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 ORDER GAME PHOTOS
5A CLASSIFICATION (FORD IDAHO CENTER)
1-2A Lake City (20-3, 6-0) vs. 3B Eagle (19-5, 14-4), 1:15 p.m.
-Lake City enters state having won 16 of its last 17 games, including a 44-30 win over Coeur d’Alene in the district championship game to take the top seed out of the north. In the winner-to-state game, Washington State soccer commit Bridget Rieken led the scoring with 13 points and Aubrey Avery hit four 3-pointers. Lewis-Clark State College basketball signee Sarah Muehlhausen and Dejah Wilson are a couple of other pieces to watch for the Timberwolves, who have good depth.
-Eagle is led by Denver commit Meghan Boyd and backcourt mate Jaimee McKinee, who each had 13 points in the 46-34 district championship loss to #1 ranked Mountain View for the Mustangs. Guard Eliza DeVera is a University of Colorado at Colorado Springs commit. The group is coached by former University of Washington and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Cody Pickett, who is looking to lead the program to its first state title in school history in his sixth season on the sideline.
5-6A Rigby (18-7, 4-2) vs. 3C Boise (17-6, 14-4), 3 p.m.
-Eastern Idaho representative Rigby won its first district championship since 2012 (when it was in the 4A classification) by defeating Highland 52-46 in overtime. Ruby Murdoch was the leading scorer for the Trojans in that one with 16 points. Mateya Mobley had 12 points of her own, including giving her team its first lead of the game with 4:38 left in the fourth and providing the go-ahead basket in the extra period. Rigby is coached by Troy Shippen, who is in his second season. Emma Shippen, Tylie Jones and Summer Dabell are all returners from a year ago who each earned All-Conference accolades.
-Former Boise State Bronco Kim Brydges has her Boise Braves looking like a tough out this year in the state tournament. Guards Allison Ross, Sydney Davis and Claire Bonnet, along with forward Madison Williams and interior presence Peyton McFarland are all returning starters from last season who have continued to make big impacts with an extra year of experience. Ross and McFarland each average over 11 points per game. The 6-foot-4-inch McFarland also averages close to 7 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per contest, creating a lot of mismatches on the inside for Boise opponents. Bonnet is a Willamette University commit.
3A Mountain View (23-0, 18-0) vs. Meridian (14-12, 9-9), 6:15 p.m.
-Top ranked and undefeated Mountain View has rolled to an unblemished season under two-time state champion coach Connie Skogrand, who is in her 16th season. Guard Darian White has signed to play at the next level at Montana State and is joined by College of Idaho signee Emma Anthony and talented guards Trinity Slocum, Laila Saenz, Olivia Kreiser and D’Nia Williams. Senior post Braelyn Whitelock has also had a big year for the Mavericks. Naya Ojukwu was the star of the show in the district championship win over Eagle with 16 points and ten rebounds. The freshman has been a problem for opponents all year.
-Meridian secured a spot in the state tournament by winning the play-in game 56-39 over Post Falls. Third year head coach Matthew Creech brings his team to state for the first time thanks in large part to a balanced scoring attack which has the capability of a different leading scorer every night. Ninilchik (AK) transfer DeeAnn White, the 1A State Player of the year last season in Alaska, has made a major impact as one of the leading scorers for the group along with Jaleesa Lawrence. White also averages over seven rebounds per game for the Warriors. Gonzaga track and cross country commit Brittney Hansen is the only senior other than White on the roster.
5-6B Highland (18-8, 6-0) vs. 3D Timberline (17-6, 13-5), 8 p.m.
-Highland boasts one of the most talented players in the tournament field in University of Colorado at Colorado Springs commit Makenna Baker. A four-year starter, Baker has had multiple scoring outputs of over 30 points this year after averaging close to 15 points per game last season. Mallori Vawdrey and Bailey Farrer are a couple of the other key contributors to watch for the Rams, who are coached by Gino Mariani, a four-time football state champion head coach.
