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ORDER GAME PHOTOS
Boys Basketball
Thunder Ridge vs. Madison
7:30 p.m. Thursday
Thursday’s contests will essentially determine first-place for District 5-6, as both teams enter the game with an unbeaten conference record.
The Bobcats are hot off a six-game winning streak, narrowly squeaking by Blackfoot last week 57-49. The Broncos might give a clue on who holds the edge in the matchup, as Thunder Ridge fell to Blackfoot two weeks prior by 10 points. The Titans also allow an average of 10 more points per game, but the two’s offensive output stands even at 62 points per game apiece.
Pocatello vs. Century
7:30 p.m. Thursday
The 4A South East Idaho Conference is about to blow wide open, as district competition begins this week. All three teams in the conference earned a spot in the top five in the latest coaches poll, with the Diamondbacks appearing in second.
But Pocatello holds the better overall record, notching two additional wins and one less loss so far in the year. The Indian’s only losses on the year came at the hands of last year’s 5A runner-up Post Falls in a pair of December defeats. Century, meanwhile, has two in-state losses, one to the 4-8 Bonneville Bees and the other at the hands of 5A Lake City.
Teton vs. Snake River
7:30 p.m. Friday
The Panthers own the only undefeated record at the 3A level (excluding the 1-0 McCall-Donnelly Vandals). But Snake River faces its closest competition in second-ranked Teton, a team the Panthers downed 69-56 in early January.
But since that loss, the Timberwolves have failed to score below 50, posting a whopping 93 on Salmon just four days after falling to Snake River.
But the Panthers own an elite defense, allowing just 44 points per game. But the level of competition hasn’t been as high as it could be, with the South Fremont Cougars standing as the only other ranked 3A opponent Snake River has faced this year. Nevertheless, the Panthers won that matchup 83-69.
Lapwai vs. Prairie
7:30 p.m. Tuesday
While some districts are just now opening up conference competition, the 1ADI Whitepine League race has been heating up for a while. The Lapwai Wildcats hold a clear edge, going undefeated so far compared to Prairie’s 4-1 record.
But the pair have nearly identical overall records, and the Wildcats enter Tuesday with history on their side after previously defeating the Pirates 85-57 in early December. Both teams field similar defense in terms of production, averaging around 51 points per game.
But Lapwai holds the clear edge on offense, scoring a classification-high 76 points per game behind star Titus Yearout.
North Gem vs. Waterpsings
7:30 p.m. Tuesday
The top spot in the 1ADII Rocky Mountain Conference could be on the line Tuesday, as the Warriors hold a narrow one-win edge over the Cowboys at the start of the week.
Watersprings is just five points from an undefeated season after falling to Rockland 44-41 and Mackay 37-35. The Miners loss occurred Friday, a tough momentum halter after an impressive five-win run.
The Cowboys, however, haven’t lost since Dec. 11, a 52-38 decision against Watersprings. Revenge will be at the forefront of North Gem’s mind, as the Cowboys have strung 10 wins together since that loss, eclipsing 80 points four times.
Girls Basketball
Boise vs. Meridian
7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Boise hasn’t given us much of a sample size to judge its strength in 2021, as the Boise School District is still fresh off lifting COVID-19 restrictions that brought sports to a halt.
But the Brave needed just three games to make a splash in the new season, defeating defending champion Mountain 55-51 last week. Add another win against Rocky Mountain, and the Brave enter late January as the only undefeated 5A Southern Idaho Conference squad. Through four games, outside threat Ella Nelson leads the team with 52 points, followed by Allison Ross, the hero of Boise’s win over the Mavericks, with 37 points.
The Warriors have played three times the games as the Brave, earning them a top-five slot in the media and coaches polls. The Warriors dropped a pair of games to the Mavericks earlier in the year, but since the start of 2021, Meridian has won five straight, their best run of the year.
Bishop Kelly vs. Middleton
7:30 p.m. Friday
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The top two teams in the 4A SIC go head to head to close out the week, with a potential top spot in the conference on the line just weeks from the district tournament.
Middleton lost in surprising fashion to Kuna Saturday, halting a potential undefeated run. Despite the loss, the Vikings hold the best point differential in the conference, outsourcing opponents by an average of 22 points.
The Knights also fell to the Kavewomen, the second of the three-straight losses to close out December. But Bishop Kelly hasn’t lost since the start of the new year, holding opponents to under 30 in four of its last five matchups.
Timberlake vs. Bonners Ferry
3 p.m. Saturday
The defending champion Tigers are well on their way to another state tournament appearance, rolling to an undefeated record against 3A teams. Timberlake’s lone losses on the season came in a pair of games at 5A Coeur d’Alene, marring an otherwise perfect campaign.
But while the Tigers are known for their lethal offense, the Badgers have put up slightly better numbers, averaging 55 points per game, the most at the 3A level. Even more impressively, the Badgers have the conference’s second-best defense, allowing 15 points on average, five better than the rival Tigers.
But Taryn Soumas and the rest of the Tigers seem to have Bonners Ferry’s number. The Badgers lost their chance to gain an edge on Timberlake in the conference race, losing to the Tigers Jan. 12 58-25.
New Plymouth vs. Cole Valley Christian
7:30 p.m. Saturday
The 2A Western Idaho Conference is the Chargers’ to win, with Cole Valley holding a two-game lead over New Plymouth with just weeks left in the regular season. The second-ranked Chargers sandwiched just one loss between 11 wins this year, with Grangeville standing as the only team to best Cole Valley. The two-point loss stands as a stark contrast to many of Cole Valley’s double-digit wins this year, giving the Chargers the best point differential in 2A play.
The Pilgrims, meanwhile, started the year off strong, winning six straight and reaching the 60-point milestone five times. But four losses in five outings tanked the ‘Grims standings in the polls, and New Plymouth’s offense hasn’t looked the same since. Nevertheless, New Plymouth has a defense capable of defusing the Chargers, allowing just 32 points per contest.
Rockland vs. Mackay
7:30 p.m. Thursday
The No. 1 team in 1ADII will look to keep its undefeated conference streak alive Thursday, as the Miners hope to defend their home court against a powerful Rockland squad.
The Miners possess the highest-scoring offense in the classification, averaging 56 points per game. Both squads also haven’t lost since Dec. 15, despite a tough conference schedule.
But Rockland is ranked No. 1 for a reason, most likely due to a staunch defense that allows just 28 points per game, the second-best mark among 1ADII teams.
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