STATE 2A BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Lakeside's first-round win hard to stomach

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

CALDWELL — Maybe it was the Lakeside Knights looking ahead. 

Or perhaps it was a bad batch of tacos. 

Possibly a combination of both. 

Whatever, the second-seeded Knights took command of the game with an 18-3 run in the first half, then answered every comeback try by seventh seed Rimrock in a 60-49 victory over the Raiders of Bruneau in the first round of the state 2A boys basketball tournament Thursday night at Vallivue High. 

“I think we should have played better, honestly,” said Lakeside junior post Jaydin Pluff, who finished with four points and two blocked shots.  

“I think we did overlook them,” said Knights junior guard Furyus Louie, who finished with six points and two steals.  

Lakeside (20-2) will play third seed Prairie (19-6) of Cottonwood in a semifinal game tonight at 6 PST at Vallivue. Prairie beat No. 6 Murtaugh 53-36. Lakeside has beaten Prairie twice this season.

Senior Tyson Charley finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots for Lakeside. Senior Hallah Peone hit three 3s and added 16 points and five assists. 

“That first quarter, we thought we had it already, so we kinda relaxed,” Lakeside coach James Twoteeth said.  

Twoteeth said some of the players, including Brown and Charley, were under the weather as well possibly from food poisoning — he said three or four of them were throwing up before the game, during the game, and at halftime. 

“They just don’t understand that when we run our offense, we can get anything we want,” Twoteeth said.  

Lakeside led 16-13 before going on an 18-3 run late in the half, as the Knights sped Rimrock up, forcing turnovers (24 for the game) or hurried 3s. 

“You never know; it happens out of nowhere, honestly,” Louie said of Lakeside’s runs. 

Lakeside freshman Teagan Brown had 16 points, three assists and a couple of blocked shots in his state debut. 

All good — except for one play. 

“He was good; he was poised,” Twoteeth said. “That one alley oop off the backboard — if I had another point guard, he would have been on the bench for the rest of the game.” 

After a turnover in the second half, with Lakeside leading comfortably and on a 2 on 0, Brown tossed the ball off the backboard and Charley, trailing, went up for the dunk, mishandled the ball and hung on the rim, earning a technical.  

Rimrock went on another run after that. 

“I was nervous,” Brown said. “It felt different, because normally when we get up 10, 15 points people just give up. Those guys didn’t give up at all.” 

Freshman Rigo Farfan had 16 points and six rebounds for Rimrock.  

Rimrock     13    6    14    16    —    49 

Lakeside     20    17    11    12    —    60 

RIMROCK — L. Aquiso 6, C. Aquiso 5, R. Farfan 16, Pearson 6, A. Farfan 8, Jewett 0, McNeley 0, Field 6, Coates 2. Totals 20-51 6-8 49. 

LAKESIDE — Peone 16, Sines 0, Louie 6, Brown 16, Charley 18, Ramirez 0, GreenSky 0, Samuels 0, Pluff 4. Totals 23-57 9-14 60. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Lakeside junior Furyus Louie (4) drives on Rimrock freshman Rigo Farfan (10) in a state 2A boys basketball first-round game Thursday night at Vallivue High in Caldwell.