-After a hiatus of 14 years, first year head coach Andy Jones brings Timberline into the tournament field this year with high aspirations. 5A SIC leading scorer and Montana State signee Ava Ranson (18.3 PPG according to the Idaho Statesman) and guard Elena McHargue (13.4 PPG) combine to score over 30 points per game and have stepped up in a big way in the absence of dominant post Emma Ellinghouse, who tore her ACL over the summer. Jones won five state titles as the coach at Middleton, so he is as familiar as anyone with the stage of state tournament basketball.
4A CLASSIFICATION (TIMBERLINE HS)
3A Middleton (22-2, 15-1) vs. 4-5C Mountain Home (19-5, 12-2), 1:15 p.m.
-Middleton is playing its best basketball of the season and rides a 13-game winning streak into state. First year head coach Nichole Williamson, a former Northwest Nazarene University post and formerly the coach at Nampa High school, has installed her own system on each end of the floor with plenty of success. Senior forward Lexi Mitchell is a College of Idaho commit and has a great supporting cast around her including post Haley Robinett, do-everything talent Zoe Moore and guards Jozie Crawford and Ashley Campbell. Moore is the leading scorer for the Vikings averaging 9.4 points per game. Robinett averages 8.2 points per game and 6.6 rebounds.
-Mountain Home excels on the guard line with point guard Jazzi Cristobal (13.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.6 RPG, 3.5 SPG) piloting the offense and Emalee Pippen (11.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.2 SPG, 2.6 APG), Adrie Blanksma (14.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG) and a host of others starring alongside her. Brent Keener is in his 12th season as the head coach of the Tigers and has his team facing a familiar opponent in former 4A SIC foe Middleton in the first round. Dating back to 2006, the Tigers have never defeated the Vikings, a streak spanning the course of 25 games. This is the first trip to state since 2011 for Mountain Home.
4-5A Century (24-0, 13-0) vs. Blackfoot (21-4, 8-2), 3 p.m.
-Century has sat atop the state media poll in the 4A ranks all season and ran through the regular season scheduled unblemished. Inside force Chinma Njoku has dominated opponents throughout that run and combined with senior guard Olivia Holt is as lethal of an inside-out team as there is in the 4A ranks. Chris Shuler is in his tenth season as the coach of the Diamondbacks and has won state titles in 2015 and 2016. Century has won 13 straight games against first round opponent Blackfoot, with the last Broncos win coming on December 1, 2009. To get the top seed out of the Great Basin Ten at state, the Diamondbacks utilized a 27-0 run against Minico in the district championship game. Njoku had 14 points and Lexi Bull pitched in 12 in the win.
-Tenleigh Smith, Allie Cannon and Olivia Arave were each All-Conference selections a year ago and have brought Blackfoot to its first state tournament appearance in 14 years with strong performances again this time around. After dropping both regular season meetings with Bonneville, the Broncos got the best of the Bees when it mattered most, knocking out the second ranked team in the state with a 48-45 overtime win in the district tournament. Blackfoot then defeated Skyline and won the play-in game 52-35 over Kuna to secure their spot at state. Cannon was a McDonald’s All American nomination this year. Hadley Humpherys and Smith had 14 points each in the win over Kuna.
1-2A Lakeland (10-11, 3-1) vs. 3B Caldwell (19-5, 13-3), 6:15 p.m.
-Lakeland makes its first state tournament appearance since 2009 after a 42-34 win in the district championship game over Moscow. In his 24th season, head coach Steve Seymour has one of the top pieces from throughout his tenure in sophomore Katy Ryan, who has made a major impact all over the floor this year. Ryan scored 13 points, hauled down 14 rebounds and blocked four shots in the win against Moscow. Senior guard Lauryn Cooper and fellow senior Taylor Elpers are a couple of other key players to watch for the Hawks.
