Weiser solidly beats Payette and McCall to advance to play-in game

by Zane Davis

 They did it! The Lady Wolverines started off the Snake River Valley (SRV) District Tournament in the third seed position with a 7-3 regular season record, behind the Fruitland Grizzlies and the Parma Panthers, which pitted them against the fifth place Payette Pirates in the first round of play. 

 The Lady Wolverines easily dispatched the Pirates, but unfortunately suffered a disappointing loss to the Parma Panthers in the second round of play. The loss against the Panthers pushed the Lady Wolverines into the loser’s bracket and resulted in the next round play against the Homedale Trojans in their attempt to secure a berth in the 2022 Idaho 3A State Basketball Tournament.

 As the higher seed, the Lady Wolverines hosted the game and in true Wolverine fashion, the Weiser fans came out to support their team, aiding the hard-working Lady Wolverines into a 59-40 win.

 As the Lady Wolverine defense kept the Trojan shooters at bay, allowing only seven attempts, of which they scored 8-points from the field and 2-points from the free throw line. However, the Wolverines struggled to get their shots to fall, as well. Despite shooting seven for 20, the Lady Wolverines still outscored the Trojans 17-10. 

 Kailee Lerew had a 3-pointer and a free throw, while Ivy Morris also had a 3-point bucket and a shot inside. Mattie Shirts added 4-points inside, while Tobie Noyer and Kendall Rynearson had 2-points apiece.

 The Lady Wolverines continued to push forward in the second quarter with an additional 5-points from Morris, and 2-points apiece by Jasi Yraguen, Shirts and Noyer. However, Wolverine fouls placed Trojan shooters on the line 12 times, of which they capitalized on eight of the opportunities. In addition to the 8-points from the charity stripe, the Trojans added nine additional points from the field to outscore the Lady Wolverines 17-11.

 Following the halftime break, the Lady Wolverines had a slim 28-27 lead, but their time in the locker room must have been restful and inspiring because the Lady Wolverines had the hot shooting hands throughout the third quarter. 

 Noyer was on fire with two baskets from beyond the arc and two baskets inside, while Shirts found her way into the paint and found success 67 percent of the time with 9-points. Macy Maloney added a bucket for a quarter total of 21-points, all while holding the Trojans to only eight shots and a total of 6-points.

 Leading 49-33, Shirts continued to push her way into the paint for three baskets and 100 percent from the line for 2-points. Noyer added another 2-points for a game total of 59-points, while the Trojans managed only one basket from the field, but Wolverine fouls allowed the Trojans 5-points from the free throw line. Despite giving the Trojans the free scoring opportunities, the Wolverine lead was insurmountable and the Lady Wolverines took the game 59-40.

 Mattie Shirts led the Lady Wolverines with an impressive 23-points, while Tobie Noyer was no slouch, with a big 16-point game. Ivy Morris added 10-points to the cause, while Kailee Lerew had 4-points. Jasi Yraguen, Macy Maloney and Kendall Rynearson each added 2-points apiece.

Weiser vs. McCall 

Feb. 10

 The victory over the Trojans, eliminated Homedale from the District Tournament, while the Lady Wolverines advanced in the consolation bracket to face the Vandals from McCall-Donnelly High School. 

 A win against the Vandals would qualify the Lady Wolverines to compete in a play-in game and potentially secure a State Tournament berth.

 Throughout the regular season, the Lady Wolverines had bested the Vandals on two previous meetings, and hoped to add to their win column, which they did handily in a 47-33 win on their home court at Weiser High School.

 The Lady Wolverines held the Vandals to only eight shots and 10-points, while Macy Maloney and Mattie Shirts added 5-points apiece. Tobie Noyer had 4-points and Ivy Morris had 2-points to take a 16-10 first quarter lead.

 Shots were hard to come by in the second quarter, with only 4 for 15 shooting from the field. Yraguen, Maloney, Noyer, and Rynearson added 8-points apiece, while the Weiser defense limited the Vandals to nine shots and 4-points.

 Leading 24-14, the Lady Wolverines continued to struggle with shots, and what seemed like a lid over their basket, scoring only 9-points during the quarter. Tobie Noyer had 4-points during the third period, with Mattie Shirts scoring 3-points, and Jasi Yraguen adding 2-points. 

 Numerous Wolverine fouls enabled the Vandals to score 8-points in free throws, while they added 6-points from the field. 

 Despite the rough quarter, the Lady Wolverines maintained a slim 33-28 lead by the end of the third quarter.

 The fourth quarter was all Lady Wolverines, with the Vandals being limited to a mere 2-points from the field and 3-points from the line. Meanwhile, Macy Maloney and Mattie Shirts combining for 14-points. The Lady Wolverines took the game 47-33.

 Macy Maloney and Mattie Shirts added 13-points apiece, with Tobie Noyer close behind with 10-points. Ivy Morris added 5-points, with Jasi Yraguen and Kendall Rynearson having 4-points and 2-points, respectively.

 The win advanced the Lady Wolverines to the last leg of their State Tournament quest, which is to compete in a play-in game in Grangeville, Idaho against the number two team in the Northern Idaho District.