3A All-Idaho girls basketball team
GIRLS FIRST TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: KELSEY HIGGINSON, SNAKE RIVER
Why she is player of the year: The 5-foot-9 senior point guard led the Panthers to a state runner-up finish by averaging 16.0 points, 3.1 steals and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor. The four-year starter, including her freshman year at Davis High in Utah, also was a fierce defender.
Coach’s comment: “Best all-around player in 3A,” Snake River coach Jeff Steadman said.
What others are saying: “No matter what you do, she is going to play well. Deny her, and she will get open. Double-team her, and she is quick enough to get past or smart enough to find the open player,” South Fremont coach Ryan Erikson said.
What’s next: Higginson will continue her career at NCAA Division II Colorado Mesa University.
MADISON JACKSON, PARMA
Opponents will have to game-plan for the 5-10 point guard for another year, as she averaged 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.3 steals per game as a junior for Parma. Her speed, vertical leap and shooting ability created matchup problems.
KAYLA LUKE, SUGAR-SALEM
The 5-5 senior point guard averaged 9.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 83 percent from the free-throw line. “Amazing player on both ends of the floor,” Sugar-Salem coach Crystal Dayley said.
MACIE KNAPP, SUGAR-SALEM
The 5-9 junior guard led the state champs in scoring, averaging 12.7 points to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Knapp did even better in the state tournament, increasing her scoring average to 21 points a night.
GRACE PARKER, GOODING
Although the Senators did not qualify for state, the 5-10 junior guard’s talent did not go unnoticed. Parker regularly faced double teams, but she still averaged 21.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game, including three games of 30 or more points.
COACH OF THE YEAR: CRYSTAL DAYLEY, SUGAR-SALEM
Dayley guided the Diggers to a 25-2 record and the sixth state title in program history.
SECOND TEAM
Player | School | Height | Year | Position | Stats |
Savanah Crane | Sugar-Salem | 6-0 | Senior | Forward | 10.1 ppg, 9.4 reb, 2.1 stl |
Olivia Lecheminant | South Fremont | 6-0 | Junior | Center | 14.6 ppg, 7.3 reb |
Lilly Kelley | Timberlake | 5-5 | Senior | Guard | 11.1 ppg, 4.0 reb, 3.0 stl |
Shelby Starr | Timberlake | 5-7 | Senior | Guard | 10.8 ppg, 4.0 reb, 3.8 stl |
Brooke Jessen | Timberlake | 5-11 | Fresh. | Forward | 11.5 ppg, 7.3 reb, 2.2 stl |
HOW ARE THE TEAMS SELECTED?
The All-Idaho teams are selected by a statewide coaches’ vote. Coaches are asked to nominate their own players for their classification’s All-Idaho teams. They then vote on a ballot built from those nominations. The Idaho Statesman tabulates the votes and publishes the results.
This story was originally published March 23, 2018 at 9:19 AM with the headline "3A All-Idaho girls basketball team."