Middleton vowed to return to state finals. It spoiled a perfect season to do it
Middleton coach Marianne Blackwell pledged the Vikings would return to the state championship game a year ago.
And on Friday night, her team backed her up.
Middleton spoiled Rigby’s perfect season and suffocated the Trojans all night, rolling to a 60-43 victory in the semifinals of the 6A girls basketball state tournament at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
Third-seeded Middleton (21-4) voluntarily made its return to the championship more difficult in the offseason, opting to petition up to the state’s top classification. But the Vikings wanted to prove they belong on the state’s biggest stage, and they backed up that gamble again Friday.
“It’s a big statement for us, petitioning up,” Middleton senior point guard Zoey Blackwell said. “Nobody wanted us in this conference. But we proved it and showed that we should be here, because we’re back in the state championship where we belong.”
Middleton will face top-seeded Eagle (24-2) for the 6A title at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Idaho Center.
[Related: State tournament scoreboard | Title predictions | Scouting reports on all 48 teams]
The Vikings had never won a state tournament game in the state’s top classification until Thursday. But Middleton returned all but one player from last year’s 5A state runner-up, and that veteran squad continued to make history Friday.
Middleton’s trademark pressure defense flummoxed second-seeded Rigby repeatedly. The Trojans (24-1) held a height advantage all over the floor. But they could never exploit that edge as Middleton swarmed the ball and forced Rigby onto its back foot.
Marianne Blackwell said the Vikings switched all screens except ones involving Rigby center Lauren Burnside, relying on a host of athletic defenders to pick up whatever assignment they drew. That denied Rigby entry passes into the paint and forced Burnside to the perimeter for touches.
The result? Middleton forced 16 turnovers to hold Rigby 16 points below its season average on 12-for-35 (34%) shooting.
“We’ve watched a lot of film, and we noticed that they haven’t been pressed a lot,” Zoey Blackwell said. “And that’s kind of our bread and butter, to press teams and just get them tired and worn out.
“That’s kind of what happened there in that game. I think that definitely won it for us.”
Foul trouble threatened to keep Rigby in the game as Zoey Blackwell picked up her third foul with 6:03 left in the second quarter. The Trojans promptly mounted a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to two. But Middleton rolled the dice and re-entered its Wyoming signee with 3:43 left until halftime, and she sparked a 9-0 run.
“She’s awesome,” Middleton junior post Megan Stewart said. “Her coming in and setting that tone for us, it definitely helps us feed off of her.”
Zoey Blackwell did foul out with 3 minutes left, but the game was long decided. She finished with 21 points while sinking 11-of-11 free throws, and Stewart added 15 points and a team-high five rebounds as the Vikings’ top post presence.
“It’s unbelievable. The girl just has a nose for the ball,” Marianne Blackwell said of Stewart. “There’s no doubt, and she never gives up.”
The loss dropped Rigby into the third-place game for the second time in three years. The Trojans will face Coeur d’Alene for a chance to bring home a trophy at 12 p.m. Saturday at Timberline.
Senior guard Kinzley Larsen topped the Rigby stat sheet Friday with 12 points. Burnside added eight points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Breleigh Youngstrom also scored eight points.
This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 10:48 PM.