-First year head coach Ashley Green has Caldwell in a good spot entering state this year, with her team having won seven of their last eight, with the only loss coming in the district championship to Middleton. Three of Caldwell’s five losses this season have come to the Vikings. Jalen Callender is the leading scorer for Green’s team, averaging over 13 points per contest to go along with six rebounds, close to three assists and over two steals per game. Multiple ball-handlers highlight the rest of the roster for Caldwell including Julia Martinez, Jade Martinez, Kat Vallejo and Belle Bower. Aaliyah Kennedy adds size on the interior at six-feet tall.
6A Hillcrest (13-10, 5-5) vs. 4-5B Minico (16-8, 10-3), 8 p.m.
-Hillcrest had a wild run through the district tournament, sweeping through Shelley, Blackfoot and Skyline to secure the top seed out of the sixth district. Fourth year varsity player Maycee Stenquist led the Knights in scoring in the district title game with 11 points, while Macey Larsen had eight and Hallie Tueller finished with six. Alan Sargent is in his second season as the head coach at Hillcrest after serving as the JV girls head coach for 12 years.
-Minico boasts two stars that will be continuing their basketball careers after high school with Taylia Stimpson set to go to the College of Southern Idaho and Taycee Harper committed to Western Colorado University. Stimpson averages 14.6 points per game and Harper 8.4 points per contest. Stimpson and Kylee McManus are the go-to options from 3-point land for the Spartans, with each having hit about 30 triples this year. Maddison Vorwaller has 48 offensive rebounds and Claire Boetcher has grabbed 40 on the offensive side of the floor. Anna Bateman is in her third year as the head coach at Minico. Seven of the eight losses for the Spartans this year have come against teams that are participating in either the 4A or 5A state tournaments.
3A CLASSIFICATION (SKYVIEW HS)
6A Sugar-Salem (21-2, 4-0) vs. 1B Bonners Ferry (17-6, 4-2), 1:15 p.m.
-Defending 3A state champion Sugar-Salem is one of the hottest teams in Idaho with a 19-game winning streak. First Team All-State performer Macie Knapp and Second Team All-Conference selection Madi Fillmore are key contributors from a year ago that are back and leading the way for the Diggers again this season. Crystal Dayley is in her seventh season as the head coach. Sugar-Salem defeated Teton 62-38 in the district championship game to win its third consecutive 3A District 6 title. Knapp had 17 points in that game. The Diggers average 60 points per game.
-Bonners Ferry was ranked fourth in both the final media and coaches polls of the year. Travis Hinthorn is in the second year of his second stint as the head coach of the Badgers and has been the coach for 12 total years. All-IML performers Jerzie Pluid and Holly Ansley lead the way for the team. Ansley had 21 points against Kellogg to secure Bonners Ferry their spot and Pluid tallied 16. Baylee Blackmore also had 12 on the night. The six-foot-one-inch Pluid is one of the premier inside threats in the 3A classification.
4A Buhl (10-14, 0-6) vs. 3B Homedale (12-10, 7-1), 3 p.m.
-Despite not winning any conference games this season, Buhl got hot at the right time and earned its way to state by upsetting Gooding in the first round of districts and then winning two of three against Filer. Dan Hill is in his first year as the head coach and has multiple pieces with experience from last year’s trip to state including Emily Gorrell, McKenna Lively, Kayla Morse and Kyra Azevedo. Last year Buhl defeated Homedale 38-37 in the state tournament.
-After starting the season 1-8, first year head coach Cam Long got the ship steered in the right direction for Homedale, leading the team to another state tournament appearance and an 11-2 record over their last 13 games. The only losses during that stretch were to 3A District 3 champion Parma. Amaya Carter is a volleyball commit to Mt. Hood Community College and teams with Josey Hall on the inside to give the Trojans a strong interior game. Alex Grant and Jayci Swallow are starters on the guard line for Homedale.
1A Timberlake (20-2, 6-0) vs. 6B Teton (12-12, 0-4), 6:15 p.m.
