NAMPA - As the final seconds ticked down, the Coeur d’Alene High players had their hands on their knees, or on their hips, or started to tug at their tucked-in jerseys.

Moments later, the Viking players walked heads down to their bench, after posting a surprising two-and-out performance at the state 5A boys basketball tournament.

“It’s pretty disappointing — it’s my last basketball game that I’m ever going to play ... it happens,” senior guard Joe Roletto said after Coeur d’Alene fell 69-60 to Highland of Pocatello in a loser-out game Friday afternoon at the Idaho Center.

The Vikings (16-8) came down south with visions of playing in the state title game, but fell 49-45 to top-ranked Borah of Boise in the first round Thursday.

The Vikings seemed to have put that behind them on Friday, jumping out to a 35-25 halftime lead, led by Roletto, who hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 first-half points, 11 of those coming in the first quarter. The 5-foot-9 Roletto finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds (8 offensive) and three steals.

But Highland (16-8) seemingly made everything it put up in the second half. Senior Cole Ashby scored 17 points in the third quarter, including the first 10 points of the quarter to tie it at 35.

He finished with 27 points, 22 in the second half. Highland, which shot 39 percent (9 of 23) from the field in the first half, shot 64.7 percent (11 of 17) in the second half. And the Rams, who shot only 3 of 11 from the free-throw line in the first half, made 17 of 20 in the second half, including 16 of 19 in the fourth quarter.

“The first four minutes (of the second half), we were very soft defensively,” Coeur d’Alene coach Kent Leiss said. “And they caught fire. All year, we’ve been a good defensive team, but we weren’t in the second half. Ashby got going in the second half; he just put on a clinic.”

Highland took the lead for good at 51-48 on a 3-pointer by the lefty-shooting Ashby with 7 minutes left.

“We just didn’t do much on offense (in the second half), and they were playing good ‘D,’” Roletto said. “We didn’t get as many shots, and they shot the ball really well.”

Deon Watson had 15 points and four assists for Coeur d’Alene, and Chad Chalich added nine points, 11 rebounds and three assists. The Vikings, who placed third at state last year, shot 37.5 percent (24 of 64) from the floor.

“I just thought we missed so many easy shots around the basket,” Leiss said. “I’d say we had to have missed at least 10, and this wasn’t just in the second half — as a team, we just missed way too many makeable shots throughout the game. Getting shots wasn’t the problem.”

One day after shooting 5 for 23 from 3-point range vs. Borah, Coeur d’Alene was 7 of 24 vs. Highland.

“We died by the 3 two days in a row,” Leiss said.

Highland 11 14 23 21 — 69

Coeur d’Alene 20 15 9 16 — 60

HIGHLAND — Harding 4, Tingey 0, Andreason 12, Birch 9, Manu 6, Gonzalez 0, Ashby 27, Wilkinson 8, Dance 0, Shreve 3. Totals 20-40 20-31 69.

COEUR d’ALENE — Tackett 0, Roletto 18, Chalich 9, Daniels 0, Loy 7, Moore 5, Higbie 2, Watson 15, Blakley 4. Totals 24-64 5-7 60.