By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

SPOKANE — You see different things in all-star games.

Like a game of roshambo (rock/paper/scissors) on the Region girls bench, in the second half of the Jack Blair Memorial high school girls basketball game at Lewis and Clark High.

For most of the night, coaches subbed five players in at a time. But with the game winding down and six on the bench for the Region, Symons and teammate Mia Pierce of Upper Columbia were doing rock/paper/scissors to decide which player would go in first.

Turned out Pierce went in first, then Symons a few minutes later.

“I would say I won, but I wanted to finish it off,” said the Wyoming-bound Symons, who scored 17 points in the Region’s 103-66 victory. “I actually never win at roshambo either, so that was like my first win ever.”

In the Denny Humphrey Memorial boys game, Lake City seniors Blake Buchanan and Kolton Mitchell put on a show like they usually do, and Coeur d’Alene senior Alexander Nipp did the dirty work that coaches appreciate, but few notice in an all-star game, as their Region team beat the Metro 112-100.

“It was so much fun; to play with guys with that much talent level was a blast,” Nipp said. “It was a nice change of scenery to play with Blake and Kolton this time, instead of against them.”

The Metro teams consisted of Greater Spokane League players; the Region teams were made up of players from North Idaho and elsewhere in eastern Washington.

On Tuesday morning, organizers learned that, per Idaho High School Activities Association rules, Idaho underclassmen could not play in the game, since it was being held during the school year.

That kept juniors Teagan Colvin (Coeur d’Alene) and Avery Waddington (Lake City) out of the girls game, and Lapwai junior Kase Wynott out of the boys game.

BOYS

Region 112, Metro 100: The Virginia-bound Buchanan totaled 19 points on the usual assortment of dunks, and had several blocked shots and rebounds and was named the game’s MVP.

Mitchell added 10 points, most of them early as the Region jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead, then expanded it in the second half. Coincidence or not, the Region starting lineup included four members of Hooptown Elite — Buchanan and Mitchell, as well as Tennessee Rainwater (Davenport), who scored 18 points, and Boen Phelps (Freeman).

The other two members of that Hooptown Elite team in this game — Jamil Miller (Gonzaga Prep) and Maverick Sanders (Mt. Spokane) — played for the Metro.

“I was happy to get back and play with Tennessee; I play AAU with him,” Buchanan said. “And Boen Phelps, too. For us four to kinda get back at it; we’ve been playing together for a while … and then to go up against Mav and Jamil.

The Metro made it somewhat interesting late, until Mitchell capped it for the Regino with a pass off the backboard for Rainwater, who finished with 18 points, for a dunk.

“They went on a little run, so we decided to end the game off with something a little flashy,” Mitchell said. “It’s always nice to throw a little lob to someone.”

Nipp, who finished with five points for the Region, said he doesn’t plan to play basketball in college — and for good reason. He plans to take his 4.46 GPA to either Stanford or UCLA, and study business.

Miller led the Metro with 18 points.

Mt. Spokane junior Ryan Lafferty, who scored 16 points for the Metro, was named most inspirational.

Region 59 53 — 112

Metro 39 71 — 110

REGION — Kolton Mitchell (Lake City) 10, Avi West (Northwest Christian) 9, Josh Woodward (Richland) 9, Boen Phelps (Freeman) 5, Tennessee Rainwater (Davenport) 18, Jonah Gebers (Kennewick) 6, Eamon Monahan (Eastmont) 11, Gabe Schulhauser (Freeman) 8, Blake Buchanan (Lake City) 19, Alexander Nipp (Coeur d’Alene) 5, Peter Dress (Kamiakin), 4, Grant Olson (Hermiston) 6.

METRO — Eli Williams (North Central) 13, Ryan Lafferty (Mt. Spokane) 16, Liam Blanchat (Mead) 8, Xavier Santana (Clarkston) 6, Dylan Skaife (Ferris) 7, Henry Sandberg (Gonzaga Prep) 7, Dujuan Haney (Rogers) 7, Jamil Miller (Gonzaga Prep) 18, Grady Walker (West Valley) 8, Maverick Sanders (Mt. Spokane) 3, Shane Skidmore (University) 6, Luke Holecek (East Valley) 0.

GIRLS

Region 103, Metro 66: Brynn McGaughy, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Colfax, scored 21 points and was named the game’s MVP.

Sims, headed to Central Washington, added nine points.

“It was a lot of fun; I really enjoyed playing with everybody, especially Madi and I have been playing against each other for a while, so it was good to actually play with her.”

Marc Allert, the former Post Falls girls coach who coached in five Jack Blair games before the event was halted after the 2018 game, coached the Region girls on Tuesday night.

“It meant a lot,” said Allert, who retired following the 2021-22 season. “To be able to come back, and having Capri play, that was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come back; to be able to coach her one more time was special. These girls are awesome, the way they got a long, and bonded. It was like instant chemistry among all of them; in practice they had a great time. My job was to stay out of the way, and let them play.”

Central Valley senior Autumn Agnew led the Metro with 10 points.

Lewis and Clark senior Vy Tran was named most inspirational.

Region 49 54 — 103

Metro 31 35 — 66

REGION — Laiken Hill (East Valley-Yakima) 6, Mia Pierce (Upper Columbia) 9, Haylee Johnson (Kennewick) 7, Darian Herring (Deer Park) 6, Kylee Fox (Richland) 6, Capri Sims (Post Falls) 9, Madi Symons (Coeur d’Alene) 17, Brynn McGaughy (Colfax) 21, Maddy Rendall (Kamiakin) 3, Jaycee Goldsmith (Freeman) 6, Malia Rudd (Chiawana) 13.

METRO — Kendall Wallace (Clarkston) 4, Kyleigh Archer (Shadle Park) 3, Bryten Gumke (Mt. Spokane) 3, Vy Tran (Lewis and Clark) 3, Lucy Lynn (Gonzaga Prep) 15, Eden Sander (Central Valley) 6, Kaydin Renken (Ridgeline) 3, Autumn Agnew (Central Valley) 10, Eliannah Ramirez (University) 5, Teryn Gardner (Mead) 4, Hannah Hamilton (North Central) 2, Kayla Jones (Ferris) 0, Natalie Braun (Mead) 4.