CALDWELL — Jonny Hillman is no stranger to the Idaho Center, and the Genesis Prep Jaguars are no stranger to big games.

Both will realize a dream today, after Genesis Prep bludgeoned Carey 68-33 in the semifinals of the state 1A Division II basketball tournament Friday afternoon at Caldwell High.

Genesis Prep (20-4) will play defending champion Dietrich (24-1) in the championship game today at 8:30 a.m. PST at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

All three of Hillman’s older brothers — Zach, Matt and Michael — played in the Idaho Center with Post Falls High, with Zach and Michael playing on state title teams.

“As the youngest kid, going there every single year to watch my brothers play, It’s been a dream for me to get that opportunity,” said Jonny Hillman, a sophomore who finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists on Friday. “That’s what we’ve been working for, to have this opportunity.”

Carey (16-10) and Genesis Prep were tied at 20 midway through the second quarter, before the Jaguars put on a clinic of pressure man-to-man defense, running the floor and sharing the ball. The result was a 13-0 run to end the half. Genesis Prep scored the first six points of the third quarter to build its lead to 39-20, and the game was essentially over.

“I’m proud of our guys, man,” Genesis Prep coach Marsell Colbert said. “They’ve worked hard all year long. It’s family. I thought in the first quarter it was a mixture of nerves on our part, and some missed assignments defensively. And Carey came out and hit some shots. At the end of the first quarter we made one adjustment — we’ve got to treat every player like a shooter, we’ve got to contest every shot. They had to shoot with a hand in their face.”

Stephane Manzi, the 6-9 senior who affects shots and also runs the floor well, totaled 17 points and eight rebounds for Genesis Prep. Junior point guard Junior Williams hit 3 of 7 3-pointers and added 15 points. Jacob Schroeder hit 3 3-pointers off the bench for his nine points.

Houston Hennefer hit two of Carey’s four 3-pointers (in eight attempts) in the first quarter, and finished with 10 points.

But Genesis Prep pushed Carey’s 3-point attempts farther and farther from the basket, to the point where the distance would challenge NBA players. The Bulldogs were 0-5 from behind the arc in the second quarter and made just one 3 the rest of the way, finishing 5 for 20.

“They play really good team defense, they’re long and lanky, which makes them hard (to play against),” Carey coach Dick Simpson said.

Post Derrick Baird, charged with guarding Manzi, led Carey with 14 points. The Panthers were just 11 of 38 from the field.

Meanwhile, Genesis Prep hit 3 of 6 3s in the decisive second quarter, two by Schroeder, and finished 7 of 17 from 3-point range.

Dietrich has played in the Idaho Center before. Genesis Prep is in just its second season as a Idaho High School Activities Association-sanctioned program

“These guys can run with Dietrich. I don’t know whether Dietrich can shut a couple of those kids down,” Simpson said. “But on the same hand, if Dietrich’s hot, and these guys are a little off, it could be a real ballgame.”

“The bottom line is, we’ve been to Phoenix,” Colbert said, referring to a tournament where the Jaguars played four games against teams in Arizona’s top two classifications. “We’re good enough to where we can adjust; we’re not going to walk in and be in awe of the place.”

Genesis Prep 13 20 23 12 — 68

Carey 14 6 11 2 — 33

GENESIS PREP — Shelton 0, Birch 0, Reidt 6, Mwinuka 0, Williams 15, Schroeder 9, Hillman 14, Schultz 2, Manzi 17, Gonzales 5. Totals 26-52 9-17 68.

CAREY — Thomposn 2, Hennefer 10, D. Parke 0, Koudelka 0, P. Mecham 0, Baird 14, T. Mecham 0, Wayment 2, Whitworth 5, Castle 0, Harshbarger 0, B. Parke 0, Peck 0, Simpson 0, Brown 0. Totals 11-38 6-11 33.