The Lady Dragons may have been ranked #1 in the district but it was up to them to actually claim the title of the 5th District champions.  Powering through the post season tournament, Malad claimed the win against the West Side Pirates in their first game, followed by a dominating victory over the Aberdeen Tigers in the championship round to earn the champion title and berth to the IHSAA State tournament.

Thursday, February 5, the Lady Dragons had their opening game of the tournament, hosting the Pirates after their win over Soda Springs.  West Side began the game with a strong, disciplined defense that made for little scoring opportunities for Malad.  Biding their time and wearing down the defense, the MHS offense began to sure midway through the first quarter.

The Lady Dragons capitalized on transition moments, scoring before the Pirate defense could get down the court and set up.  In one instance, Kiley Miller came driving down the court, going wide as the Pirates cut off her lane to the hoop.  But just as she cleared out, she zipped the pass into the block to meet Liv Nelson trailing her and open for the layup.

Izzy Haycock similarly drove to the hoop, this time attempting the shot and getting fouled, earning two points for Malad from the free throw line.  Mikell Keetch dumped a similar pass into Nelson as they came barreling down the floor, the senior forward scoring the basket and bonus point from the foul.

With three minutes remaining in the quarter saw the put up nine more points from Brynnlee Jones and Keetch, Jones hitting a three pointer to beat the buzzer, to end the quarter 25-6. 

Their strong start could only be surpassed by their third quarter surge, scoring 27 points after coming out from the half.  Keetch began the scoring, hitting a three pointer from the arc.  After gathering for a time out, Keetch drove to the basket to hit the lay-in, plus the foul shot to follow.  Mady Vanbebber got the pass from the inbound play, taking a dribble to collect herself before powering up for the score.  On their next inbounds play, the Pirates crashed inside, learning from the previous score.  The Lady Dragons took advantage of the open shot on the arc, Jones draining another three pointer for Malad.

Running away with the game, there was little West Side could do to slow the MHS tide.  In every aspect of the game, the Lady Dragons were a dominating force.  Malad shot an efficient 44% from the field, including 37% from three-point range, and made 64% of their free throws. The MHS team controlled the defensive glass with 27 boards and swatted six shots, limiting West Side to just 33% from the charity stripe. The Lady Dragons also outpaced the visitors in assists (16–8) and steals (10–7) to ultimately win 71-41.

Jones led all scorers with 21 points, adding four rebounds and two blocks in a strong all-around performance. Keetch followed with 17 points and three assists, while Nelson contributed nine points, six rebounds, and a game-high three blocks. 

Advancing to the championship round, the Lady Dragons were set to play #2 seed Aberdeen who narrowly beat Declo 47-39.  Once again, the MHS team played with intensity and aggression, controlling the game from the tip off.  Winning the first quarter (16-8) and second quarters (13-7), the Lady Dragons exploded when they stepped back on the court in the third quarter.

A full minute into the game, Miller brought the ball down to Lady Dragon territory to find Keetch open on the arc.  Stepping into the shot, Keetch drained the three pointer, setting a spark to the MHS offense.  Getting the kick back pass from Haycock’s drive, Keetch nailed a second three pointer on their next possession.  Not long after, she put in a third shot from the arc, this time from the deep left corner.

Malad continued to surge on offense, multiple players connecting with the hoop to expand the ever widening gap on the scoreboard.  Haycock powered her way down the right lane after the defensive steal, tapping the ball off the glass for another MHS score.  Haycock earned the assist on the next possession, finding Miller open to her left.  Hoping to slow the building momentum, the Tigers signaled for timeout following Malad’s impressive 13-0 run.

With half the quarter still left, the Lady Dragons continued to dominate, Paityn Ward, Vanbebber, Nelson, and Jones each putting in shots for Malad to help them finish the period up 55-25.  Malad finished the game with a 9-2 victory of the fourth quarter, the Tigers choosing to play with a running clock.  

Bringing in players off the bench, the Lady Dragon fans cheered as the starting seniors subbed out, playing for the final time on their homecourt.  The incoming players were eager for their opportunity, making the most of the few minutes remaining in the game.  With time closing out, Kassie Rupp brought the ball down the court, steering to the right where Emma Daniels was set to screen.  Coming off Daniels, Rupp connected with Paige Talbot in the corner.  Talbot worked the ball into Maci Arnout on the block who found herself well guarded, but her teammate Kennadee Thomas open on the opposite side.  Bounce passing around the defenders, Arnout moved the ball across the key, Thomas finishing the play with a strong shot from the block to close out the game.

Jones once again led the scoring effort with 15 points and eight rebounds. Keetch added 13 points and four assists, while Vanbebber provided a key scoring boost with 11 points. Haycock turned in a standout performance, recording eight points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Nelson anchored the paint with nine rebounds and two blocks. 

The MHS defense was the difference, holding Aberdeen to just 27 points and forcing 12 steals while controlling the boards with a strong rebounding advantage with 39 rebounds to Aberdeen’s 20. The team also shared the ball effectively, finishing with 19 assists.

Beaming with pride, Head Coach Trevor Jones shared, “ It’s Tournament Time! Super proud of our girls, they have worked hard all year to get ready for the end of the season tournaments. They had put themselves in a great spot to be the number one seed in the district.   To be able to execute and finish the tournament with a district championship, cut down the nets for the second year in a row, and to qualify for the state tournament really is a great accomplishment.”  

Steals were one of the most impressive parts of the Lady Dragons game on Monday.

Looking ahead he commented, “The girls have been playing at an elite level and hope that carries into the state tournament. We still have one BIG goal left, one more mountain to climb.  We are excited for the girls to go and play on the biggest stage in Idaho and see what they can do!”

With their spot at state secure, the Lady Dragons await the tournament seeding to learn when they will play their first game.  The 3A tournament will be hosted by Kuna High School beginning Thursday, February 19 with the championship game played at the Idaho Ford Center Saturday, February 21.