kang@journalnet.com

Taysom Hill thought for sure his 3-point shot was going to fall through the hoop.

To his disbelief, the ball ricocheted around the rim and popped out, and 10 seconds later, the senior was no longer a Highland Rams basketball player after a season-ending 57-54 loss to Skyline on Saturday in a 5A District 4, 5, 6 loser-out game.

"It's definitely hard to imagine that it's over," Hill said. "It feels like we've got practice on Monday."

Hill's oh-so-close jumper was the first of three potential game-tying shots that Highland missed in the dying seconds, leaving the Rams just short of completing what would have been a spirited second-half rally.

Hill and Skyline standout Robert Edwards each scored 25 points and turned the second half into a good old-fashioned duel, but Edwards got the final say with what turned out to be the winning basket.

The Grizzlies advanced to a state play-in game at Twin Falls on Tuesday, while the Rams, ready or not, now move on to their spring season.

"Life's a lot harder than this loss," Highland coach Chris Frost said. "But it's pretty hard for a 16-, 17-year-old to understand that that means a little bit more than what we went through. You can't win everything. We've been blessed at Highland. We've had a great run. A great run. And we came up just short."

"Just short" was an apt description. Edwards' layup with 1:12 remaining gave Skyline a 55-52 lead. The two teams then traded scores to leave the Rams down 57-54 with 12.5 seconds remaining.

Hill inbounded the ball and sprinted to the left baseline, where he got it back for a halfway-open look. His shot looked good all the way - until it bounced around the hoop and squeaked out.

He got his own rebound, but he hurried another trey from the top of the key that fell short. Highland senior Jared Erickson corraled the loose ball and launched another shot from the left wing, but he missed as well as the buzzer sounded.

For Hill, the hardest miss to swallow was the first.

"I had a good look at it," Hill said. "It was halfway down and popped out. It's a tough way to lose, but there's not much you can do about it."

The Grizzlies seemed equally convinced Hill's shot had sent the game to overtime.

"Truthfully, I almost cried," Edwards said. "It went in and came right back out."

With that, Skyline (11-12) had survived Highland's furious second-half charge. Highland (11-11) trailed 28-21 at the half but exploded for a 20-point third quarter to take a 41-39 lead heading into the final period.

With Hill and Edwards attacking each other on alternating trips down the floor, Hill scored 12 of his season-high 25 in the third quarter.

"You could tell Taysom just wanted to take over," Skyline coach Ty Shippen said. "He's just been, I guess for an opposing coach, a nightmare. He's definitely been fun to watch."

The fourth quarter belonged to Edwards, though. Highland committed several costly turnovers to begin the period, and Skyline capitalized thanks to 11 points from Edwards. The 6-foot-5 senior will suit up next season for Phillips Exeter Academy, a prep school in New Hampshire.

"It was just him being himself," Shippen said. "The thing about Rob is that he's got the ability to create his shot and do some good things inside."

In the end, that was too much for Highland. While the Grizzlies take their show to Twin Falls, the Rams must find a way to digest the fact that their season - and for their 10 seniors, their career - is over.

"It's not an easy thing to go through," Hill said. "We've been playing with these guys since we were freshmen. We've grown together. It's not an easy thing. I'm definitely going to remember every one of these guys in the locker room."

Skyline 57, Highland 54

Skyline 11 17 11 18 - 57

Highland 11 10 20 13 - 54

Skyline: Adrian Johnson 8, Connor Flaherty 3, Michael Berger 4, Braxton Facer 7, Jose Abreo 2, Zach Smith 3, JC Scrogum 5, Robert Edwards 25.

Highland: Joe Denney 2, Taysom Hill 25, Jared Erickson 7, Avery Manu 12, David Adams 6, Nathan Hartman 2.