STATE 1A DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP: 'It means more' ... Lakeside finishes it in overtime for second title in four years

By MARK NELKE

Sports writer

NAMPA — It wasn’t an upset — at least in the eyes of the winners.

It was an absolute beatdown — for a half anyway.

After Lakeside blitzed mighty Lapwai in the first half, the third-seeded Knights fended off a furious comeback from the two-time defending state champion Wildcats in the second half and overtime, and made the big plays and the free throws to finish off an 81-79 victory to win the state 1A Division I championship game Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center, ending Lapwai’s 62-game winning streak.

“Man, there’s not a better feeling,” said Lakeside’s Vander Brown, the team’s lone senior, who finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. “When you’re a leader, it starts with your will. Everybody needed to feel like we were going to win; it didn’t mean anything if I just wanted to win; I had to get everybody locked in and dialed in, so they could feel just as confident. It feels amazing; there’s not a better feeling.”

“I didn’t even sleep last night; it was crazy; last night, I couldn’t sleep at all,” said Lakeside coach James Twoteeth, who guided the Knights to a state 1A Division II title in 2020, and played on the Knights’ 1997 state A-4 champs. “This is the biggest one. Plummer and Lapwai, they go way back, to when we’d play in Indian tournaments. To win this game and to snap their streak, this is huge. This is huge to our community, people are texting me — ‘dude, this is bigger than our 2020 team. My son (Talon) texted me, ‘this is bigger than we won.’”

Junior Liam Hendrickx, a transfer from Gonzaga Prep, added 23 points for Lakeside (16-3), and freshman Tyson Charley had 15 points and six rebounds.

Kase Wynott, a junior who has offers from Idaho State, Montana, Montana State and Eastern Washington, finished with a hard-earned 40 for Lapwai (26-1), 27 in the second half and overtime.

Lakeside landed the first shot with a 7-0 run to start the game, and Lapwai never recovered.

The Knights repeatedly drove past the Wildcats, shot over the Wildcats, and knocked the ball away from the Wildcats at the defensive end, often leading to runout and easy baskets.

Lakeside led by a shocking 20 points (32-12) with 5 minutes left in the half, and took a 44-22 lead into the locker room, sending a buzz through the crowd.

Brown had 17, Hendrickx 13, Charley 9 at the break as Lakeside shot 68% (17 of 25) from the field.

Lapwai, which lives by the jump shot, died by the jump shot in the spacious arena. The Wildcats shot just 6 of 24 from the field in the first half, with Lakeside playing a box-and-one on Wynott with Charley.

“I think Lakeside came out and threw the first punch, and they connected,” Lakeside coach Zach Eastman said. “And our guys, they really want to see the ball falling, and when it doesn’t, it just feels a little bit off.”

The second half featured Lapwai’s comeback, as well as stars from both sides playing through foul trouble.

Terrell Ellenwood-Jones scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for Lapwai, hitting six 3-pointers, some from Damian Lillard range. He picked up his fourth foul with 4:43 left in the third quarter, but stayed in, fouling out with 10 seconds left in regulation.

Brown picked up his fourth foul, and made it until overtime before fouling out. Wynott got his fourth with some 5 minutes left in regulation.

Lapwai got it to within 52-48 after three quarters, and tied it at 54 on Wynott’s 3 with just over 5 minutes left.

But Lakeside answered with a 6-0 run.

“It was just being disciplined,” Brown said. “Every time they would make a run, whether it was coach calling a timeout, or us doing what needed to be done, we were able to capitalize. When they were scoring, it was important for us to get a bucket right back.”

With Lakeside up 3, Wynott was fouled shooting a 3 with 1.7 seconds left, and hit all three free throws to force overtime.

Lakeside held a slim lead through much of overtime, even after Charley and Qwincy Hall each fouled out.

Lakeside led by 3 when Wynott scored and was fouled by Brown with 15.8 seconds left. Wynott missed the free throw, but Lapwai rebounded and called timeout with 12.5 seconds left.

Lapwai inbounded to Wynott and he took off for the hoop, but he stumbled and lost control of the ball, and Lakeside’s Blaze Callahan grabbed it. He was fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws with 3.7 seconds left.

Lapwai, seeking its 13th state title, missed a half-court heave at the buzzer, and it was Lakeside’s time to celebrate its third.

“This one means a lot more, because nobody expected us to win,” said Brown, who played on Lakeside’s 2020 title team. “This one meant a little bit more to me, because my freshman year, everybody was expecting us to win. This year, nobody had us winning down here.”

Lakeside 23 21 8 16 13 — 81

Lapwai 12 10 26 20 11 — 79

LAKESIDE — Brown 29, SiJohn 9, Callahan 3, Rivera 2, Hall 0, Hendrickx 23, Spotted Horse 0, Charley 15. Totals 26-48 24-42 81.

LAPWAI — Ellenwood-Jones 20, Payne 3, Sherman 0, Bohnee 2, Yearout 6, Miles 8, Shawl 0, Wynott 40. Totals 22-63 22-26 79.