Iml Entrants Set To Get Answers

Girls A-2 state basketball

After a heartbreaking finish to its season a year ago, when it lost a winner-to-state game, Lakeland overcame disappointment in convincing fashion this season.

Lakeland (19-1 overall) averaged 60 points a game while allowing opponents half as many. The Intermountain League champs were more dominant in league, beating conference teams by a 36.5-point margin.

But the prevailing theory is a team can’t experience success at state until it has overcome the associated pressures of a state environment only learned through frequent visits. And Lakeland hasn’t been there since 1992.

Lakeland coach Steve Seymour believes his team will conquer the intangibles.

“These girls are athletic and intelligent,” Seymour said. “I don’t see them playing any differently at state. We have great chemistry.”

St. Maries also hasn’t been to state for a while - since 1990.

For Lakeland, the question is whether it is as good as its record indicates.

For St. Maries, the question is whether it is good enough to win a game.

Lakeland will meet District III runner-up Fruitland (15-10) at 12:45 PST today in the State A-2 tourney’s first game. St. Maries takes on District V champ Preston (13-10) at 5:30.

In the other openers, Sugar-Salem (20-3) meets Filer (14-10) and Weiser (21-1), runner-up last year, takes on American Falls (20-5).

Lakeland vs. Fruitland

There’s no doubt the Hawks are the team of the future in the state. They hope the future arrives this week.

The Hawks start two seniors - wing Anika Duvall and post Megan Egbert. The other starters are sophomores: point guard Stacey Douglas, guard Ashley Jamison and forward Micki Desmarais.

Four other sophomores play key roles off the bench - post Sarah Hansen, wing Lindsay VonBehren, wing Jessica Austad and post Kristin Harwood.

Seymour doesn’t plan to deviate from what’s been the key to the Hawks’ success - full-court pressure. Much of Lakeland’s offense has come off turnovers or early baskets in transition.

“We know we’re going to see teams that will probably handle the pressure better than most of the teams we’ve played,” Seymour said. “But it’s not time to reinvent the wheel. Good teams are going to handle the pressure. If we can continue to score points in transition, the happier I’ll be because I don’t have to coach.”

Duvall would love to be around for the next two years. But she’s optimistic about the Hawks’ chances this week.

“We need to take advantage of our speed. That’s when we play our best,” Duvall said. “We need to be in constant motion.”

Preparing for the unknowns that pop up at state concern Duvall.

“There are a lot of concerns actually,” she said. “I just want us to be relaxed.

“At the beginning of the year, we set our goals. I’m not saying we’re going to win state, but we have realistic expectations. We want to be playing in some game Saturday.”

St. Maries vs. Preston

Lumberjacks coach Bryan Chase was a senior at St. Maries the last time the girls team went to state. His wife, Heather, was a junior on the team.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Chase, who has turned the program around quickly in his second year.

The year before Chase took over, St. Maries was 2-20. Last year, the Lumberjacks finished 9-12 and third at district.

Senior guard Tiffany Holdahl, a four-year letterman and three-year starter, has been through the worst and the best of times. The other four senior starters have been with the team the past three years.

“It’s been a 180-degree turnaround,” Holdahl said.

While the ‘Jacks lost decisively to Lakeland’s Hawks twice in league - 60-32 and 59-36 - they aren’t expecting to make an early state exit.

“Nobody expected us to go in the first place,” senior post Essie Nelson said.

“We’ve got some good shooters, good post players and if we get our free-throw shooting on track, who knows what we can do down there,” Chase said.

Notes

The Hawks have been led by Desmarais (10.5 points per game), Duvall (9 ppg) and Hansen (7.7 ppg).

The Lumberjacks have been led by Holdahl (9.5 ppg) and Nelson (8 ppg).

Fruitland is led by guard Tracy Kofoed (14 ppg), considered one of the top guards in Boise.

Preston is led by the Bobka sisters - senior post Stacy (14 ppg) and junior post Alison (8 ppg).

American Falls qualified for state by eliminating defending champ Bear Lake at district.

“In my opinion, Bear Lake is still the best team in the state,” American Falls coach Gary Aldous told the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello.