Lapwai Wildcats hoist boys basketball district trophy with win over Potlatch

Feb. 22—In two previous games this season, the Lapwai Wildcats were able to hold off a competitive Potlatch Loggers boys basketball team and earn wins of 12- and 13-point margins, respectively.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Lapwai downed Potlatch 65-53 Wednesday at Lewiston High School in an Idaho Class 1A Division I district championship game and punched its ticket to the state tournament in the process.

Similar to the last two times these teams played, it was a game of runs in which the Loggers threatened the Wildcats' lead multiple times, but Lapwai was able to keep them at bay long enough to earn the victory.

Here's how Wednesday's district championship game shaped out:

Adjustments keep Lapwai ahead

Both teams put a heavy emphasis on stopping two stalwart players the last three contests: the Wildcats' Kase Wynott and the Loggers' Jaxon Vowels.

Lapwai (22-2) opened the game in a man-to-man defense with Wynott guarding Vowels and Potlatch (18-5) employed a trap to try to double team and corner Wynott with Vowels picking him up at half court.

Both defenses had some effect. Vowels was held scoreless in the first half and Wynott was held to nine points in the same frame.

But the Wildcats were able to earn the early advantage by getting contributions from other players.

Quenten Kipp had all six of his points in the first quarter, Ahlius Yearout scored the first five Lapwai points and Vinny Kipp had four points in the second quarter.

Potlatch got its share of contributions from other players in the form of seven first-half points from Chase Lovell, four points from Tyson Chambers in the first half and five from Jack Clark and Everett Lovell, respectively, in the same frames.

But the Wildcats were able to get more from their guys in the first two quarters and, after a 5-5 knot up with 5:38 remaining in the first, they sprinted to a 37-24 halftime lead.

Both Vowels and Wynott were able to score more consistently in the second half (Vowels had all 10 in the latter quarters and Wynott had 20 of his game-high 29).

Lapwai switched from a man to a zone defense, which helped minimize Potlatch's outside shooting opportunities, and the Loggers had Everett Lovell pick up Wynott on defense, which created more steals and extra possessions, but didn't keep the Utah State commit from scoring.

One of those steals led to a fast-break layup from Everett Lovell with 2:17 left in the third that got Potlatch within nine, but the Loggers didn't get any closer for the rest of the game.

"When you play a team three times like we have, it's going to be a lot of defensive adjustments," Lapwai coach Zach Eastman said. "You might not see it in the crowd, but as coaches we see those small things and coaches make adjustments, and that just makes the game exciting for us ... to try new things and see what works and what doesn't."

Revenge tour continues

The focus of the Wildcats since last year's disappointing loss in the state championship to Lakeside has been clear: make it back to the 'ship, and win the whole thing.

Even among Wynott's since-completed chase for a bevy of all-time Idaho scoring records, players and coaches for Lapwai have always emphasized that the state championship is the goal.

Now that the district title is secured, the Wildcats will receive a first-round bye in the state tournament and the much-needed extra day of rest that comes with it.

"(Our motivation) is definitely revenge," Yearout said. "We want to get back and win that state championship. ... It feels good to want to get there and hopefully get another chance at the state championship."

Players of the game

Wynott had 13 rebounds and 10 assists in addition to his 29 points for the triple-double. Chase Lovell had a team-high 20 points for Potlatch on 7-for-17 shooting, including nine from three 3-pointers.

Up next

The Loggers will have one more chance to advance to the state tournament in a district second-place, winner-to-state, loser-out game against Kamiah at 6 p.m. Friday at Lewiston High School.

Lapwai will play in the Idaho class 1A Division I state tournament at Vallivue High School in Caldwell on Feb. 29-March 4. — opponent and time to be determined.

POTLATCH (18-5)

Tyson Chambers 2 0-0 4, Chase Lovell 7 3-3 20, Waylan Marshall 0 0-0 0, Jack Clark 2 0-0 5, Everett Lovell 6 1-2 14, Jaxon Vowels 2 6-6 10, Jameson Morris 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-11 53.

LAPWAI (22-2)

Julian Barros 1 0-0 3, Joseph Payne 2 0-0 6, Quenten Kipp 3 0-0 6, Vinny Kipp 3 0-0 7, Chris Bohnee 2 0-0 4, Ahlius Yearout 3 3-4 10, Kase Wynott 12 2-2 29. Totals 26 5-6 65.

Potlatch 18 19 13 15—65

Lapwai 12 12 15 14—53

3-point goals — Chase Lovell 3, Clark, Everett Lovell, Wynott 3, Payne 2, Barrows, V. Kipp, Yearout.

Kowatsch can be contacted at 208-848-2268, tkowatsch@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch.