Written by: Jack Davis

Photo credit: Steve Conner

NAMPA — The No. 4-seeded Pocatello Thunder defeated the No. 2-seeded Sandpoint Bulldogs 62-49 in the 5A State Championship Game on Saturday.

The Thunder scored 14 second-chance points on their way to securing their second straight state title.

In a game that was tight in the early moments, Pocatello took control late in the first half and held the lead the rest of the way.

The opening quarter went back and forth between the Thunder and the Bulldogs, as a high-scoring start ended with Pocatello leading 17-14. In the second quarter, Pocatello capitalized on turnovers and took a 30-23 advantage into halftime. The Thunder then outscored the Bulldogs 19-8 in the third quarter, clamping down defensively while pouring it on offensively to extend the lead. Sandpoint made a late 11-2 run in the fourth quarter in a last-ditch effort, but it fell short as Pocatello proved too strong, securing the 62-49 victory and successfully defending its title.

Head coach Sunny Evans reflected on the championship performance.

“Reflecting on what just happened is hard to do in a short amount of time,” Evans said. “But the thing that sums it up is that I just had so much fun with this group. I feel like we’ve laughed all weekend, and along with that we also talked about playing our butts off and how hard we needed to play. We had such a good time together, and I think it showed in the way we played. Fun is the word that comes to mind with this group.”

Abby Lusk was named the IdahoSports.com Player of the Game, as the Gonzaga commit finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Thunder. Madysen Torngren added 14 points and seven rebounds, contributing crucially for Pocatello.

“I mean, it was crazy,” Lusk said. “I think it was 100% a group effort. We found a stride, and it kind of worked out perfectly. We were just relentless. These girls started with nothing, and they’ve built so much and done such a good job with everything. I’m super excited about Gonzaga — it’s going to be a great opportunity — but nothing beats high school right now, so it’s kind of hard to look ahead. Still, I’m really excited.”

For Sandpoint, Brecken Mire led the Bulldogs with 20 points in the loss. Livia Driggs added 14 points, and Jordyn Tomco chipped in 10 points for Sandpoint.

“This season we have worked so incredibly hard,” Mire said. “We’ve been in the gym constantly, and it’s been a full team effort. We’ve all pushed each other from the start, and we all love each other so much. Tonight, Pocatello just came out as the better team.”


POCATELLO (19-7) - Abby Lusk 23, Madysen Torngren 14, Brynlee Pool 7, Lainey Rogers 7, Oakley Hirschi 4, Adelyn Shuler 4, Camryn Tatom 3, Kailee Jo Finlayson 0

SANDPOINT (21-6) - Brecken Mire 20, Livia Driggs 14, Jordyn Tomco 10, Willow Betz 5, Carly Laybourne 0, Jasmin Laing 0, Jaylah Butler 0, Mia Driggs 0, Summer Loutzenhiser 0