STATE GIRLS BASKETBALL: Wallace, Kellogg bow out in two

NAMPA — As games go, sometimes you can fight as hard as you can and still come up a little short.

While going 0-2 in its first trip to state since 2008, Wallace didn’t go down without a battle throughout Friday’s 64-48 loss to the Notus Pirates in a state 1A Division I loser-out game at Columbia High.

“We kind of fell apart and kind of struggled with some pressure and turned over the ball,” said Wallace coach Nichole Farkas, whose team led after the first quarter for the second straight day. “We fought back, but it was just a little too late. The girls fought hard all season. I’m proud of them for getting here. We saw a different style of basketball than we see all the time. The girls competed as hard as they could.”

Wallace senior Jaden House had 25 points and seven rebounds. Wallace finishes 16-6.

“She does a great job,” Farkas said. “She works hard in the gym and we’ve got a great group of seniors that have been playing since they were little. It’s sad for them that this is the way it ended, but that’s the game of basketball.”

Victoria Ortega scored 18 points for Notus (17-4), which faces Oakley (18-7) in the consolation championship game today at Columbia High.

Wallace 19 1 10 18 — 48

Notus 16 18 17 13 — 64

WALLACE — Specht 5, Lewis 0, Hasz 0, House 25, Br. Phillps 13, Welch 0, Be. Philips 0, Hendrick 3, Hemphill 0, Hunter 2, Taylor 0. Totals 16-54 9-16 48.

NOTUS — Ortega 18, Telford 3, Emly 6, Vargas 0, Martinez 0, Rueda 0, Bethel 6, Smith 0, Peugh 17, Lowe 0, Cudaback 7, Grandeen 7. Totals 24-56 8-14 64.

Middleton 50

Sandpoint 45

MERIDIAN — Junior Kelsey Cessna scored 16 points for the Bulldogs, who came up short to the Vikings in a state 4A girls basketball tournament loser-out game at Mountain View High.

On Thursday, Sandpoint shot 9 of 31. Friday, the Bulldogs went 15 of 47, making 11 of 19 from the free throw line.

“We had a big talk about it, and it really got to us,” Cessna said. “We came out a little scared, but we improved a lot. I’m proud of how we ended it on that game. Everyone played hard and gave it all that they had.”

Sandpoint finishes 12-10.

“I was pleased with how we were able to bounce back from last night’s game,” said Sandpoint coach Will Love of the Bulldogs, who fell 42-24 to Preston in the opening round on Thursday. “We played much harder and I was really proud of the girls for that.”

Sandpoint was 8 of 25 shooting in the first half. Payton Hynas, who has signed with Lewis-Clark State scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half for Middleton (19-7), which faces Bishop Kelly (19-7) in the consolation championship today.

“We had a bunch of shots that were halfway down and popped back out,” Love said. “Maybe if we get a few more of those to drop in, it’s a different story. Payton Hynas is a great player and the people in Lewiston are going to enjoy watching her. She came out with the game on the line and hit some big shots for them in that third quarter. We were hoping that with the way we finished the second quarter we’d continue that into the third, but she’s a gamer and going to be the back-to-back Player of the Year for the SIC.”

Middleton 20 6 11 13 — 50

Sandpoint 10 13 7 15 — 45

MIDDLETON — Wyatt 0, Maughan 4, Winkel 0, Mortensen 6, Whitworth 10, Flowers 0, Fried 6, Leavitt 8, Hymas 14, Landis 2. Totals 19-59 8-12 50.

SANDPOINT — K. Cessna 16, Day. Driggs 10, Reinink 3, Tomco 6, Owens 1, Strock 9, Lyons 0, Platte 0. Totals 15-47 11-19 45.

Fruitland 72

Kellogg 63

EAGLE — Senior Hailey Cheney had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats, who went 0-2 at the state 3A tournament in their first appearance since advancing to the 2010 title game.

Fruitland junior guard Abbi Robidoux scored 35 points.

Kellogg finishes 13-7.

Fruitland (18-6) faces Weiser (20-8), who eliminated Timberlake in a play-in game, for the consolation title today.

Kellogg 11 11 17 24 — 63

Fruitland 11 19 17 25 — 72

KELLOGG — Coe 14, Nearing 13, H. Cheney 28, M. Cheney 3, Potts 0, Karst 0, Jerome 1, VanHoose 4, Reed 0. Totals 20-50 20-32 63.

FRUITLAND — Roubidoux 35, Hardy 0, Gibb 2, Phillips 0, Huff 11, Barnes 5, George 0, H. Drollinger 5, A. Drollinger 0, Jerman 3, Lindsey 0, Howell 0, Mooney 0, Fritts 11. Totals 26-61 15-23 72.