Trojans go home winners

CALDWELL, Idaho – What’s the best antidote to a Bee sting?

For the the offensively potent Post Falls High boys basketball team Saturday morning, it was a switch defensively.

Jordan Keck made four straight 3-pointers over Post Falls’ zone defense to give the Bonneville Bees a quick 15-7 lead. But they would make just one more 3-pointer when it mattered thereafter, as the Trojans rode the momentum of their defense and the record-breaking shooting of Scott Stockwell to a 61-48 win in the State 4A tournament fourth-place game at Albertson College.

Zach Dienes and K.C. Billetz traded turns guarding Keck, who went 0 for 4 for the rest of the first half from 3-point range and 2 of 7 in the final two quarters. The other Bees combined to make just 4 of 24 from behind the arc.

Keck’s final two 3s – and points for that matter as he finished with a team-high 18 – came late in the fourth quarter after the Trojans had built an 18-point lead earlier in the period.

“Zach Dienes has just been a bearcat for us all year,” said Post Falls coach Dave Stockwell, who promoted the junior guard to varsity just before Christmas because the Trojans needed his defensive presence. “He shut (Keck) down. They’re tremendous shooters and we just couldn’t leave them open.”

The defensive switch affected the Bees immediately. Bonneville missed its final seven shots of the first quarter, and the Trojans took advantage by pulling within 15-13 going into the second period.

Scott Stockwell led the offensive outbreak in the second quarter, scoring 22 points by halftime including four consecutive 3-pointers. He finished with 36, breaking the state tourney record of 35 set in 2002 by Jake Burtenshaw of Bonneville. The division came into existence in 2000.

Stockwell also broke the record for most points in the tourney with 79, eclipsing the mark of 75 set by Darnell Williams of Moscow in 2001. Additionally, Stockwell tied the mark of most field goals in a game (11) shared by Williams, Burtenshaw and three others.

After leading 32-29 at halftime, the Trojans used an 18-2 surge in the third period to build a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. A putback by Billetz capped the run as Post Falls went into the fourth quarter ahead 52-36.

Stockwell made 11 of 23 shots from the field (4 of 9 3-point attempts) and 10 of 12 free throws. He also had 13 rebounds and five assists (23 for the tourney). No state records are kept for assists.

“I told him a couple of weeks ago when we played Sandpoint that great players step up in big games, and he has just decided to do that,” said proud father and coach Dave Stockwell, alluding to the career-high 45 points his son scored in a 71-63 loss to Sandpoint in the Region I title game. “He only forced a couple of shots I thought. But once he got on a little roll there, why not let him shoot?”

The trophy, Post Falls’ first in three trips to state under Stockwell, was particularly satisfying after a heart-wrenching, controversial 63-62 loss to Century in a state opener.

Stockwell knew his team could physically rebound from the defeat. The question was what toll would it take on the Trojans emotionally. In the end, they overcame that hurdle.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them that down before,” the coach said. “We should be state champs as far as we’re concerned. We won three. They just didn’t give us all (three) wins.”

Billetz agreed.

“We’re the first team to go 3-0 and get fourth place,” said Billetz, who had 10 points to go with 10 rebounds. “Obviously, this means a lot. Last year we went 0-2 (at state) and got hammered twice. We worked hard all year lifting (weights) and practicing hard. It paid off.”

Scott Stockwell was still holding the trophy as Trojans parents and supporters gathered near the locker room. A four-year letterman and three-year starter, the trophy has significant meaning to him because he played for his father. Seconds after the game ended, he was jumping up and down and pulling his dad’s short-cropped hair in celebration.

“Getting a trophy and bringing it home to our school is an incredible feeling,” he said. “It all came from the heart.”

Scott Stockwell praised Dienes’ defense.

“He did a helluva job on (Keck). He can flat out shoot it and he had deep range,” he said. “It’s tough to guard people like that. But Dienes shut him down and the team defense was awesome.”

Dienes said all he did was what he was asked to do since moving up to varsity.

“(Coach Stockwell) didn’t really expect much from me on offense. I was just there to stop players,” Dienes said.

“He’s like K.C.’s clone,” Dave Stockwell said of Dienes. “We got some good offense out of him too, but what he brought to the floor defensively when we brought him up helped everybody else out. It changed us defensively. He and K.C. are non-stop hustle.”

In the title game, Skyview (23-3) defeated Bishop Kelly (19-7) 79-65.

5A boys

Capital 60, Lewiston 47: In Caldwell, Kyle Efaw finished with a team-high 14 points and 15 rebounds to lead Capital(20-7) over Lewiston in the 5A consolation game at Vallivue High School.

Capital led 22-17 after the Bengals (13-10) shot 7 for 25 from the floor in the first half. The Eagles salted away the game at the line, hitting 12 of 19 free throws in the second half while Lewiston went 4 for 6. Bo Gregg scored 18 points for the Bengals, and Jeff Decker added 10 points.

In the title game, Borah (22-4) topped Highland (18-10) 64-53.