State girls quarterfinal roundup: Defending Class 5A champ Timberline silences skeptics in win over Rigby

NAMPA, Idaho -Despite being the defending Class 5A champion with two returning starters in the lineup, including one going to a NCAA Division I school - Timberline High School had its share of doubters.

It heard all of the talk, loud and clear.

The No. 6 Wolves silenced their critics by knocking off third-seeded Rigby, 59-53. in the opening round of the state tournament Thursday at the Ford Idaho Center.

"They were just overlooking us," said senior guard Piper Davis, who finished with a game-high 22 points. "We graduated two really good girls (Northern Arizona’s Audrey Taylor and Sophie Glancey) last year. So, I think coming in they kind of thought, ‘Oh, Rigby’s taller, they’ve been beating Thunder Ridge, they won the district title.’ But they haven’t really watched us play. We’re kind of the underdogs. So I think seeing that stuff on social media really fired us up. And we play better when we’re fired up. I think that’s what got us going tonight."

After trailing by six at the half, Timberline took over in the third quarter and never looked back. Davis’ layin with 1:42 remaining made it 38-31 and capped a 17-4 run.

More than half of those points came from Emmi Sillie, who only had four in the first half. The ninth grade forward scored nine points alone during the stretch, including the team’s first seven of the quarter that got the run started. She ended her day with 13 points and six rebounds.

"Any time we go somewhere it’s like, ‘Who’s that? She’s a freshman,?’" Timberline coach Andy Jones said. "I’m not sure she’s had a better game than she did tonight.

"That’s a real coming-out party for her."

The Trojans (20-5) did cut the deficit down to 45-43 with 4:40 to go .But a 3-pointer by senior guard Emma Heninger 40 seconds later kickstarted a 9-0 run that put the game away for good.

Seniors Kailey Huegerich and Lauren McCall, who is signed to play at San Diego University, added 12 points and nine, respectively, in the win.

Kambree Barber recorded a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Mylee Graham was in double figures as well with 15 points for the Trojans.

NO. 4 BOISE 59, NO. 5 OWYHEE 47: It had been 362 days since the Brave (22-2) last stepped foot on the floor of the Ford Idaho Center when they were 21 seconds away from a state championship before seeing it cruelly slip away from them on a last-second shot.

Thursday proved to be a much different scene. But Boise didn’t really give it much thought.

"That’s a long time flushed, to be totally honest,” Boise coach Kim Brydges said. "Right now, it’s literally one quarter at a time, one game at a time. So even though we as coaches have been working on preparations for whatever came out of this game, all we’ve been talking about (is) Owyhee. We gotta win that one before we do anything else."

Junior forward Avery Howell led three different players in double figures with 25 points and 18 rebounds. It was her 16th double-double game of the season. She shot 60% from the field and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity strip.

Sophomore guard Avery Patricco was next with 13 points. Sophomore forward Kaity Haan was right behind with 12 points to go along with four boards.

Patricco helped really put the game away in the third quarter by scoring the team’s first 10 points. It was part of an 18-3 run and led to Boise having its biggest lead of the game at 46-25 at the end of the third quarter.

"She came out in the second half and she was ready to go," Howell said. "I think her first half (0 points on 0-of-3 shooting) was not her best. But I think she took it as a serious challenge and she just proved herself in the third quarter. And that’s what we needed for our team and she stepped up and did it."

The Storm (19-5) did make things interesting late in second quarter. A 10-0 run got them to within four at 22-18. But the Brave scored eight unanswered points to close the half.

Sophomores Riley Beck paced Owyhee with 20 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists. Fellow sophomore Mikale Roy also reached double figures with 12 points and six rebounds.

NO. 1 COEUR D’ALENE 63, NO. 8 EAGLE 50: It took almost three full quarters, but the team everybody expected finally showed up.

The Vikings (22-2), whose only losses all year are to a pair of top-ranked California teams (Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei), finally erupted with a 28-12 fourth quarter to escape a monumental upset.

"I think they just realized, this is not who we are, we should be beating this team and they just kicked it into gear," Coeur d’Alene coach Nicole Symons said. "That’s who they are."

Junior guard Teagan Colvin scored 15 of her 23 points in the fourth quarter to spark the rally.

Coeur d’Alene found itself trailing by double digits twice in the third quarter, including with 3:38 to go.

But Colvin, who has more than 20 NCAA Division I offers from the likes of Wisconsin and Michigan, jumpstarted a 7-0 run to trim the deficit down to 38-35 by the end of the quarter.

"I believe in my team. Every single person, every single kid does what they’re supposed to do," Colvin said. "We knew it was going to be a fight at state. Anything can happen. So being able to keep that composure and not really getting worried about what’s going to happen in the end, was what kept us in."

Colvin then just completely took over.

