Unstoppable junior powers Boise to 16th straight win. ‘I took this game personally.’
When Avery Howell gets her hands on the ball, opponents can only hope to contain the 6-foot junior forward.
Eagle had no such luck Saturday.
Howell poured in 33 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Brave to a 62-34 dismantling of the Mustangs and their 16th straight victory.
“She raises our level of intensity in play, both in practice and in games, and she’s going to hold herself to that higher standard,” Boise coach Kim Brydges said. “It was awesome to see the ball fall for her.”
Boise (16-1, 9-0 5A SIC) fell to Lake City 73-62 in its first game of the season on Nov. 11. But they’ve won 16 straight since, winning by an average of 31.9 points, taking the lead in the 5A SIC standings and climbing to No. 3 in the latest Idaho girls basketball state media poll.
“It’s been about spreading the wealth every game,” Howell said. “We have all these different goals that we’re trying to reach … and I think reaching those every single game has been a big part of it.”
Howell, a reigning first-team All-Idaho pick, wasted no time running the floor. She knocked down several early jumpers to put Boise up 13-0, and a steal and layup ballooned the lead to 22-2 just before the end of the opening quarter.
A second-quarter surge by Lizzy Tommasini and Emily Rasmussen helped Eagle (7-10, 6-2) cut the deficit to 22-12. But the Mustangs never got any closer, as Howell used two third-quarter surges to swell the lead to 50-27.
Howell scored 21 second-half points, finishing 12-for-17 with four assists, three steals and a block. Teammate Kaity Haan added 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting with three blocks.
“This is the most important time of the season, so it’s really about stepping up to these challenges,” Howell said. “I took this game personally, and it was a big game where I needed to show up.”
Rasmussen led Eagle with 10 points off the bench, and Paige Cofer added seven. But the Mustangs were limited to 11-for-40 (27.5%) shooting. Boise shot 25-for-42 (59%) from the field, including 14-for-19 in the second half.
“We jumped on (Eagle) early and we’ve been preaching defensive-end things, letting that fuel our offense,” Brydges said. “What I want to do, every quarter, every practice and every game, is come out with the same intensity.
“This is just a really fun group. The chemistry is awesome, and I’m really pleased with them.”
SATURDAY’S STANDOUTS
Owen McBride and Logan Haustveit, Mountain View (boys basketball): Scored 16 points each in a 61-43 win over Timberline to keep the Mavericks in first place in the 5A SIC.
Machaon Savedra, Rocky Mountain (boys basketball): Scored a team-high 16 points in the Grizzlies’ 61-55 win over Nampa.
Tucker Lowber, Melba (boys basketball): Led the Mustangs with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals in a 69-35 win over Ambrose.
Gavin Kelly, Garden Valley (boys basketball): Dropped 22 points to guide Garden Valley to a 68-44 win vs. Salmon River.
Rhianna Iverson and Kiana Tharp, Council (girls basketball): Notched eight points each to lead the Lumberjacks over Highland (Craigmont), 50-20.