COEUR d’ALENE — It’s understandable that Lake City High senior Nina Carlson was looking forward to taking the court in the 14th annual Statewide All-Star Basketball Games at North Idaho College.

Really, with all the hours she’s spent at Rolly Williams Court, why not shine for a couple more hours?

Carlson, the daughter of NIC women’s basketball coaches Chris and Carey Carlson, had 12 points and 12 rebounds on the way to MVP honors as the Region beat the Metro All-Stars 87-63 on Saturday.

“It’s an honor for sure,” said Nina Carlson, who has signed with Idaho. “I thought that Allison (Kirby) was going to get it, but it’s nice. I’ve been looking forward to this game for years and makes it really official that I’m going on to the next step.”

It was the second year the game pitted the Region (comprised mostly of District 1 players and those from District 5-6 in the Pocatello/Idaho Falls area) vs. the Metro (Boise area). The first 12 years, the game matched North Idaho seniors vs. the rest of the state.

Later, Centennial’s Delveion Jackson, a UC Davis commit, had 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Metro boys held off a late rally by the Region for a 100-90 win.

Coeur d’Alene High product and UMass-Lowell signee Joey Naccarato had 17 points and six rebounds for the Region.

Rocky Mountain’s Kolby Lee, who has signed with BYU, won the slam dunk contest in between games and the boys beat the girls 60-43 in a 3-point shooting competition. Ambrose’s Jaxon Hughes made 14 3-pointers in the finals against Lapwai’s Koyama Young.

GIRLS

Region 87, Metro 63: Carlson, who along with fellow Idaho-bound guard Allison Kirby of Timberlake, had 12 points each for the Region.

Carlson, Lawler and Kirby played on the North Idaho Elite travel basketball team together, which was coached by Carlson’s parents.

“It was a lot of fun and really one last go-round,” Carlson said. “We’ve got one more game to go (the Jack Blair Region vs. Metro all-star game in early June), but we’ve been practicing on this court for a long time. To finally get the chance to play on this court was really fun.”

Kirby also had six rebounds for the Region.

“It was really cool to get the chance to be a part of this game,” Kirby said. “Just to play with all these girls, they’re all great outside of basketball. Getting to be coached by (Timberlake coach) Matt (Miller) was great.”

Due to a conflict, Lillian Rhea of Lakeside and Jacquelyn Mallet of Timberlake, who were named alternates for the Region squad three weeks ago, played for the Metro squad after seven players from southern Idaho were unable to attend due to previously-made spring break travel plans.

“It was a little weird, but it was really fun,” said Mallet, who finished with seven points and four rebounds. “Going up against Allison, Keelie (Lawler) and my coach (Matt Miller, who was an assistant to Lapwai’s Eric Spencer for the game) was a little different, but guarding them was just like in practice.”

Mallet will continue her career at The Master’s, an NAIA program in California next year.

“It was really fun to get to play with a bunch of girls were in the same shoes that I was, coming from a small school like Lakeside, and have the same experience,” Rhea said. “They’re seniors like me and who’s going where next year. It just made the game more fun that way. It wasn’t super huge competition. The coach of my team (Carla Hansen of Butte County) was the coach of the first team we played at state, and they went on to win it.”

Rhea had 10 rebounds for the Metro team in what could be her final game.

“Everyone’s pushing me to play college basketball, but I don’t think I’m going to,” Rhea said. “I think I had a good career, and I’m ready to graduate and become an adult. I’m going to come to NIC and enter the carpentry program. I’ll probably play intramurals and that, but just not at the next level.”

Metro 11 14 12 26 — 63

Region 22 22 24 19 — 87

METRO — Ashlie Watts (Kimberly) 3, Lillian Rhea (Lakeside) 1, Jacquelyn Mallet (Timberlake) 7, Natalie Robison 7, Madi Jo Taylor (Emmett) 4, Kenzie Gunter (Marsh Valley) 10, Macy Hansen (Butte County) 2, Hannah Peterson (Malad) 12, Kate Renfro (Horseshoe Bend) 17. Totals 27-74 5-14 63.

REGION — Maddy Tucker (Salmon River) 3, Amanda Rudd (Sugar-Salem) 8, Jenna Abbott (Teton) 10, Iris Domebo (Lapwai) 2, Nina Carlson (Lake City) 12, Kayla Fagan (Coeur d’Alene) 7, Allison Kirby (Timberlake) 12, Kelsey Auer (St. Maries) 4, Koyama Young (Lapwai) 10, Leah Dougherty (Madison) 11, Keelie Lawler (Timberlake) 8. Totals 35-83 6-12 87.

BOYS

Metro 100, Region 90: It wasn’t for a lack of effort that the North Idaho-laden squad fell to the Boise-heavy team for the sixth straight year.

You can point to a sluggish start in the opening quarter.

After falling behind 59-37 at halftime, the Region raced back to get within five with four minutes remaining.

“Second half, there was so many good players out here and we turned a 22-point deficit into five points,” Naccarato said. “There’s so many athletes out here that are really good and it was fun to get to be on the court against them.”

Naccarato played on Idaho Thunder, a Boise-based AAU team that had Jackson and Sawyer Storms (Idaho Falls) on the roster as well.

“It was a lot of fun,” Naccarato said. “Since they were on the other team, it gave us a chance to talk a little trash to each other before and during the game. It was good to see them again, and get to play against them for a change.”

“It was just fun to play against him for a change,” Storms said. “It was fun getting a chance to go up against him.”

Jackson scored the last eight points for the Metro, while Naccarato scored the final six for the Region.

“It was really cool, especially with Joey because he’s super competitive,” Jackson said. “And so am I. Going down the stretch, we both enjoyed it and just the intensity of it.”

Ambrose guard Jaxon Hughes, who won the 3-point competition between games, scored a game-high 18 points for the Metro.

Metro 27 32 20 21 — 100

Region 10 27 25 28 — 90

METRO — Garrett Astle (Dietrich) 2, Bronson King (Bishop Kelly), 5, Cameron Howard (Mountain View) 15, Carson Lott (Skyline) 6, Delveion Jackson (Centennial) 14, Sawyer Storms (Idaho Falls) 4, Con Ball (Madison) 2, Jaxon Hughes (Ambrose) 18, Kolby Lee (Rocky Mountain) 12, Kobe Terashima (Rocky Mountain) 11, Reece Robinett (Middleton) 11. Totals 38-75 11-19 100.

REGION — Kenny Louie-McGee (Lake City) 6, Kobi Gardea (Pocatello) 4, Jaden Brown (Pocatello) 8, Cameron McKeown (Post Falls) 3, Jim Elkin (Buhl) 7, Trystan Bradley (Lewiston) 16, Joey Naccarato (Coeur d’Alene) 17, Jarod Greene (Blackfoot) 10, Ivory Miles-Williams (Lapwai) 11, Tobias Colburn (Kellogg 4), Stephane Manzi (Genesis Prep) 4. Totals 32-79 15-23 90.