STATE 6A BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP: Lake City stuns Owyhee

By MARK NELKE

Sports writer

NAMPA — Just like last year, the crowd started filing out early from the Ford Idaho Center, during the state 6A high school boys basketball championship game between Lake City and Owyhee on Saturday night.

Well, except for the Lake City fans on this night.

After all, they had reason to stick around and celebrate.

One year after losing by 31 points in the title game, the third-seeded Timberwolves pulled a stunner in the rematch, leading most of the way in a 55-47 victory over the top-seeded Storm of Meridian.

“Right when we went into halftime, I knew my team, we weren’t going to let up,” said Lake City senior Josh Watson, who finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals in his second dominant performance in as many nights. “If we’re in the lead, we’re going to make sure we continue to have that lead, and make sure that we win this game for sure.”

“It was really tough last year,” added junior Jordan Carlson, who chipped in 13 points, many of them coming when Lake City needed them most. “I was really proud of all the guys; we battled through a lot of adversity and came back. We showed who we are, and showed that our work paid off.”

Lake City (19-8) won its second state title in four years (and in program history), and was playing in the championship game for the fourth time in six years.

Owyhee, which opened in 2021, was going for a three-peat, as well as its fourth state title in its five years.

“Owyhee is an incredible program,” third-year Lake City coach James Anderson said. “I think we are who we are because of them; they’ve set the bar so high that we’ve been chasing. A lot of credit goes to them for creating this need to find next levels and next ways of doing things.

“We had a tough run last year in this game, obviously,” Anderson added. “I thought this team was built a little bit different — very defensive-minded. I thought we could definitely keep the game closer. I think they were definitely the favorite, but I knew if we could dig in defensively, hopefully get them frustrated, get them tight, we’d definitely have a chance. And these guys did more than that; not only did they just keep the game close, they were the best team on the floor from start to finish, it felt like. They played really good basketball.”

The T-Wolves shot 55.3% from the field (21 of 38), including 4 of 6 from deep.

Lake City didn’t let the Storm get anything easy in the first half, and Owyhee was 6 of 25 from the field in the first half, including 2 of 17 from 3-point range.

And Lake City, especially senior Jackson Bowman at key times, seemingly got to most of the loose balls.

“We were scrambling, and just balls to the wall,” said Bowman, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds, one night after needing four stitches to close a gash above his left eye, suffered in the semifinals. “We were just going at them. We’re a defensive team, and we hustle, and we work for each other.”

“It just speaks to the work we put in during the offseason,” said Lake City junior Jackson Anderson, who finished with 11 points. “Doing a lot of strength training, a lot of speed work, just so we could match their physicality, and honestly out-do them in that facet of the game. Our jump-switch defense really bogged them down; we made them struggle.”

For the game, the Storm hit 18 of 50 from the floor, including 7 of 29 from deep.

“We got really stagnant,” fifth-year Owyhee coach Andy Harrington said of the first half. “We were trying to drive things, and they did a really good job of scrambling, and I think we were a little sped up with our reads. Credit to them;  they’ve really, really improved as a defensive team over the course of this season. I’ve got nothing but respect for what they did. That was a really high-level defensive team at the end of the year.”

Owyhee led 12-9 with just over 3 minutes left in the first quarter, but scored just three points the rest of the half.

Watson scored eight points in the second quarter as Lake City closed the half on a 12-0 run to take a surprising 29-15 lead at intermission.

Jackson Anderson backed his man down in the post for a basket to start the second half and boost the T-Wolf lead to 16.

Owyhee pulled within 36-30 late in the third quarter on a 3 by Utah Valley signee Logan Haustveit, who finished with 19 points. 

But Bowman took the inbound pass and rushed the length of the floor for a layup at the buzzer.

Owyhee opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back 3s from Owen Brown and Haustveit, two of the Storm’s four left-handers. 

But, after Bowman — naturally — corralled a missed Lake City shot, Carlson finished off a spin move with a basket.

Carlson then stole the ball in the backcourt and took it home for a dunk, then drilled a 3 and suddenly Lake City was back up by 9.

“I wanted to let the game come to me,” Carlson said. “But when they needed me, I did what I needed to do to step up.”

“Jordan’s their best player, and he put them on his back for that run,” Harrington said.

Lake City led by at least seven points the rest of the way.

Senior Ian Williams had four rebounds and filled in capably at point guard for senior Paxton Winey, who suffered a sprained ankle during the District 1 championship series against Post Falls, and was only able to play sparingly at state.

“It just speaks volumes to the depth of the team,” James Anderson said. “To lose your starting point guard and know you’re going to be able to plug in guys, and get similar effort ... Ian put in a lot of work, and he was ready; he stepped up in the moment, and credit to him. No way we’re here without Pax, captaining this team in the offseason, driving the offseason workouts, being the primary point guard for most of the year, to put us in this position. We were super blessed from Day 1 in this class to have two good point guards.”

“When Pax went down, you just want to fight for your brother,” Williams said. “You always have to be ready for the moment. With this group of guys, it was easy to step in and be a family and get the job done.”

Lake City     14    15    9    17    —    55

Owyhee         12    3    15    17    —    47

LAKE CITY — Williams 0, Oxenrider 0, Winey 0, Plummer 4, Carlson 13, Watson 18, Bowman 8, Hill 0, Anderson 11, Pearson 1, Irgens 0. Totals 21-38 9-18 55,

OWYHEE — T. Read 0, Brown 6, Leaf 0, Judd 3, Haustveit 19, Allen 5, Vinberg 2, Magness 12, Larson 0, Rogers 0. Totals 18-50 7-29 47.

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Lake City junior Jordan Carlson dunks as part of a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter against Owyhee of Meridian in the state 6A boys basketball championship game Saturday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
  

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Lake City senior Josh Watson puts the state 6A championship trophy into the air after the Timberwolves' beat Owyhee 55-47 in the title game on Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.