-Timberlake head coach Matt Miller has another quality team in his 14th season roaming the sidelines in Spirit Lake. After state titles in 2016 and 2017 and multiple appearances in the championship game in years prior to that, the Tigers hope to get back on the big stage this year after a hiatus in 2018. All-IML talents Brooke Jessen, Taryn Soumas and McKeeley Tonkin are the anchors for this group. Jessen has the ability to be dominant on the interior as just a sophomore and made a big impact at state last year. In the 3A District 1 title game Jessen dropped 18 points on the Kellogg Wildcats. Soumas and Tonkin had 13 each. The Tigers have now won five straight district championships.
-Teton did not win a conference game during the regular season, but defeated South Fremont twice during districts and won a regional play-in against Marsh Valley and the state play-in over Filer 66-63 in overtime to set up a date with top ranked Timberlake. Waklee Kunz led the scoring for the Redskins against Filer with 27 points and Cambrie Strait had 14 in the second half and 20 for the game. According to the Idaho Falls Post Register, there were 44 fouls and 60 trips to the free throw line in the play-in game win. Janie Nelson and Halle Lasson are the lone seniors on the roster.
3A Parma (21-2, 7-1) vs. 5A Snake River (15-7, 4-0), 8 p.m.
-Montana State commit and two-time SRV Player of the Year Madison Jackson has saved her best for last and has Parma rolling heading into state having won 20 of its last 21 games. As a result the Panthers are the third ranked team in both the media and coaches polls. Jackson and Courtney Weber are the lone seniors on the roster. Seventh year head coach Michael Calkins also relies heavily on First Team All-SRV performers Adyson Harris and Grace Jackson, who give this team a roster configuration where any girl on the floor can hit the 3-point shot at any time.
-Snake River will counter Parma with Josee Steadman, Abby Morgan, Mia Harper, Abbie Tew and a host of others who played major roles on the runner-up team from a year ago. It is a new look however for third year head coach Jeff Steadman, with last year’s 3A State Player of the Year Kelsey Higginson and her 16 points per game now playing at the collegiate level. After losing four in a row in late December and into early January, Snake River has responded by winning eight of its next nine games.
2A CLASSIFICATION (BISHOP KELLY HS)
4A Declo (16-7, 2-0) vs. 6B West Jefferson (17-9, 4-4), 1:15 p.m.
-Ashley Baker and Justin Silcock are co-head coaches for Declo, which beat Wendell 59-37 to take the district title and the lone seed out of the fourth district. Katelin Mallory was the leading scorer in that defeat of the Trojans, with the five-foot-eight-inch forward pouring in 13 points. The balanced scoring attack also featured Mattie Ramsey with 12, Sydney Ramsey with 11 and Amanda Bott with ten. The Hornets had a seven-game winning streak from December 27 through January 17.
-Jordi Holdaway has returned from injury and made a big impact for West Jefferson, which is always a team nobody wants to play at state. The ability of the Panthers was displayed in the district championship game against Ririe, where third year head coach Jalena Dixon’s team kept it close throughout but lost 41-39 after Ririe’s Maddie Johnson hit the game-winner with 1.6 seconds left. Holdaway averages over 15 points per game to go along with over four steals and just under three assists per contest. She shoots 35 percent from 3-point land. Kynlee Newman and Saige Moss are some other players to watch for West Jefferson.
3A Melba (22-1, 10-0) vs. 5B Malad (16-9, 6-2), 3 p.m.
-Melba lost two-time State Player of the Year Kori Pentzer and posts Tinsley Christensen and Paige Pentzer but has stayed right at the top of the 2A WIC all year with key contributions from Emma and Kate Clark on the guard line and Mary Ellen Cossel handling interior duties. By knocking off Cole Valley Christian 40-36, the Mustangs won their third consecutive district title. Kate Clark led the scoring with 19 and Emma had 11 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists. Emma Clark is headed to NNU to run track and play basketball.
