Idaho boys basketball: Red-hot Trojans topple T-Wolves

There’s not much that Mike McLean’s Post Falls boys basketball program hasn’t accomplished in less than a decade.

The Trojans have captured a state championship and finished runner-up.

Some years Post Falls has won an Inland Empire League title and others a 5A Region I title. Never both in the same year.

That changed Tuesday when No. 1-ranked Post Falls, using hot shooting and a deep bench, romped past the visiting Lake City Timberwolves 69-56 in the regional final.

Post Falls (22-1), winners of 13 in a row, advance to state for the seventh consecutive year under McLean, in his eighth season.

State begins a week from Thursday at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

For as trying a season as Lake City has had at times, the Timberwolves (12-11) can keep their hopes of a state berth alive when they play host to Coeur d’Alene (14-8) in a loser-out game Thursday. CdA handled visiting Lewiston in an elimination game 65-49.

Post Falls 69, Lake City 56: The Trojans shot 50 percent from 3-point range, making 10 of 20 attempts.

Doing most of that damage was junior sharp-shooting guard Max McCullough, who finished with a game-high 21 points. He made 5 of 8 from behind the 3-point line.

And when the T-Wolves were chasing other players and sagging off senior post Jake Blakney, who drove unabated to the basket from the high post. He finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

“I challenged the guys before the game that we’ve never had a Post Falls team do this,” McLean said of the league and regional titles in the same year. “I told the guys ‘here’s a legacy you guys can do. Let’s just finish it tonight’.”

The T-Wolves did their best to stay within the same area code after Post Falls crushed LC 63-32 three weeks ago. Blakney made two free throws with 4 seconds to go before half to give the Trojans a 33-24 lead.

Things got away from LC in the third quarter, though. Part of that is because the Trojans made 4 of 5 treys.

“I have nothing but the highest praise for Mike (McLean) and his team,” LC coach Jim Winger said. “I’m not just trying to be a gracious loser. That is a well-oiled machine. We tried everything but what do you do? I told the kids it was like running into a truck, and the truck’s going to win. We tried to take the dribble drive away by extra help. We took that away and they skipped it over. Every kid made their 3s. And then Blakney was the key. They shot the lights out but Blakney was possessed. We had no answer for him.”

Coeur d’Alene 65, Lewiston 49: Tony Naccarato led the Vikings with 22 points and Colby Daniels had 16 and six rebounds. Braedon Wilson led Lewiston with 16 points.

District 1A Division II

Jordan Nilson tallied 29 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Hunter Kolar added 22 points as host Lakeside thumped Mullan 85-57 in a loser-out game to advance to the district championship game.

The Knights will host Kootenai on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Plummer with the winner advancing to the State 1A tournament.

TJ Placencio led the Tigers with 24 points.

Kootenai 54, Clark Fork 30: In the other semifinal, Morgan Willms scored a game-high 17 points and the Warriors breezed to a loser-out win over the Wampus Cats in Harrison.

Brandon Bowen and Geoffry Boudousquie scored nine points apiece for the Wampus Cats.

2A District I-II

The St. Maries Lumberjacks edged Orofino 51-50 in Deary to advance to the State 2A tournament. Orofino will play Grangeville at Deary tonight in a loser-out game.