The blue-shirted Pocatello Indians were too quick, too big and too deep for the Wood River Wolverines Wednesday in a lopsided Great Basin Conference boys' basketball game at the high school gym in Hailey.
Pressing effectively and grabbing two rebounds to each board by the Wolverines, Pocatello (1-2) outscored turnover-prone Wood River (1-2) by a 36-14 score in the middle quarters and posted a 61-29 victory.
Wood River made 19 turnovers in the first three quarters and fell behind by 30 points midway through the fourth, at which time the officials invoked the mercy rule (running clock) for the rest of the game.
Sweet-shooting 6-4 senior Jordan Steele (17 points, three 3-pointers) led eight Indians in scoring. The Indians out-rebounded Wood River 25-12 and were 19-for-25 at the line compared to Hailey's 7-for-13.
Wood River contributors included Matt Staskiewicz (7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists), Ross Parsons (6 points), Greg Wakefield (4 points, 2 boards), Brian Tidwell (4 points), Pat Patterson (3 points, 2 boards, 3 assists), Keven Abbott (3 points) and Erik Jacobson (2 points, 2 rebounds).
Next, the 4A Wolverines clash with two former 3A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference rivals. Wood River travels to Kimberly (1-1) today and hosts the Buhl Tribe (0-2) Saturday in Hailey. Kimberly lost 60-42 at Jerome Tuesday. Buhl fell at home 47-39 to Jerome and lost at Sugar-Salem 69-58.