NAMPA, ID -The first day of the 4A State Girls Basketball Tournament is in the books, and the semifinal matchups are set. Thursday’s action at Skyview High School delivered a mix of dominant performances and down-to-the-wire drama, with four teams punching their tickets to Friday’s semifinals and four others heading to consolation play.
Morning Session Recap
Game 1: #1 Sugar-Salem 60, #8 Kimberly 44
The top-seeded Diggers wasted no time making a statement. Sugar-Salem raced out to an 18-13 first quarter lead before putting the game away with a dominant 16-7 second quarter. The Diggers’ balanced attack proved too much for Kimberly, with three players reaching double figures.
Tasha Larsen led all scorers with 21 points, while Kalena Dayley stuffed the stat sheet with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double. Andee Petterson orchestrated the offense with 11 points and a game-high 9 assists.
Kimberly’s Taya Plew kept the Bulldogs within striking distance with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, but the deficit proved too steep to overcome.
Quarters: 18-13 | 16-7 | 16-13 | 10-11
Game 2: #4 Marsh Valley 53, #5 Fruitland 50
The day’s most dramatic finish came in the second game, as Marsh Valley survived a furious Fruitland comeback.
The Eagles appeared in control, building a comfortable lead through three quarters behind the dominant interior play of Zayli Merzlock. But the Grizzlies had other plans. Fruitland erupted for 21 fourth-quarter points, cutting the deficit to just three in the closing minutes.
Marsh Valley held on thanks to clutch free throws down the stretch. Merzlock finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double, while Tayzlee Belnap added 11 points.
Kennedy Fitch was spectacular in defeat for Fruitland, posting 16 points and 13 rebounds. Mollie Calkins (12 PTS, 9 REB) and Payson Bratcher (11 PTS) also reached double figures, but the slow start proved costly.
Quarters: 12-11 | 14-10 | 12-8 | 15-21
Evening Session Recap
Game 3: #3 Timberlake 64, #6 Weiser 36
If the second game was a nail-biter, the third was a runaway. Timberlake came out with suffocating defensive intensity, holding Weiser to just 4 points in the opening quarter while exploding for 26 on the offensive end.
The White Tigers never let up. Three players finished in double figures — Macy Murphey and Malia Miller each scored 14 points, while Payton Young added 12. Timberlake’s largest lead reached 34 points as they cruised into the semifinals.
Weiser’s Porter Hart battled hard with 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Evie Dolton matched with 10 points and 9 boards, but the Wolverines simply couldn’t generate enough offense against Timberlake’s stifling defense.
Quarters: 26-4 | 15-6 | 10-10 | 13-16
Game 4: #2 Bear Lake 43, #7 Filer 29
The nightcap belonged to Bear Lake’s defense and one dominant post player.
Halle Wells controlled the paint all night, finishing with a game-high 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Bears methodically pulled away. Bear Lake jumped out to a 16-9 first quarter lead and clamped down in the second half, holding Filer to just 10 points over the final two quarters.
Filer’s Tanli Lemoyne did her best to keep the Wildcats alive with 15 points, but Bear Lake’s size and physicality proved to be the difference.
Quarters: 16-9 | 5-10 | 8-4 | 14-6
Day 1 Top Performers
Double-Double Club (5 players):
• Kalena Dayley (Sugar-Salem): 14 PTS, 12 REB
• Zayli Merzlock (Marsh Valley): 14 PTS, 12 REB
• Kennedy Fitch (Fruitland): 16 PTS, 13 REB
• Porter Hart (Weiser): 10 PTS, 12 REB
• Halle Wells (Bear Lake): 16 PTS, 11 REB
Top Scorers:
• Tasha Larsen (Sugar-Salem): 21 PTS
• Taya Plew (Kimberly): 18 PTS
• Kennedy Fitch (Fruitland): 16 PTS
• Halle Wells (Bear Lake): 16 PTS
• Tanli Lemoyne (Filer): 15 PTS
Playmaker of the Day:
• Andee Petterson (Sugar-Salem): 11 PTS, 9 AST, 4 REB
Friday’s Schedule
Consolation First Round (12:00 PM & 2:00 PM):
• Kimberly vs Fruitland
• Weiser vs Filer
Semifinals (5:00 PM & 7:00 PM):
• #1 Sugar-Salem vs #4 Marsh Valley
• #3 Timberlake vs #2 Bear Lake
The stage is set for an exciting Day 2. Can Marsh Valley pull off the upset against top-seeded Sugar-Salem? Will Timberlake’s high-powered offense break through Bear Lake’s stingy defense? We’ll find out Friday night.
