Kendrick boys take charge late, get past Cascade

There is an old saying in basketball that “free throws win ball games.”

Kendrick coach Tim Silflow felt his team “proved that point” Thursday in a 55-51 come-from-behind win for the third-seeded Tigers against No. 6 seed Cascade in the first round of the Idaho Class 1A Division II boys basketball tournament at Caldwell High School.

Kendrick comes in clutch at the line

It was a Jagger Hewett free-throw conversion with two seconds remaining in regulation that served as the dagger, ending any chance for a Hail Mary to force overtime. That capped a stretch in which Hewett and Ty Koepp combined to make eight free throws in the closing minutes of the game to keep Kendrick (18-3) ahead.

The Tigers were 13-for-18 at the free-throw line, outshining a 3-for-7 effort by the Ramblers (16-8).

“We shot 72% (from the foul line) vs. their 43%, and that hands-down won the game,” Silflow said. “If you look at just straight field goals, they beat us by six points.”

Tigers turn tide after heart-to-heart

It was a slow start for the Tigers, who struggled from distance all game and finished 2-for-16 from 3-point range. The Ramblers were comparatively hot from outside early, hitting four 3-point goals in the first half, and led 12-7 at the first-quarter break and 29-24 at intermission.

“We had a pretty long heart-to-heart talk in the locker room about our defense — tightening it up,” Silflow said. “Our boys responded. They came out and defended the perimeter really well, and really slowed them down quite a bit.”

Hewett guarded Cascade star Tyler Thurston and slowed him from a 14-point output in the first half to only eight in the second. Freshman Nathan Tweit led the offensive side of a big third-quarter rally for Kendrick, ultimately hitting a pair of free throws to tie the score at 33, then capitalizing on a turnover and went coast-to-coast for a layup that secured his team’s first lead since early in the opening quarter at 35-33. Kendrick would finish the third up 40-35.

Trifecta of football crossovers at forefront

Tweit finished with a team-high 17 points, Hewett scored 13 and Koepp had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds. The three are used to working with one another and familiar with the big stage, all having been prominent members of Kendrick’s undefeated state champion football team in the fall, for which Koepp and Tweit were the starting and backup quarterbacks, respectively, and Hewett a standout receiver.

Kendrick fans are hoping the value of that experience translates between sports as the Tigers head into its semifinal-round showdown with the second-seeded and defending champion Rockland at 11 a.m. Pacific today at the same site.

“These guys are all battle-tested with the football championship they’ve won, and I think they’re anxious to get out there (today) and run with Rockland a little bit,” Silflow said.

CASCADE (16-8)

Cole Olson 3 1-2 7, Grant Whipple 2 0-0 5, Trever Sayers 1 0-0 2, Finn Wilkins 0 2-2 2, Hayden Hull 2 0-0 4, Tyler Thurston 10 0-0 22, Samuel Huckaby 4 0-1 9. Totals 22 3-7 51.

KENDRICK (18-3)

Lane Clemenhagen 2 0-0 4, Jagger Hewett 3 6-9 13, Nathan Tweit 7 3-4 17, Wyatt Cook 0 0-0 0, Hunter Taylor 4 0-1 9, Mason Kimberling 1 0-0 2, Ty Koepp 3 4-4 10. Totals 20 13-18 55.

Cascade 12 17 6 16—51

Kendrick 7 17 16 15—55

3-point goals — Thurston 2, Whipple, Huckaby, Hewett, Taylor.

For more photos from Thursday's Idaho boys basketball state tournament action, click here.

Wendt may be contacted at (208) 848-2268, or cwendt@lmtribune.com.