The Lady Dragons finished their regular season undefeated in conference play as they delivered a dominant performance on Wednesday night against the  Soda Springs Cardinals, defeating them 52–22 behind relentless defense, balanced scoring, and control of the boards.

Malad set the tone early, in the game, jumping out to a 17–11 lead after the first quarter before tightening defensively in the second.  Nearly a minute into the game, Brynnlee Jones put the first points on the scoreboard as she hit a three pointer from the right corner.  Mikell Keetch brought the ball down, dribbling to the right off the screen from Kiley Miller.  Finding Izzy Haycock open on the right wing, she connected with the pass.  Jones popped out, completely unguarded, catching Haycock’s pass for a smooth shot.

The Cardinals high-pressure defense made every score hard earned for the MHS team.  The Malad offense executed at a high level, finessing every pass, move and shot to make any headway at the basket.  Keetch was especially hard for the Soda Springs defense to rein in, going 2/2 at the free throw line, driving to the basket for lay-ins while also hitting from behind the arc. 

The Lady Dragons held Soda Springs to just 3 points in the second quarter while adding 13 of their own to take a 30–14 lead into halftime.  The effective MHS offense couldn’t be attributed to a single player as five of the Lady Dragons found scoring opportunities throughout the quarter.  Jones made another big splash with a three pointer from the top of the key as the second quarter began, the senior going 4/7 (57%) on arc shots for the night.

Defensive hustle and offensive shifted into a number of scoring opportunities for the MHS team.  Miller converted her signature in-your-face defense into a 2 vs 1 lay-in finish at the other end of the court.  Liv Nelson made the most of her rebounding, defensively taking possession while also adding second chance baskets for Malad.    

Changing tactics in some regards during the second quarter, pulling off their full court pressure and turning to various half court defenses, Malad continued to control the tempo in the second half.  Focusing on set execution, the Lady Dragons patiently created scoring opportunities.  Working through their play of one particular instance, Keetch dribbled the ball to the right wing as her teammates maneuvered around the court.  The Cardinal defense flowed along, seemingly stopping the play’s objective when Haycock came cutting down the right lane, receiving the pass from Keetch for a simple scoop shot for two points.

The Lady Dragons outscored Soda Springs 16–6 in the third quarter, beginning the final period of the game 46-20.  Midway through the fourth quarter, Malad found themselves up 50-21 before having a baseline inbound opportunity under their own basket.  Sealing her defender behind her, Jette Nelson caught the pass from Haycock to add two more points to the MHS score and put them up by 31 points.  Triggering the running clock, the final minutes of the game saw Soda Springs add only one point to their score, the Lady Dragons closing the game with a 6–2 fourth quarter to secure the 30-point win.

  Defensively, Malad limited Soda Springs to just 7-for-46 shooting from the field (15%), including 4-for-26 from three-point range. The MHS team finished 21-for-55 (38%) from the floor and 5-for-16 (31%) from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, Malad capitalized on opportunities, going 5-for-6 (83%), while Soda Springs struggled at 4-for-14 (29%).

Rebounding proved to be a major advantage for Malad, who out-rebounded Soda Springs 41–21. The Lady Dragons grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and 29 defensive boards, creating second-chance opportunities while limiting Soda Springs to one-shot possessions. Ball movement and defensive pressure were also key, as Malad recorded 16 assists, 11 steals, and 6 blocks, forcing 16 Soda Springs turnovers.

Individually, Keetch led all scorers with 17 points (100%), adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.  Jones followed with 12 points and 5 rebounds, providing consistent scoring inside. Haycock posted a well-rounded performance with 6 points, 4 rebounds, a team-high 5 assists, and 3 steals, whileMiller added 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Liv Nelson anchored the defense with a game-high 11 rebounds and 4 blocks, while also contributing 4 points and 2 assists. 

As a team, the Lady Dragons finished the 52 point game, 40 rebounds, 14 assists, 9 steals, 7 deflections, and 4 blocks—numbers that reflect the depth, defensive intensity, and unselfish play that defined the night.

The game left Malad undefeated (9-0) in conference play with an end of season record of 19-2.  The two losses the Lady Dragons suffered were at the hands of Bear Lake, who they split games with season, and the 6A Lehi Pioneers for a combined loss of only 10 points.

The night also recognized the seniors of the MHS team, Izzy Haycock, Brynnlee Jones, Mikell Keetch, Kiley Miller and Liv Nelson.  After the game, Head Coach Trevor Jones shared about the night with a chuckle, “Ya so many emotions about senior night. I think I stood too close to the fog machine and something got in my eyes!” 

Commenting on his team he said, “What a journey!  It has been such a process to see them from the early years and to see their transformation into becoming not only great players, but most importantly, just great human beings! Couldn’t ask for better leaders and teammates.” 

He continued, “They show up, put in the work and have FUN doing it! I’m truly grateful to be a part of it. Can’t wait to see what they will accomplish. They have BIG goals and still have a couple big ones still to accomplish in the next couple of weeks!”

The Lady Dragons now move into their post-season tournament play, beginning with their first district tournament game on Thursday, February 5.  As the #1 seed of the district, the MHS team will host the game and looks to play the winner of the Soda Springs vs West Side game.  Winning the game would advance them to the championship game held Monday, February 9.