Wolverines working on a path to State finals

With a 45-60 loss to the Homedale Trojans on Saturday, Feb. 17 the Weiser Wolverine boys’ basketball team dropped to the consolation bracket of the SRV Tournament and now has a lengthy path ahead of them to try to secure a place in the Idaho State Tournament. 

 The Trojans won the tip and quickly scored a deep 3-pointer. The Homedale crowd helped bolster the Trojans with every basket they made. Halfway into the first quarter Weiser was down 4 to 12. 

 Weiser soon reduced the lead to 6 points when Josh Mizar followed his shot into the key, getting his own rebound he passed it to an open Braden Phillips for 2 points. Phillips had already contributed to the previous buckets, first with an assist and then with a rebound putback. 

 It appeared that the Wolverines would close out the first down by 4 after Kolin Cook added 3 for Weiser with a basket and an and-one free throw. However, the Trojans had other plans and scored a 3-pointer with just 2 seconds on the clock. 

 At the end of the first quarter, the score was Weiser 9, Homedale 17.

 Homedale started the second quarter with two quick 3-pointers. Weiser’s first bucket came 2 minutes in when Jack Shirts hit Mizar cutting hard into the key for 2 points. 

 For the next 3 minutes both teams struggled to score. Homedale broke the cycle with a field goal with 2:40 remaining. Carter Jensen then scored for Weiser with a basket from the wing. Both teams added a few more points before the end of the half, but Homedale’s initial surge had increased the spread to 13 points by the end of the first half. It was Weiser 17, Homedale 30.

 Much like the second quarter, Homedale struck first with a couple of baskets before Weiser put up their first points of the second half. With 6:20 to go in the third, Shirts brought in a defensive rebound that he took coast to coast for a lay-in. 

 Weiser would go on to add another bucket from Shirts after he secured a loose ball for a lay-in. Kolin Cook then chased down a full-court baseline play with a ball passed in over Homedale’s defense for a lay-in. 

 The Wolverines were unable to slow Homedale, and the third quarter ended with Weiser 16 points behind, 28-44.

 Weiser outscored Homedale in the fourth, but the Trojans early lead was too much for the Wolverines to overcome. 

 With 3:54 to go in the contest, Weiser finally made their first 3-pointer of the night when Mizar connected with Finn Dolton in the corner. The Wolverines went on to make three more 3-pointers before the game ended. Cook and Shirts both added 3’s near the top off passes from Mizar. In the final 40 seconds of the game, Cook made a jab step at the top, stepped back, and sunk another 3-pointer. 

 The game ended with Weiser down 45 to 60.

 The loss sent Weiser on the tough track through a loser out situation and Homedale advanced to the SRV Championship game against McCall. Weiser faced Parma on Tuesday, Feb. 20, no score was available at the time of printing. 

 Cook led Weiser with 15 points, and close behind was Shirts with 13. Both Mizar and Phillips had 6, Dolton added 3, and Jensen 2 points.      

 Scores at the end of quarters:

Weiser Homedale

1st: 9 17

2nd: 17 30     

3rd: 28 44

4th: 45 60