-Shawnee Simpson is the leading scorer in the history of the Malad girls’ basketball program and has eclipsed the 1,000 point threshold. Simpson had 26 points in the 40-34 win for the Dragons over Bear Lake to secure their state berth. Simpson, Britlynn Hubbard and Halli Hannah are three seniors who have helped lead the program to immense success in recent history. Simpson and Hubbard are All-State performers. Malad is coached by Jeremy Jones, who is in his third season.
1-2A Grangeville (15-7, 4-0) vs. 5A Soda Springs (24-0, 8-0), 6:15 p.m.
-Grangeville earned a trip at state after coming away victorious in one of the more entertaining district championship games throughout Idaho, with Paige Lindsley hitting a pair of free throws with 3.7 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 43-41 win over St. Maries. JaKaili Norman had 15 points to lead the scoring in that one and Lindsley had six assists to go along with the game-winning free throws. Michelle Barger is in her second year as the head coach and hopes to bring back some hardware for a program which has won seven state titles, with the last one coming in 2011.
-Soda Springs has hardware on their mind as well, having won the state championship last year and riding the wave of a 50-game winning streak. The Cardinals won their eighth consecutive district championship 55-25 over Malad, forcing 21 turnovers in the victory. Sadie Gronning led the scoring with 16 points. Reagan Yamauchi, Jocelyn Balls and Jorianne Balls are some of the other key contributors for a deep and talented roster for two-time state champion head coach Wade Schvaneveldt.
6A Ririe (20-4, 8-0) vs. 3B Cole Valley Christian (20-4, 8-2), 8 p.m.
-Ririe enters state as the third ranked team in the media poll. The Bulldogs have played in each of the last two state championship games and are hoping to make it three in a row behind the senior leadership of Maddie Johnson, Kenadee Coles, Eden Griffith, Anna Boone and Cassidy Parkinson and talented underclassmen including Indee Williams and Sara Boone. Johnson hit the game-winner for Ririe in the district championship win over West Jefferson and is a player opposing defenses will key in on at state. The Bulldogs are coached by Damien Smith, who is in his 11th season.
-Cole Valley Christian is the second seed out of district three and provides a tough opening round matchup for Ririe. The Chargers are led by second year head coach Stu Sells. Junior post player Maddie Cooke is a matchup nightmare inside for opponents and Savannah Khoury was an Honorable Mention All-Conference choice a year ago as a sophomore. Anna Veeck, Karina Olsen and Lyndsie Krogh are some other players to watch. Veeck was the leading scorer with 15 points for Cole Valley Christian in the district championship loss to Melba.
1AD1 CLASSIFICATION (COLUMBIA HS)
4A Shoshone (21-1, 8-0) vs. 3C Liberty Charter (12-13, 7-3), 1:15 p.m.
-The dynamic duo of Bailee Owens (15 PPG, 8 RPG, 4 SPG) and Cierra Hennings (11 PPG, 5 RPG, 4 SPG, 5 APG) leads the way for Shoshone, which was ranked in a tie for second with Prairie in the last girls basketball media poll of the year. The Indians are coached by Tim Chapman, who in 28 seasons has won over 500 games. Owens and Hennings each have scored over 1,000 points in their high school careers and are four year starters. They are joined in the starting lineup by Patti Fitzgerald (4 PPG, 3 SPG), Rionna Kerner (6 PPG, 4 RPG) and Ari Regalado (6 PPG, 6 RPG). Shoshone has held opponents to 25 points per game this season.
-Liberty Charter sophomore post Madison Hodnett has put up 12 double-doubles this season, including a 19 point and 18 rebound performance against Ambrose during the district tournament. Hodnett averages 16 points per game and 12 rebounds and is being looked at by NNU and Treasure Valley Community College. Senior guard Bridget Maw and the six-foot tall Brenna Logue are a couple of other players to watch for the Patriots, who are coached by Brad McCain. In four seasons McCain is 68-33 overall.
