STATE 6A BOYS BASKETBALL: Posting a win ... Lake City gets it inside, powers past Thunder Ridge in state opener

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

NAMPA – Once Lake City got rolling on Thursday, it was tough to stop.

Outside, inside, wherever.

Sophomore Jordan Carlson had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Timberwolves, who ran past the seventh-seeded Thunder Ridge Titans of Idaho Falls 63-48 in the state 6A boys basketball opener for both at the Ford Idaho Center.

Lake City, which led 6-0 early, capped the first quarter with a 14-0 run to pull away from the Titans in their first state appearance in program history.

“We always talk about momentum and the first couple minutes of the first quarter and second half were huge for us,” Lake City senior guard Cason Miller said. “You’ve got to get going and build off that.”

Lake City was 14 of 28 from the field in the first half to take a 36-20 halftime lead.

“Anytime you start the game good, with a lot of positive vibes, it makes your job so much easier,” second-year Lake City coach James Anderson said. “We got our energy going, which put a lot of pressure on the other team, which grows on the other team in a situation like this. You go down big early on a court like this, you kind of hit the panic mode and it was really a big key for us. I’m glad we got out to a blazing start.”

Miller added 16 points, junior Josh Watson 15 points and six rebounds and senior Reese Strawn 12 points for Lake City (20-4), which faces sixth-seeded Boise, a 49-46 winner over third-seeded Madison of Rexburg in Thursday's first game of the day, in a semifinal game today at 11 a.m. PST. 

Junior Jackson Bowman, the team’s other starter, scored all five of his points in the first quarter for Lake City.

“They’ve been playing really well together and really have found their stride,” Anderson said. “Jackson, he’s super critical to that group and does so many things for that group to make it a complete unit. I thought they did a good job of trusting each other. Sometimes it’s tough with four really good basketball players in a setting like this, and they’re going to try to do too much. But they played really well together and cohesive as a group and playing for each other.”

Thunder Ridge (13-12) faces Madison (21-3) in a loser-out game tonight at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian.

Carlson had 9 of his 17 points in the first half and Watson scored 10 in the third quarter to give the Timberwolves a 53-32 lead.

“I thought they were really good defensively, which is something we’ve worked on,” Anderson said. “I thought they impacted a lot of shots at the rim. Josh had a lot of catches in the third quarter and kind of struggled to find his footing in the first half.”

“He just came out aggressive,” Miller said of Watson. “When he plays like that, we’re really good. He can read the doubles and if not, he’ll kick it out, so it’s super nice to have. He’s playing really calm and smart right now.”

Miller scored 12 points in the first half for Lake City.

“Cason’s a great player and point guard,” Watson said. “When he’s pushing the ball, he’s making the right reads and he’s an amazing shooter. It’s definitely easier on us because I know if I’m in the paint, I can kick it to my boy and he’ll hit it.”

Sophomore McKay Scoresby scored 17 points for Thunder Ridge, which shot 20 of 54.

“We really didn’t know what we were getting in a sense of they're up north, and it’s isolated up there,” first-year Thunder Ridge coach T.J. Trane said. “It’s tough to tell how big and physical they are. And I thought we could match up physicality-wise and size wise, but they did a great job of crashing the boards and grabbing the basketball and finished really well. I was very impressed with how they executed their base.”

Thunder Ridge opened in 2018.

“The depth perception is a little tough as some folks say,” Trane said of the spacious Idaho Center. “Our first time being here, but I’m over that excuse. The kids should have been ready to compete. The lights were bright, and some of them got nervous. It’s tough to live with and they need to adjust in the second half.”

Thunder Ridge    8    12    12    16    –    48

Lake City        19    17    17    10    –    63

THUNDER RIDGE – Haycock 3, Leishman 0, Sparks 6, Wright 0, Brizzee 0, Parker 0, Branson 11, M. Scoresby 17, Bateman 3, Hennefer 0, Stenquist 2, Brown 6. Totals 20-54 3-4 48.

LAKE CITY – Parker 0, Winey 0, Strawn 10, Miller 16, Watson 15, Kloos 0, Bowman 5, Hill 0, Anderson 0, Meredith 0, Pearson 0, Plummer 0, Carlson 17. Totals 26-57 7-8 63.

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Lake City senior Cason Miller (4) goes up for a shot against Thunder Ridge on Thursday in the first round of the state 6A boys basketball tournament at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Players on the Lake City bench react Thursday during a state 6A first-round game against Thunder Ridge at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.