POCATELLO – Nothing like a raucous, emotionally charged rivalry game to knock a team out of a slump.
It worked for Highland, which rode its early hot shooting to a 65-45 win over rival Pocatello in a full house at the Rams’ home gym Thursday. It ends Highland’s five-game losing streak.
“I believe in them and you know what, they played hard tonight. Every one of them helped us,” Highland coach Ty Pearson said. “We have a mindset of, ‘Hey, we’re going to get better and learn from it and go.’ It was fun to hit a few shots, too.”
Rams point guard Andrew VanSickle, who had a game-high 20 points, knocked down two 3-pointers to erase an early 3-1 deficit and Highland never relinquished the lead the rest of the game.
It was less than six minutes into the matchup before Highland’s lead grew to 10 points, 15-5, after Jayden Bell knocked down two free throws.
Guard Kaden Hales was the only Pocatello player with an offensive pulse, compiling 13 of his team’s 17 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer at the start of the first quarter that gave the Indians their only lead of the game. Hales finished with 20 of his team’s 45 points.
Highland, which had a season-high point total, relied on 3-pointers to develop its lead. The Rams had 10 field goals in the first half, half of which were from beyond the arc.
After Hales knocked down two free throws to cut Poky’s deficit to 21-12, the Rams went on an 8-0 run with six of the points coming on triples from Cedar Washakie and Jadon Whitworth.
Washakie was Highland’s second-leading scorer with 11 points and delivered daggers to end any hope that Pocatello had of a comeback.
The junior knocked down a corner-3 pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter to put Highland ahead 46-32, on a play set up by VanSickle, who dribbled through traffic before finding his teammate.
Less than three minutes into the fourth quarter, Washakie gave his team another three points to re-up the margin to 14 after knocking down a basket and free throw.
“He’s a great shooter, a big body,” VanSickle said. “He helps us rebound.”
For good measure, VanSickle made two 3-pointers in a minute span midway through the fourth quarter to put Highland ahead 60-39. He accounted for four of his team’s nine triples.
After having its worst start of the decade, Highland can use its second win of the season as a springboard into the rest of the season.
“We’re still a little rusty, but proud of the kids for handling the runs,” Pearson said. “I still didn’t like the way we rebounded tonight. Still turned it over a little bit too much and got to work on a fast break a little bit, something we haven’t done a ton of. But it was fun. I thought the kids competed.”
Pocatello has to regroup after its first two-game losing streak of the season following two consecutive crosstown rivalry games. Entering Thursday, the average margin of the Indians’ games was minus-.8 points, but their margin of defeat against Highland was a season-worst.
“They really outworked us and that got them going,” said Pocatello coach Joe Green, who added that it was his team’s worst performance of the season.
Up next
Pocatello (2-4, 1-2 4A District 4-5) returns to district play to host Mountain Home on Tuesday. Highland (2-5) hosts Skyview on Tuesday.
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