3A Notus (17-5, 9-1) vs. 2B Prairie (18-3, 11-1), 3 p.m.
-For those who have not seen Notus play this year, they should make the trip out to Columbia at some point this weekend to see senior guard Destiny Quebrado play. The dynamic playmaker is averaging 18 points per game, almost six steals and 3.5 assists, including scoring 21 against Rimrock in the district championship win. Kortne Randall (8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3 SPG) is another key component of the Pirates attack. Randall and Quebrado are the lone seniors for a team that also starts two sophomores and a junior. Megan Vollmer, McKenzie Woodland and Kenzie Clemens are the starters, along with Quebrado and Randall.
-Ninth year Prairie head coach Lori Mader is seeking her third state title since taking over on the sideline and has a strong group in place. Jordyn Higgins and India Peery were each Second Team All-State selections last year and have had strong seasons once again. Two of Prairie’s losses have come to Lapwai and the other to Salmon River on the road in Riggins. The Pirates are tied with Shoshone for the second spot in the state media poll. Prairie has had as much success on the floor as any girls’ basketball program in the state over the last six years, winning over 18 games in each of those seasons. This year the team has outscored opponents by over 30 points per game.
5-6A Grace (15-8, 4-0) vs. 2C Genesee (18-8, 7-5), 6:15 p.m.
-Grace starts four juniors and one sophomore. The Grizzlies enter state as the champions out of their district by virtue of defeating Butte County in the title game. Kyle Christensen is the head coach and is in his first season in that capacity. Breanna Hill is the leading scorer with 11.8 points per game and Maniah Clegg has averaged a double-double of 10.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per contest. During that 45-37 district championship win, Clegg had 15 points, 17 rebounds and eight blocks. Juniors Zoeigh Walker, Kayci Younger and Madison Windley also start for Grace, which had starter Lindsey Lloyd go down with a concussion earlier this year. She has not returned.
-Genesee is the third representative out of the second district, having won a regional play-in over Wallace and then handling Raft River in the state play-in. Bailey Leseman led the scoring against Raft River, putting up 22 points. Junior guard Emerson Parkins, senior post Kelsey Jensen and junior forward Regan Zenner are a strong trio to go along with Leseman for the Bulldogs. Genesee is coached by Greg Hardie, who is in his first season. The Bulldogs are playing good basketball and have won four games in a row and ten of their last 12.
2A Lapwai (19-4, 11-1) vs. 3B Rimrock (20-3, 9-1), 8 p.m.
-Lapwai has not lost since a 58-55 defeat at the hands of North Central (WA) on December 27. Since that game, the Wildcats have reeled off 12 straight wins, including two victories over Prairie by a combined 31 points. In his fifth season as the head coach, Eric Spencer has led the team to a 105-14 overall record and three state titles. Toppenish (WA) transfer Aurelia Ellenwood is one of the starters for Lapwai along with Glory Sobotta, Raequel Domebo, Julia Gould and Grace Sobotta. Ellenwood had 12 points in the 48-35 win over Genesee to secure the Wildcats a bid to the state tournament.
-Another team playing quality basketball is Rimrock, which has won ten of its last 12 games. The Raiders are coached by Kyla Jewett, a graduate of Rimrock who played at Treasure Valley Community College. In two seasons, Jewett is 39-10 as the coach. Her younger sister Sami Jewett is a sophomore guard on the roster. Rimrock has just one senior on the roster in Mylee Meyers, who poured in 17 points in the district championship loss against Notus. Along with Meyers, juniors Riatta Ruttan and Laura Gasper and sophomores Sintia Varela and Madie Macmillan are the starters for the Raiders.
1AD2 CLASSIFICATION (NAMPA HS)
2A Kendrick (18-4, 11-1) vs. 5-6B Sho-Ban (21-2, 11-1), 1:15 p.m.
