BOISE - West Side won a tight opening-round game in the 2A state tournament, beating Melba 46-43 on Thursday at Capital High in Boise.

"It was a close game all the way," said West Side coach Tyler Brown. "The third quarter was key for us."

West Side trailed 27-22 at the half and managed to pull ahead during the third quarter, but the game still remained close. With just 50 second left in the game, the Pirates were clinging to a one-point lead when senior guard Josh Roberts hit two free throws to stake his team to a three-point lead.

"It gave us the cushion we needed," Brown said. "We held on from there."

Roberts, one of West Side's leading scorers, had a tough night from the field, missing all nine of his shots. But he didn't let that affect his shooting from the line, where he went 10-for-14.

Post Drew Povey led all West Side players with 15 points in the game.

With the victory, the Pirates get to play 2A Fifth District rival Aberdeen at 6:15 p.m. today at Capital High. West Side defeated Aberdeen for the district championship. The teams will be meet for the fourth time this season, and West Side has a slight advantage. Its two wins came by a total of three points.

"We have to be ready for them," Brown said. "We have to control the tempo and handle the press. We have to slow the game down and keep the scoring in the 40s."