STATE 4A GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT:Always adjusting ... Timberlake embraces new faces, weathers injuries on path to state

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

Sometimes, teams come into a season with a plan for just how things are going to come together from the first practice to the final moments of the season.

Sure, there can be bumps in that road.

But eventually, if you’re patient enough, you’ll get there eventually.

So you’ll excuse Timberlake High girls basketball coach Matt Miller if he’s still a little unsure of just how far his team can really go.

Timberlake lost senior guard Sophi Soumas to a torn ACL before the season started, then sophomore Shea Jones, a starting post, missed the first two months of the season with a back injury.

Add in junior Macy Murphey, who transferred from Lake City High and another transfer, junior Sophie Holecek from Coeur d’Alene High, and things remained in flux for the first month of the season.

“In November and December, we really didn’t know what we were going to look like,” said Miller, in his 21st season as coach. “We didn’t know if the transfers were going to be eligible to play varsity basketball. Shea had a back injury that she’d been struggling with for a couple of months, and we didn’t know if she was going to be back.”

Add in senior guard Malia Miller missing time with a knee injury suffered on Dec. 9 at Sandpoint, and the rotation was constantly in flux.

“We just had some stuff going on,” Miller said. “Malia missed a couple of games and we had some sicknesses and players missing games due to injury. Everything has really been up in the air, but we’ve been trying to be flexible and adjust on the fly to what we have and haven’t had.”

Senior Payton Young has been on varsity all four years, but missed most of last season with a torn ACL suffered in a game at Frenchtown in December of 2024.

“It’s been super different, especially with all the transfers,” Young said. “We’ve had a bunch of new girls that are freshmen this year, and it’s just been different. We’ve been playing with coach for the last 11 years, and we’re playing a zone defense. Which is crazy to me because we’ve played man all these years. It just shows how different it is.”

Young is averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Timberlake starters — Murphey, Malia Miller, Young, Holecek and Jones — have played four games with each other on the court at the same time this year.

“Our players, they work really hard and they’re really skilled,” Matt Miller said. “We’ve had some girls transfer over that have made a big deal, and the girls that are here that we’ve had are going a good job of contributing. It’s just been a tough thing to get everything to mesh together. Tonight (Feb. 9 when Timberlake beat Bonners Ferry at districts to qualify for state), we were down a player (sophomore Kenna Brotherton, a transfer from North Idaho Christian), and I think we’ve had four games out of our 20 that we’ve had everyone playing. We’re still getting used to each other and how everything fits. It’s the postseason, so hopefully we learn that quick in the next week to try to reach as high as our potential will go.”

Murphey, who is averaging 19.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game, played in the state 5A championship game as a freshman at Lake City High, when the Timberwolves finished runner-up to Coeur d’Alene in 2024.

“It’s been good here so far,” Murphey said. “All the basketball girls have been super welcoming. I spend most of my time with them, so it’s been a good transition.”

Holecek suffered a season-ending knee injury last January while playing for Coeur d’Alene against Sandpoint. Holecek, who also plays soccer, was cleared to return to playing in November. As a freshman, Holecek suffered a shoulder injury that cost her a chance to play at state for the Vikings. Holecek is averaging 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

“It’s a lot more team-oriented here,” Holecek said. “We all fight for each other and win for each other. Everything we do, we do for each other. It’s all together as one. I haven’t been able to play at state the last two years, so I’m really excited to get to play this year.”

Malia Miller, the daughter of Matt Miller and assistant coach Molly Miller, missed her sophomore season after suffering a knee injury in 2024. Miller is averaging 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 4.4 steals per game.

She returned last season to help Timberlake finish third at state for the second straight year.

“We haven’t played tons of games together, but with each one, we’ve continued to get better,” Malia Miller said. “Our teamwork seems to build each time.”

Timberlake (14-6), the tournament’s third seed, opens at state against sixth-seeded Weiser (14-6) at Skyview High in Nampa on Thursday.

“I think we've got a good chance at it all,” Murphey said. “It’s a really good group of girls and playing at state with Malia and Payton, it’s going to be fun. We’ve got a lot of different players that are shooters and our posts are getting better, which will be really helpful. Our main thing is that we’ve got shooters. Sugar-Salem is someone that we’ll probably see if we make it to the championship games, and they run a zone. Having shooters will be good for that.”

“The girls have done a great job making the adjustments this year,” Matt Miller said. “It’s probably a little whiplash for them for us to be working on something personnel-wise, and we don’t have someone the next day and have to totally scrap that.”

Timberlake has competed in nine state title games since 2011, the last in 2023, winning four, all under Matt Miller.

“This has been the most flexible year I’ve had,” Matt Miller said. “We had a plan of playing a certain way and running a couple of offenses and defenses, then ended up changing it all throughout the course of the season. For me, personally, I’ve never had to be this flexible throughout a season.”

Timberlake is seeking its first state title since 2021, the second of back-to-back wins.

“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” said Malia Miller, who has signed with NAIA Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore. “There’s a lot of things that can come into play, but with our effort and some luck, it goes our way.”