Senior guard Willie Wilson scored 20 points, and senior forward Jacob Butler scored 15 for the Polars (26-6), who are seeking their first state title since 2017.

Senior forward 6-7 Gani Stevens added 14 points and 10 rebounds. He tied the score with an offensive rebound and layup early in the second half and had another offensive rebound and layup later in the half that was key to a 7-0 run. He led an offense that shot 65 percent from the field.

“Gani was a beast tonight,” North coach Larry McKenzie said.

Stevens said the Polars were surprised with Jaskowiak’s strong first-half performance. The 6-4 senior, who will play football at Idaho next year, was 6-for-6 from three-point range and 9-for-11 shooting overall in the half. That included a last-second turnaround jumper that gave the Panthers the halftime lead.

“We knew that he could shoot,” McKenzie said. “… We just didn’t know that he wasn’t going to miss.”

Jaskowiak finished with 37 points for the Panthers (20-10), who were making their first state-tournament appearance since 2001. Senior guard Sawyer Kaczmarek added 16 points.

“We could have just folded right away,” Kaczmarek said. “They haven’t played a team like us that’s just scrappy and just willing to do whatever it takes.”