CALDWELL — Just two weeks ago, the Dietrich boys basketball team was on the verge of elimination in the Sawtooth district tournament.

Then, after a late postseason surge that included beating defending state champion, Lighthouse Christian, to advance to state, the Blue Devils stood toe-for-toe with top-ranked and undefeated Lakeside in Friday’s Class 1A Division II state semifinal game.

But Lakeside carried the second half and came away with a 76-59 win to advance to the state championship.

Dietrich came out strong in the first half and held the Knights, who average 78 points per game, to just 28 in the first half. Lakeside led 28-25 at halftime.

But the Knights adjusted in the second half. They hit 21-of-35 shots and extended their lead to double digits in the third quarter.

“Number one (Lakeside’s Vander Brown) was able to get into the key and loosen things up,” Dietrich coach Wayne Dill said. “They went through a streak in the second half where it didn’t matter if they were shooting threes or jumpers — the ball went in the hole.”

All 11 of Lakeside’s baskets in the third quarter were two-pointers. Talon Twoteeth — who scored a team-high 24 points — had eight points in the quarter.

Of Dietrich’s 59 points, 44 came from Brady Power (26) and Jett Shaw (18). Shaw hit five three-pointers, and Power added seven rebounds.

But Dill said more balance was needed despite the two players’ strong games, and that was one reason why the Blue Devils struggled to keep pace as the game progressed.

“That’s just not going to win you basketball games,” Dill said. “We needed to get more people involved. There were opportunities, but we did not take advantage of the opportunities we had.”

Still, the coach said he was proud of how his team congealed late in the season. Shaw and Raygn Robertson missed time throughout the year, and when the full team was finally together, there were both good and bad nights.

But the pieces came together at the right time as the team survived the district tournament, beat Mackay 78-71 in overtime on Thursday night, and pushed Lakeside on Friday, one of the state’s top teams.

Dietrich will now play in the third-place game against North Gem at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at Caldwell High School, while Lakeside will play Cascade for the state title at 9:30 a.m. at the Ford Idaho Center.

Scoring

Dietrich: Brady Power 26, Rhys Dill 3, Raygn Robertson 5, Kyler Robertson 7, Jett Shaw 18.

Lakeside: Vander Brown 10, Day Day Higgins 15, Emmitt White 6, Jayson Hall 6, Talon Twoteeth 24, Kenyon Spotted Horse 15.