A trip to southern Idaho for a state title was cut short for Lakeland girls’ basketball on Feb. 17.
In the first round, the girls defeated Bishop Kelly in an extremely close game by only three points. Advancement to the semifinals followed, and the Hawks moved past the first game for the first time since 2009.
“Our defense was really good, and we were pushing the ball. It felt good having a game under us, and we had a better idea of what to expect,” Karstyn Kiefer said.
Landree Simon and Lila Kiefer scored 15 and nine points for the Hawks, respectively.
Lakeland moved to a record of 9-1 in their last ten games, only two of which were on their home court.
Following the win, the Hawks unfortunately lost to Shelley 68-42 in an even bigger arena than the previous game. After losing to the undefeated Russets, the girls knew they could not suffer another loss moving forward, which brought definite and intense pressure.
Lakeland fell to the second-seeded Pocatello Thunder 56-44 the following day. The defeat led to the girls scoring fourth in the Idaho 4A state tournament.
Simon led the team with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight steals.
The Thunder had various great athletes, and the Hawks had trouble getting their shots to fall. Not to mention, exhaustion becomes a factor towards the end of the tournament.
Despite not bringing home the trophy, the Hawks should feel triumphant, as it was the first time they even made it to the tournament since 2019.
When next season arrives, the Hawks will be sure to practice more intensely for a stage as large as the state tournament.
“It will help our mindsets knowing we can go to state; this year, we knew we could beat Sandpoint,” Karstyn Kiefer said.
The boy’s team’s season ended in the first round in the 4A tournament against Sandpoint. With the Bulldogs scoring the last nine points in the matchup, the Hawks were bumped out of the running for a state championship. The devastating loss left Lakeland with a record of 9-12.
