It was a week of victories for the Lady Dragons, three games that set them ahead in key ways as they play through the final weeks of their regular season.  The Victories included a 50-38 win over 4A Marsh Valley, a 58-32 feat against conference foes- the Declo Hornets, and a final 68-40 victory over district adversary, Soda Springs.

Playing at home, the MHS team had looked forward to their matchup against the tough, Marsh Valley team.  Just as they expected, the Eagles brought a tough defense, a defense that kept them scoreless in nearly the first three full minutes of the game.  But once the Lady Dragons started scoring, the Eagles could hardly hold them back.

Liv Nelson started things off for Malad, making a shot from the right block.  Izzy Haycock was next to connect with the basket, sending up a deep shot from the left arc, taking advantage of Marsh Valley out of position after some fast ball movement around the court.  

The Eagles set up in a full court press, an effort that did little to stop the MHS team.  Instead, the Lady Dragons used the length of court to zig zag the ball down, finishing the play with a bounce pass into Nelson on the left block for the easy basket.  In a likewise manner, Malad also went into full court pressure, a strategy that resulted in several Marsh Valley turnovers which in turn resulted in several scoring opportunities. 

Despite the slow start, the Malad offense put up 20 points in the opening quarter, led by Haycock with 9, while holding Marsh Valley to just 6.

The Eagles had their best scoring quarter against the Lady Dragons as they played into the second quarter, but they still couldn’t outpace them as they fell farther behind, ending the half 34-19.

Little changed as the two teams moved into the second half.  Malad continued to dominate on the boards, outrebounding Marsh Valley 36-22.  They outpaced them in field goals, hitting 19/55, while the Eagles were 15/45, as well as freethrow, going 63% over the MV 50%

As the game ended, the MHS team handed Marsh Valley their second loss of the season, their only other coming from Preston that was decided in an overtime battle.

Taking to the road the following day, the Lady Dragons traveled to Declo to squash another district opponent.  The MHS team strung together another big opening quarter, tallying 21 points.  Mikell Keetch and Brynnlee Jones each put up 9 nine point throughout the quarter, Keetch making her mark inside as she drove to the basket with Jones catching the Hornets on their heels as she hit multiple shots from the outside.

Malad slowed their pace in the second quarter, focusing on methodic play execution.  Over the second quarter, their strong defense held the Hornets to only 7 points, connecting with the basket only three times in the eight minute quarter.

Jumping back into a full court, fast paced game, the MHS team went on another big run in the third quarter, led once again by Keetch and Jones.  Not long into the fourth quarter, the Lady Dragons extended their lead by 30 points, triggering the running clock for the remainder of the game.  The game concluded with an easy decision in Malad’s favor, 50-38.

With only one practice to prepare, the Lady Dragons played their final road game of the season as they took on the Soda Springs Cardinals.  The MHS team prepared for an aggressive, fast paced full court game with a high pressure trapping defense.  Sure enough, the opening minutes of the game showcased exactly that, but to the Cardinal’s dismay, the Lady Dragons were hardly stopped by such efforts.  In fact, the full court game led to a number of scoring opportunities for Malad, forcing Soda Springs to rely on just their half court defense to hold them.

The opening minutes were hot for both teams, landing shots to keep the scoreboard neck and neck. But slowly the Malad team began to inch away, ending the opening quarter with 20 points.  

Beginning where they had left off, Malad continued to dominate the game, deciding the pace and the tone of the game.  The eight minutes of the second quarter saw the Lady Dragons put up another 21 points spread out amongst Kiley Miler, Haycock, Keetch, and Mady Vanbebber.  With so many players contributing to the MHS offense, the Cardinals found it impossible to shut it down.

On the other end of the court, Soda Springs only managed 6 points, half of them coming from free throws.  It was clear the Lady Dragons were in control of the game, regardless of the efforts the Soda Spring team made.

The Cardinals never fully gave into the MHS team, coming out in the second half to finally slow down the Malad offense.  Still, the Lady Dragons outscored Soda Springs 13-10 in the third quarter, widening the gap on the scoreboard.

Never letting up, Malad owned the fourth quarter, outscoring the Soda Springs 14-11.  Dominating all four quarters led to a final victory, 68-40.  The win was earned as the Lady Dragons dominated the glass, outrebounding Soda Springs 35–21, including a 13–9 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 22–12 edge on the defensive boards, creating multiple second-chance opportunities. 

Defensively, Malad imposed its presence with 8 blocks, led by Nelson with  compared to Soda Springs’ 1, along with 11 deflections to Soda Springs’ 5, disrupting passing lanes and offensive flow.

Keetch led the scoring with 18 points, while Haycock added 13 points and a team-high 6 assists to direct the offense. Jones chipped in 10 points and made an impact defensively with 3 steals and 3 blocks.

On the boards, Nelson dominated with a team-high 12 rebounds and also contributed 5 points, 4 assists, and 4 blocks, providing a strong presence in the paint. Vanbebber and Haycock each pulled down 5 rebounds, helping Malad control the glass. Defensive pressure was a constant, with Miller recording 4 steals and Paityn Ward adding 3 steals.

The Lady Dragons will finish up their finals weeks of the regular season at home.  The MHS team will host Aberdeen Friday, January 16 with the Wendell Trojans hitting the court the following day.