-Kendrick won its district championship 46-45 over Nezperce to earn its spot at state. It was an impressive effort for the Tigers, considering they fell into a 15 point hole in the first quarter. Sixth year head coach Ron Ireland’s team stormed back and took the victory by getting hot from beyond the 3-point line, shooting 8-18 from distance on the night. Lauren Morgan had 18 points and Mya Brown had 16. This will be the first trip to state for Kendrick since the 2014 season.
-The number one ranked Sho-Ban Chiefs had to go through the play-in game to secure a trip in the 1AD2 Real Dairy Shootout, holding off a valiant effort from Murtaugh to win 58-51. Sophomore Reesha Pokibro has been sensational all year for the Chiefs, putting up five triple doubles and averaging double digits in both points and rebounds. Senior guard Rylee Appenay is another key contributor for head coach Andrew Baldwin, who is in third season on the sideline for Sho-Ban. This is the second consecutive 20-win season for the program.
3A Salmon River (19-2, 12-0) vs. 4B Dietrich (19-5, 5-3), 3 p.m.
-Fifth year head coach Paula Tucker has one of her strongest teams yet in Riggins with aspirations of bringing home the first state title for the program since 1977. Senior guard Chevelle Shepherd is one of the top 1A players in the state and was the Long Pin Conference MVP a year ago. She is joined by Lotus Harper and Sofie Branstetter to form a solid backcourt. That backcourt pairs with Emily Diaz and Jordyn Pottenger on the inside. The Savages are making a return trip to state after a one year hiatus last season. Salmon River was ranked third in the last media poll of the season.
-Dietrich is no stranger to success and has had another strong season yet again this year. The Blue Devils sealed their spot at state with a 38-36 win over Murtaugh in the district tournament. Brianna Astle had 18 points in that one and the team shot 11-12 from the free throw line. Acey Shaw is in his 14th year as the head coach and has won four state titles. Senior guard Matigan Bingham is another player to watch for Dietrich.
1A Genesis Prep (12-10, 5-1) vs. 2B Nezperce (21-3, 11-1), 6:15 p.m.
-Washington State commit Bella Murekatete is an imposing presence on the inside for Genesis Prep, as the six-foot-four-inch post is almost a lock for a double-double on points and rebounds on a nightly basis. Rachel Schroeder goes along with Murekatete to form a tough to defend inside-out combination for second year head coach Brandon Haas, who hopes to lead his team to its second state championship appearance in as many years after falling 43-41 last year to Butte County. The Lady Jags defeated Lakeside 56-46 in the district championship game.
-Double-double machine Hannah Stapleton anchors the middle for Nezperce alongside senior guard Sydney Boyer. Legendary coach Dave Snodgrass mans the sideline for the Indians and is in his eighth season at Nezperce. To earn a spot at state, the Indians defeated Logos 44-25 in the district tournament. Stapleton had 18 points, Boyer 11 and Caitlyn Cronce had nine.
4A Carey (19-1, 8-0) vs. 5-6A Rockland (20-4, 9-3), 8 p.m.
-Carey heads to state as the regular season and district tournament champions out of the fourth district. The only loss this year for the Panthers came against second ranked 1AD1 team Shoshone back on November 20 by six points. Carey has a plethora of scoring options including Athana Versis, Lindsey Morey and Shantell Chavez. The Panthers also make things difficult for opponents on the defensive side of the floor, limiting the opposition to just 31 points per game. Merrilee Sears is in her seventh season as the head coach of Carey Panthers.
-Rockland knocked off #1 ranked Sho-Ban 62-59 in overtime in the district championship game and enters state having won nine of its last ten games. Kiersley Boyer and Brinkley Boyer totaled 16 points between them in the win for the Bulldogs, including hitting six free throws in overtime. Senior Madalyn Permann is another one of the players to watch for Rockland, which is coached by 23rd year head coach Vern Nelson. Permann was a First Team All-Conference selection last year.
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