Melba’s perfect season was slipping away. Then it showed what makes it a state champ
A perfect record looks so neat and clean on paper. But it rarely plays out that way on the court.
The Melba High girls basketball team faced its largest late-game deficit of the season in Saturday’s 2A state championship. But instead of panicking, the Mustangs rallied for a 55-46 win over Soda Springs at the Ford Idaho Center.
The state title marks No. 1 Melba’s second in the past three years, and it caps the first undefeated season (26-0) in program history.
“I’m just ecstatic,” Melba senior Kendall Clark said. “You can’t ask for a better ending to your career.”
That ending appeared in jeopardy when No. 2 Soda Springs (22-5) mounted a 17-1 run in the third quarter to take a five-point lead. But on a team loaded with veterans, Melba coach Dave Lenz credited senior Keylee Wilson for snapping the Mustangs out of their funk.
“Most teams would have probably not come back from that run in the third quarter from Soda Springs,” Lenz said. “But in the timeout … she kind of got in her teammates’ faces and got them going and told them, ‘We’re not backing down from this.’ ”
Melba didn’t back down, responding with a 14-4 run of its own and erupting for 22 points in the fourth quarter behind its bread and butter, a 1-2-2 press.
“I was yelling a lot,” Lenz said with a laugh. “But the kids did not panic. We had a lot of time left.”
Clark struggled to start the afternoon, but she closed the game in rare form to lead the comeback. The Northwest Nazarene signee and four-year starter finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. She scored 10 of those 18 points in the fourth quarter, sinking 8-of-9 free throws.
“All she’s been doing for this past week has been free throws, free throws, free throws,” Hallie Arnold said. “So it was nice to see her knock those down in a big moment.
“Free throws win championships.”
Saturday’s championship wraps up one of the most dominant seasons for an Idaho small-school program in recent years. Loaded with four returners from a state title team two years ago, Melba played a daunting schedule and still finished with a goose egg in the loss column.
The Mustangs beat perennial 1A power Lapwai in November. They swept two matchups with Columbia, a 4A state qualifier. And they went 3-0 against 5A competition at the TimberLion Tournament in Boise over the winter break.
Lenz said the goal was never to go undefeated. But after sweeping Middleton, Kuna and Mountain View, all eyes turned to the small-town program, which finished the year with an average margin of victory of 33.2 points per game.
Soda Springs was the last 2A girls basketball team to finish undefeated in 2019, beating Melba in the finals for its 53rd straight win and back-to-back state titles.
Soda Springs also spoiled Melba’s perfect record in the 2018 semifinals, so the Mustangs downplayed the undefeated talk all season. But with another championship banner in hand, Melba can comfortably discuss its place in the record books.
“I didn’t doubt them because Keylee is a vocal leader, Kendall and Hallie have been playing forever, and, obviously Brooklyn (Dayley) is a great point guard,” Lenz said.
“If any group could have done it, it was these guys.”
That quartet led Melba again Saturday. In addition to Clark’s double-double, Arnold scored 11 points, Dayley added 10 points and Wilson chipped in eight points, five rebounds and four steals.
“These girls are super competitive,” Lenz said. “They’re super confident. They don’t like to lose. And that’s what it takes.”
Senior Taylor Billman led Soda Springs with 16 points, and junior Jinettie Garbett added 13.
COLE VALLEY FALLS IN TROPHY GAME
West Side (18-9) used Aubrie Barzee (14 points), Natalie Lemmon (13 points) and Letti Phillips (11 points) to down Cole Valley Christian 49-41 in the 2A third-place game. Trinity Holsinger led the Chargers (19-7) with 20 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
SNAKE RIVER CROWNED 3A CHAMPS
Junior guard Rylie Edlefsen stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists to lead the Panthers to a 49-36 win over Timberlake in the 3A state championship game.
Junior Taylee Carlson added 11 points off the bench for No. 1 Snake River (23-3), which captured the second title in program history. The other came in 2013.
Freshman Malia Miller had 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals for Timberlake (22-3), which finished 0-for-12 on 3-pointers and 8-for-16 at the free-throw line.
WEISER EARNS TROPHY
Parma rallied from a 14-deficit in the first half, but the Wolverines held on to win 41-35 to capture the 3A consolation trophy for the second straight year. Tobie Noyer led Weiser (23-4) with 16 points, with Mattie Shirts adding 13. Rylie Calkins led the Panthers (20-6) with 13 points.
This story was originally published February 18, 2023 at 5:36 PM.
