Lutheran pulls away from Silver Creek to claim 5A boys basketball title

DENVER – Wide eyed with his arms swung behind his back and knees flexed, Kade Speckman prepared to take off from the baseline.

With an array of powerful slam dunks, the Indiana State bound Lutheran forward led the Lions to a 64-30 win over Silver Creek in the Class 5A boys basketball state championship game on Saturday night at Denver Coliseum.

Speckam poured in 13 points, shot 5-of-5 on field goal attempts and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Kaden Tisdall led the Lions with 16 points and Evan Makkai added 15 points for No. 10 Lutheran (20-8) which claimed its fifth state title and first since 2021.

Luke Schmeeckle led No. 13 Silver Creek (23-6) with 12 points in the final game of coach Bob Banning’s career.

As Makkai looks for an opening to push the Lions’ offense in transition, he always knows from where his 6-foot-9 forward is prepped for launch.

“I’m looking for Kade because I know he is going to be there,” Makkai said. “Usually I look at the defender in front of me. If he guards me then I am throwing it up to him. I know as long as I throw it in range, he’s going to catch it and dunk it.”

From just outside the dark blue paint of the 3-second lane, Speckman rises up. The green and yellow seats from another era dot the background behind him as he secures the ball with two hands.

Two points are a mere formality at this point – even without a contact in his left eye that limited his vision in the first half.

“We practice that moment daily,” Speckman said. “When I see my guard load up and throw the ball up I get excited. Evan always makes eye contact with me and I just go and grab it. I know that play is always going to bring the house down.

“I just say throw it in the air and I am going to go and get it.”

Over the final 5:37 of the second quarter, Lutheran used an 18-2 run to take control of the game. Evan Knapp canned a 3 to give Lutheran a 10-9 lead off an Makkai assist to get the Lions’ blitz underway.

Silver Creek was forced to call timeout after Lutheran took a 16-9 lead when Speckman caught a pass from Makkai on the baseline and pounded down a right-handed reverse jam with 3:13 left in the second quarter.

The barrage didn’t stop there though, as the Lions guard continually attacked the Raptors’ defense and got to the rim.

A Kaden Tisdall finger roll was followed by Makkai taking the bump from a defender and flipping in a layup for a 22-9 lead. A Grayson Schwirtz jumper finally stopped the Lions’ surge.

But, Makkai again blew past the Silver Creek defense for an open layup as the Lions took a commanding 26-11 lead into the locker room.

“Our mission is always to get downhill,” said Chaparral grad and Wyoming alum Josh Adams who took over the Lions program 10 games into the season. “We reasserted our dominance in the pain even if Silver Creek didn’t make it easy.”

A pedestrian first quarter ended with Lutheran holding a 7-6 lead. Whether it was the defensive intensity, championship-game jitters or spacious confines of the arena, the lone highlight came in the first minute when Speckman stepped out and feathered in a three to open the scoring for the Lions.

Silver Creek opened the second half in a 2-2-1 press which opened up the floor for Lutheran. In a two-on-one fast break, Makkai’s underhanded alley-oop pass to Speckman was slammed home for a 27-15 lead.

“If the defenders stays home and guards me I pop out and let my teammate go get a layup,” Speckman said. “If he takes one step forward I know it’s my time.”

Speckman canned a three from the top of the key as the Lions poured it on when they took a 36-16 lead.