St. Maries bounces back

KUNA — When Kaci Haeg was whistled for a foul in the first quarter Thursday afternoon, St. Maries coach Jay Sines thought it was the first personal on the Lumberjacks junior post.

He said the scoreboard listed her for just one foul.

One of the St. Maries stat keepers suggested that might have been her second foul. The official book agreed.

But by the time Sines could get her out of the game, Haeg picked up her third foul — all in the first quarter.

She sat out the second quarter, then returned and scored 14 of her 16 points in the third quarter as St. Maries defeated the Malad Dragons 62-58 in a loser-out game of the state 2A girls basketball tournament Friday afternoon at Kuna High.

Senior post Kaylee Auer added 19 points for St. Maries (16-7), which will play West Jefferson (22-6) of Terreton today at 8:15 a.m. PST at Kuna High for the consolation title.

“We had the high-low going,” Sines said, noting Auer, from the high post, and Haeg, on the block, did most of the work, though Devyn Wilson stepped in at times, and Madison Cordell (nine assists) set up several baskets with dribble penetration.

“Defensively I think we were a little sluggish at times, but offensively we played real well. We got some transition points.”

Wilson finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for St. Maries.

Shawnee Simpson, a 6-foot-1 junior post, had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Malad (16-10). Britlynn Hubbard, a junior guard, added 15 points.

Sines said West Jefferson likes to play full-court, man-to-man pressure.

“They’re quick, fast,” Sines said. “We’ll see how we can handle the pressure.”

St. Maries finished fifth at state last year, in its first trip since 2002.

St. Maries 14 13 18 17 — 62

Malad 15 6 17 20 — 58

ST. MARIES — Sines 1, Borgman 1, Haeg 16, Cordell 9, Hill 0, Becktel 4, Wilson 12, Holder 0, Auer 19. Totals 20-44 21-34 62.

MALAD — Hudnell 0, Tripp 4, Green 6, Hannah 0, Willie 4, Peterson 1, Simpson 28, Hubbard 15. Totals 19-46 16-22 58.