This blog will update from the Great Basin Conference semifinal game between Jerome and Twin Falls. The winner clinches a berth in the Class 4A state tournament and will host the Great Basin Conference championship game on Thursday. For the latest updates, refresh your browser.
Twin Falls scores the final 18 points of the game, including one at the horn, but it’s far too little, too late. Jerome will host the Great Basin Conference championship game Thursday, and more importantly, the Tigers qualify for the state tournament in two weeks’ time in Meridian. Twin Falls will play Tuesday for a state berth against Minico or Wood River. Thanks for checking in, see you next time.
FINAL: JEROME 53, TWIN FALLS 42
0:16 Q4 – Aimee Hiebert with a 1-and-1 effort, but she misses the front end. Twin Falls will get the last shot.
0:32 Q4 – Jund with a 3-pointer to make the game a 13-point affair. Jerome in no hurry of course, with less than a minute to go.
1:05 Q4 – Jund hits a little runner to carve the gap to 16. Jerome throws it out of bounds on the other end.
1:37 Q4 – Another long 3 from Grubbs-Imhoff makes it 53-35.
1:52 Q4 – Jerome entering a stall to try and work the remaining time off the clock.
2:15 Q4 – It’s 53-32 now, with another free throw from Twin Falls. Both teams subbing liberally.
4:10 Q4 – I stand corrected. Thibault comes back in for Maddison Blevins. Josie Jordan gets fouled in the act of shooting and gets 1 of 2 to go. 53-31.
4:28 Q4 – Williams hits a shot and is fouled. She misses the free throw, but Twin Falls is up to 30.
4:48 Q4 – Grubbs-Imhoff drops another 3-pointer and then steals the ball and gets fouled on the layup (Burnham’s fourth). She misses the first free throw and makes the second and it’s now 53-28. This horse left the stable three quarters ago, of course.
6:04 Q4 – A long sequence of passing draws applause from the fans as Jerome looks to salt some time away. Callen and Thibault exit, presumably for the final time.
7:33 Q4 – Callen hits a baseline 15-footer to push the lead back to 29. An errant shot from Twin Falls gives Jerome the chance to crack the 30-point mark. No running clock in districts or state, however.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: JEROME 51, TWIN FALLS 24: Mallory Jund steals the ball while Jerome’s bench is trying to give instructions for the final shot. Jund’s layup ends up being the last shot and Jerome will start the final period with the ball and a 27-point lead.
0:52 Q3 – Callen turns provider in the low block, finding Garey for a long 2. Twin Falls again throws it out of bounds. Bruins losing their composure a little bit. Jerome up 51-22.
1:14 Q3 – Callen stuffs Josie Jordan’s scoop attempt, then throws it out of bounds off of her. Heady play from the Seattle Pacific-bound senior. Timeout Twin Falls.
1:27 Q3 – Smith with a power move to the basket to push the lead back to 27.
2:01 Q3 – Smith shoves Clark’s shot right back in her face. Twin Falls keeps the ball out of bounds, but Bartlett airballs a 3-point attempt and Jerome takes over.
2:49 Q3 – Garey stuffs Williams in the low block. Still 47-20. Until Nielsen drops a long 2, that is.
4:04 Q3 – Brylee Bartlett steps on the sideline with the ball, then Burnham cans a 3-pointer off Thibault’s assist. Twin Falls throws it away on the other end. Thibault gets fouled going to the basket and hits both shots. Jerome’s rolling, now up 47-20.
4:31 Q3 – Taylor Williams is fouled in the act of shooting and hits both foul shots to cut the deficit back to 20. Not for long, though, as Callen goes to the rack and gets fouled. She hits both free throws (she doesn’t miss many) and it’s 42-20.
5:16 Q3 – It’s so end to end you’d think it was a hockey game. Both teams trade misses then Smith strips Kelsey of the ball and Burnham goes to the other end. She blows the layup but Carrie Thibault is there for the board. She’s fouled in the act of shooting and hits both to push the lead back to 20. Smith hits a short jumper on a Thibault assist and the lead is now 40-18.
6:36 Q3 – Callen goes coast to coast for a layup with a nifty stepthrough. Erin Grubbs-Imhoff drains an NBA 3 on the other end and it’s 36-18.
7:15 Q3 – Baylie Smith stuffs Alexin Clark and Callen then forces a jump ball. Garey drains another bucket and she’s now got 13. 34-15 Jerome.
THIRD QUARTER: Both teams are back out to start the third period. Twin Falls takes the ball, attacking the south end of the gym. Just in case anyone was unclear.
HALFTIME STATS: Aubree Callen leads all scorers with 13 points for Jerome on 4-for-7 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 on the line, while Tinley Garey is right behind her with 11. Jazlyn Nielsen has eight to pace Twin Falls. Callen also has eight rebounds and five steals (she’s on pace for a triple-double), while Nielson has four boards for the Bruins.
They just auctioned off a John Stockton/Karl Malone-era Utah Jazz autographed basketball for a little under $500. Considering they’re both sure to be in the Hall of Fame one day, that’s a bit of a steal.
For all the talk coming from Twin Falls, it was all Jerome, especially in the first quarter. On the opening tip the teams got confused which basket they were going toward, and Jazlyn Nielsen was all alone under the Twin Falls basket to give the Bruins an early lead. Jerome tied it at 2 and then the fire alarm goes off. Everyone (well, mostly everyone because it was a short alarm) left the building and when we all got back in Jerome exploded on a 15-4 run to make it 17-6 and the lead has been 12-18 from that point on. Twin Falls chirped a lot about how much it wanted Jerome in this game, but the Tigers chose to do their talking on the floor.
HALFTIME: JEROME 32, TWIN FALLS 15
1:55 Q2 – Haylee Burnham surges to the basket and dishes to Tinley Garey, who extends Jerome’s lead to 17.
2:23 Q2 – Malllory Jund drains a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 13. At the other end Allie Kelsey gets in Callen’s way and they both go crashing to the ground. Kelsey, who got the worst of it, picks up the foul. Callen hits both ends of the 1-and-1 and it’s 30-15 Jerome.
3:08 Q2 – Aubree Callen with a pair of free throws to push the lead to 28-9. Jazlyn Nielsen counters with a 3-point jumper at the other end.
3:23 Q2 – Sorry folks, but we had a slew of technical difficulties, and a fire alarm that prompted an exit that prevented me from working on it in the interim. In any event, we’re back on Magic Valley Overtime rather than the conventional mode, which will be back next time I’m sure. Sorry for all the confusion.
In any case, we join the game with Jerome sporting a 26-9 lead.
