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The Carey Panthers braced themselves for a tough tussle with the Murtaugh Red Devils Thursday night in the all-important second-place game of the Northside Conference boys basketball tournament at Shoshone High School gym.

On Jan. 10, host Carey out-scored Murtaugh 70-43 in a league gamedoing most of its damage with a 24-7 fourth-quarter surge. But the Red Dev-ils have won seven of their last 10 and have averaged 60.5 ppg in that streak of games.

Murtaugh coach Clayton Nebekers squad has done much of its damage from be-hind the arc, including 25 3-pointers in its two consolation bracket wins over Castleford and Lighthouse, at Shoshone.

No. 2-seeded Carey (14-9) dropped into the consolation bracket of the eight-team Northside tournament with a 69-57 loss to top-seeded Dietrich Wednesday at Shoshones gym.

Leading Panther scorer Hayden Wayment (21 points including five 3-pointers), sen-ior Toby Whitworth (17) and senior Derrick Baird (12) led coach Dick Simpsons Carey team. It was a season-high total for Careys Whitworth.

With its 16th consecutive win, reigning State 1A Division 2 tournament champ Dietrich (22-1, averaging 69.3 ppg) won its fourth Northside tourna-ment title in five years.

Senior Garrett Astle (14 points) led four Blue Devils in double figures, and Dietrich outpointed Carey 17-7 at the free throw line for the game.

That result, combined with Murtaughs 57-49 win over No. 5 Lighthouse Christian (10-12) earlier Wednesday, sent No. 4-seeded Murtaugh (15-9) up against Carey Thursday. It was Murtaughs third game in three nights, and Careys second game in two evenings.

Carey was trying for the programs 21st state tourna-ment berth in the last 25 years.

Murtaughs last state visit was in 2011, when coach Adam Johnsons Red Devils lost 54-36 to Carey in the state semi-finalsand Carey (24-2) went on to capture its first state hoops title 47-46 over Nezperce.

At stake Thursday was the Northsides second berth in the 2017 State 1A Division 2 tour-ney March 2-4 at Caldwell.

The winner of Thursdays knockout game between Carey and Murtaugh will play Boise-area champion Council (13-5) Thursday, March 2 at 6:15 p.m. in a first-round game of the eight-team tournament at Caldwell High School gym.

The Lumberjacks from Council (22-4) fell in last Marchs state championship game 68-55 to Dietrich (22-4).

Council defeated Salmon River 55-47 Wednesday night at McCall for the 3rd District title. Salmon River (15-7) played Tri-Valley (10-11) Thursday for a state play-in berth on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Dietrich opens the state tournament next Thursday at 3 p.m. against District 2 cham-pion Kendrick (17-5), a team that went two-and-out at 2016 state.

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Panthers battle Red Devils for state hoops spot - Idaho Mountain Express and Guide