16-12 Borah lead.

The Lions led by eight before Gennett scored six points in a 9-2 run that pulled the Trojans within one. Bolt stole a pass and went coast to coast late in the half for a 24-21 Borah lead at the break.

Horning was whistled for his third foul early in the third, and his fourth midway through the quarter. Meanwhile, Bolt went to work inside, scoring 13 of the Lions’ 15 points in the quarter, as Borah stretched its lead to 39-27.

“They (the Borah guards) had faith in me, and when they gave me the ball that close to the hoop, I’m going to have to put it in,” Bolt said.

Borah (22-5) shot 57.1% (24 of 42) from the field and extended its state record by winning its 13th state title. Bolt was 12 of 16 from the field, and 11 of 17 from the free-throw line. The Lions out-rebounded the Trojans 29-20.

“What do you do?” McLean said. “You have no answer. A key part was, Horning got into foul trouble, and I thought we got a little out of sorts offensively. We wanted to have Alex attack off the dribble, but with him in foul trouble, it is what it is.”

Trailing by as much as 13 in the fourth quarter, Post Falls battled back to within five with a minute left. Rutherford scored nine of his points in the quarter, including a couple of and-ones.

But, at 60-55, Borah threw over the top of the Post Falls press and Dewberry dunked. Then Bolt stole the ball and hit a free throw, and that was pretty much that.

Borah also beat Post Falls in the 2012 state title game. Two years ago, as a sophomore, Bolt had 28 points as the Lions beat the Trojans in the third-place game at state.

“It’s an honor to get to compete against those guys,” McLean said. “At a high level, when you’re competing, sometimes you lose, right? We’re not going to walk out of here holding our heads down. We got beat by a really tough, competitor that I’ve never seen the likes of. And that’s including guys that are in the NBA. And basketball is not even his best sport, which is a whole other thing. I just felt like the Idaho Center and the state of Idaho needed the perspective of another coach, and you don’t get many opportunities to say that.”

As the Lions received their championship medals at midcoast, Bolt made it a point to go over and thank McLean, who with his team was watching from their bench.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone can say about me,” Bolt said. “I didn’t expect that. He’s a great coach, and his team obviously deserves to be in this championship, taking out Rocky.

“Obviously he’s doing something right because we couldn’t take out Rocky, but he was able to coach up and take out Rocky for us, I guess.”

Borah 16 8 15 26 — 65

Post Falls 12 9 6 29 — 56

BORAH — Naing 2, Garey 0, Hoetker 1, Dewberry 19, Bergersen 6, Niederer, Ellis 0, Bolt 35. Totals 24-42 16-23 65.

POST FALLS — Gennett 12, McLean 14, Rodriguez 0, Rutherford 12, Ballew 0, Lee 7, Horning 11, Shields 0. Totals 20-43 13-17 56.