THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Another local powerhouse, and an injured former T-Wolf

Speaking of teams that just continue to win, year after year, despite roster turnover …

The North Idaho Christian girls basketball team recently completed a 23-3 season, culminated by their sixth straight Mountain Christian League Tournament championship.

Two of those three losses this season came against 3A power Timberlake.

The Royals, of Hayden, have won 13 MCL league and tournament titles under Jerry Bittner, in his 19th season as coach.

Bittner was understandably proud of his two seniors, 5-foot-7 guard Danica Kelly and 5-7 wing Symone Pilgrim.

“During Danica and Symone’s four years we have won 104 games,” Bittner said. “Both are straight-A students. Both are going into nursing. Both made the all-league first team three years in a row. Danica has led the state in assists (based on statistics posted to MaxPreps) for three straight years and will end up with over 500. Symone led the state in rebounds her sophomore year, finished third last year and will be in the top five this year.”

Pilgrim had 15 rebounds in a loss at Timberlake on Jan. 31.

“Danica will end up with over 1,100 points for her four years and Symone over 1,000. I think both will have over 500 steals,” he added.

Bittner said Kelly has attracted interest from some seven colleges, and said she is most interested in attending Community Colleges of Spokane or Wenatchee Valley College.

“Two special kids that love the game,” Bittner said.

THIS WEEKEND was to have been Kolton Mitchell’s first homecoming of sorts.

But, injuries happen.

The Idaho State men’s basketball team is scheduled to play at Eastern Washington tonight in Cheney, then play Saturday vs. Idaho in Moscow.

Mitchell, the career scoring leader at Lake City High, was seeing a fair amount of minutes off the bench as a freshman guard for the Bengals.

But Mitchell, ISU’s primary backup point guard, suffered a hand injury in December, had surgery and is out for the season.

An Idaho State athletics spokesperson said Mitchell will be receiving a medical redshirt for the season.

The 6-foot-1 Mitchell played in ISU’s first 10 games, his final game being Dec. 9 at Southern Utah. He averaged 7.3 points in 17.9 minutes per game. He shot 48% (26 of 54) from the field, including 40% (10 of 25 from 3-point range). He was 11 of 14 (79%) from the line, and totaled 21 assists and 10 steals.

He scored a season-high 18 points in a 69-55 win at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., on Nov. 21, hitting 4 of 8 3-pointers.

Idaho State was 4-6 when Mitchell was sidelined, and is 11-14, 6-6 Big Sky Conference heading into this weekend’s games.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.