STATE 6A GIRLS BASKETBALL: Another heartbreaking finish for Coeur d'Alene — Vikings lose at buzzer in state third-place game

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

BOISE – At state, you can pretty much expect the unexpected.

Unfortunately for first-year Coeur d’Alene coach Stacy Boyd, and his team with only one senior, they had to learn that lesson the hard way.

After suffering a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals to Owyhee of Meridian on Friday, the break was even tougher on Saturday as Madison's Nora Waddoups intercepted a pass in the Coeur d'Alene frontcourt with seven seconds left, and fed Mia Walsh for a layup at the buzzer as the sixth-seeded Bobcats of Rexburg beat the fifth-seeded Coeur d’Alene Vikings 49-47 in the state 6A girls basketball third-place game at Timberline High on Saturday.

Sophomore Brookeslee Colvin scored 14 points for Coeur d’Alene, which finished 17-9. Colvin fouled out with 1:31 remaining, then senior Kelsey Carroll was called for her fifth late in the fourth quarter.

Walsh finished with 19 points and seven rebounds for Madison, which made its first appearance at state since 2017 last year, finished 18-9.

Carroll, the lone senior, is a three-year varsity player for Coeur d’Alene.

“I’m glad I got the opportunity to play on this team,” said Carroll, who finished with five points and five rebounds. “These players, I’m so thankful for them. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without each of them.”

After Madison tied it at 15 early in the second quarter, Coeur d’Alene went on an 11-0 run to take a 26-15 lead. Madison closed the first half on a 9-1 run to make it 27-24 at halftime.

“We came into the game with a good game plan,” Boyd said. “We haven’t seen a 3-2 zone in a very long time, especially me as a coach. When we did, we figured out a way to attack the seams and find a way to score and that’s why we went on a run. But the turnovers really cost us in this game.”

Coeur d’Alene was setting up for the final shot when it committed its final, costly, turnover.

“The experience and just knowing down the stretch, we’ve been in this position before in the last game and weren’t able to overcome it,” Boyd said. “We tried to make those same adjustments down the stretch, but it’s the same scenario. Brookeslee gets into foul trouble and we need to figure out how to handle the ball pressure and get her teammates involved.”

Colvin also fouled out of Friday’s overtime loss against Owyhee.

“It’s kind of tough when you’re missing that piece of the puzzle,” Boyd said. “I think next year we’ll focus on making sure if one of our players gets into foul trouble, or can’t finish the game that we’re figuring a way to keep going and try to finish that void. It’s tough because they rely on her so much and try to find a way to make it happen.”

Coeur d’Alene finished the game 6-of-22 from the 3-point line. 

“Brookeslee is a great player,” fourth-year Madison coach Luke Sutton said. “She scared us to death with all the tape we watched on her. We just thought if we could get a hand up, a lot of her deep shots that she hits, there’s nobody with a hand up. And that’s what our approach was.”

Coeur d’Alene was attempting to win three straight titles for the second time in program history; the Vikings also three-peated from 2008-10.

“The good thing about it is that we’ve got some really good younger players coming up,” Boyd said. “I feel like we’ll be right back in this same position next year, ready to compete if everything goes well and stay healthy.”

Boyd took over for previous coach Nicole Symons, who stepped down last season after five seasons.

“As a first-year high school coach, when you get to state, anything can happen,” Boyd said. “Nobody’s record really matters and they could be 10-10 or 25-2. You step on that platform, and you really learn that anything can happen.”

Madison went 0-2 at state last year.

“Our kids just had to dig deep,” Sutton said. “We’ve been in every game we’ve been in this year. I love that it ended like that for them.”

Madison    12    12    11    14    –    49

Coeur d’Alene    15    12    6    14    –    47

MADISON – Parker 4, Humphreys 0, Waddoups 15, Walsh 19, Boice 3, Call 3, Anderson 5, Ellingford 0, Stoeber 0. Totals 18-45 11-17 49.

COEUR d’ALENE – Bridge 0, Wheeler 2, Semprimoznik 12, Wallis 6, Colvin 14, Shafer 8, Carroll 5. Totals 16-42 9-16 47.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur d'Alene senior Kelsey Carroll goes up for a shot as Madison's Nora Waddoups defends during the fourth quarter of Saturday's state 6A third-place game at Timberline High in Boise.