She scored the Vikings’ first eight points of the final quarter, giving her team its first lead since the second quarter.

Madi Symons, the team's senior forward who was in some early foul trouble in the first half, finished with a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Paige Cofer netted a game-high 28 points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. The junior forward went 11-of-17 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arch. She had 16 points in the first half alone.

"This team loves to fight. They love these situations. They fought adversity all year," Eagle coach Jeremy Munroe said. "They’re tough and have great character. That’s just who they are."

CLASS 4A

NO. 7 COLUMBIA 51, NO. 2 BLACKFOOT 45: The Wildcats’ (15-10) stunner over one of the favorites gave them their first-ever state tournament win.

Mylie Mills nearly had a double-double of 26 points and eight rebounds in the upset.

NO. 3 SANDPOINT 54, NO. 6 MINICO 49: The Bulldogs (18-5) let a 19-point third slip away, but held on for the surprisingly-dramatic win.

Aliya Strock notched 20 points and seven steals for Sandpoint.

NO. 5 BISHOP KELLY 51, NO. 4 POCATELLO 33: The Knights (21-3) used a team effort to get to their first semifinals in five years

Addy Laible had seven points and seven rebounds in the win.

NO. 1 SHELLEY 59, NO. 8 TWIN FALLS 35: Hallie Behunin bagged 11 points, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range, as the Russets (21-3) are into the semis for the first time in seven years.

CLASS 3A

NO. 2 TIMBERLAKE 61, NO. 7 FILER 42: The White Tigers (21-2) picked up where they left off the last time they were at state - with a win.

Freshman Malia Miller had quite the state tournament debut with 17 points, five steals and four assists.

NO. 6 TETON 62, NO. 3 PARMA 40: The Timberwolves (18-9) made a top-seed and a perennial power look like anything.

Porter Wood racked up a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds to go with three blocked shots.

NO. 4 SUGAR-SALEM 52, NO. 5 WEISER 39: Kennedy Gillette poured in 24 points and eight rebounds as the Diggers (16-6) made it three consecutive semifinal appearances.

NO. 1 SNAKE RIVER 67, NO. 8 BUHL 18: Reese Baldwin did a little bit of everything with nine points, eight rebounds, five steals and three assists as the Panthers (20-3) had little trouble in their state opener.

CLASS 2A

NO. 2 SODA SPRINGS 47, NO. 7 AMBROSE 27: The Cardinals (21-4) won a first-round tournament game for the first time in three years - last state title.

Zippy Somsen scored 14 points.

NO. 3 COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN 54, NO. 6 GRANGEVILLE 50: The Chargers (19-5) avenged an upset from two years ago over the very same team.

Ninth grader Trinity Holsinger oversaw it with 19 points.

NO. 5 WEST SIDE 48, NO. 4 RIRIE 44: Aubrie Barzee came within one rebound of a double with 13 points and nine rebounds as the Pirates (17-8) make it to the semifinal round for the first time in seven years.

NO. 1 MELBA 58, NO. 8 DECLO 31: Kendall Clark almost secured a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds as the Mustangs (24-0) kept their perfect season alive.

CLASS 1A (DI)

NO. 2 PRAIRIE 67, NO. 7 GREENLEAF FRIENDS ACADEMY 23: Tara Schlader nearly outscored the opposing team herself with 22 points as the Pirates (20-5) cruised in their opener.

NO. 3 RAFT RIVER 70, NO. 6 LIBERTY CHARTER 38: Reagan Jones almost had a double-double with 15 points and eight steals as the Trojans (22-3) eased into the semis.

NO. 5 OAKLEY 32, GRACE 28, OT: Bentley Cranney had seven of her 12 points in the extra period as the Hornets (20-4) survived and advanced.

NO. 1 LAPWAI 69, NO. 8 LAKESIDE 9: Freshman Jaelyn McCormack-Marks had almost as many steals (seven) as the opposing team did points in the Wildcats’ (24-1) lopsided affair.

She also had 14 points.

CLASS 1A (DII)

NO. 2 ROCKLAND 57, NO. 7 GARDEN VALLEY 31: The Bulldogs (21-3) looked impressive in the first game of their title defense.

Autumn Farr led the way with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.

NO. 6 COUNCIL 56, NO. 3 KENDRICK 41: Rhianna Iveson posted 15 points, four assists and three rebounds as the Lumberjacks (15-5) made it back-to-back semifinal appearance with the first-round upset.

NO. 4 DIETRICH 63, NO. 5 LEADORE 49: Hailey Astle and Aleigha Robertson put up 21 points apiece, as the Blue Devils (21-3) rolled into the semis.

They also combined for 11 rebounds with Astle having seven of them.

NO. 1 DEARY 42, NO. 8 CLARK FORK 20: Araya Wood chalked up 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as the Mustangs (18-2) won just their second first-round game since 1982.