Weiser wins big in first round of district

 The Lady Wolverines finished up their regular season ranked number three in the Snake River Valley Conference and kicked off their post season SRV District Tournament play hosting the Homedale Trojans at Tom Falash Gymnasium.  
 With COVID-19 restrictions eased a bit for sporting events recently, fans of the Lady Wolverines were able to watch their team in person for the first time this season and the energy provided was a welcome change.
 The Lady Wolverines wasted no time getting on the board with a drive through the lane by Mattie Shirts followed by a shot by Tobie Noyer, giving the Wolverines a 4-0 lead with only two minutes off the clock.  
 The Wolverines hit a bumpy stretch where there seemed to be a lid placed on the basket, but the Wolverines broke through, finally, with a bucket from Jenifer Juarez.
 Leading 6-0, the Wolverines added another basket from Noyer and a pair of free throws during the first period and held the Trojans to only two baskets and two free throws for a 10-6 lead.
 The Lady Wolverines began the second quarter on fire from behind the arc with both Noyer and Ivy Morris hitting their mark and quickly increasing the Wolverine lead to 10-points, 16-6.  However, both teams were playing rather loosely with the fouls and the officials were catching them all, which put both teams in the bonus free throw shooting only a minute into the second quarter.  
 By the conclusion of the period, 14 free throws were attempted, but only the Wolverines capitalized on their opportunities with Maddy Erickson hitting four for four from the line.  
 The Wolverine full-court press was brutal on the struggling Trojans and  coupled with the impressive ball movement of the Wolverines, the Weiser ladies continued to add to their lead.
 Midway through the second period, a series of steals and turnovers prevented the Trojans from getting the ball past half court in four attempts. During that period, Juarez put up back-to-back shots, a long two-point basket, followed by a three-pointer, within seconds to pull the Wolverines ahead 23-12.   
 Erickson added six-points during the last four minutes of the half and Morris added another three-pointer in the waning seconds to give the Wolverines a commanding 32-16 lead.
 The Lady Wolverines exited the locker room after the halftime break on fire.  Noyer wasted no time putting up back-to-back lay-ups from feeds from her teammates down court. Shirts added a free throw and Erickson followed with a lay-up before the Trojans could even score with a free throw over two minutes into the third period.  
 The Wolverines proceeded to punish the Trojans with strong rebounding, defensive steals, and great court vision to find the open Wolverine down the court.  
 Leading 39-17, the Lady Wolverines went on a run to outscore the Trojans 17-3 during the quarter, but fouls were definitely a problem for the Wolverines, placing the Trojans on the line eight times.  Fortunately, the Trojans were only able to capitalize on one of their chances and the Wolverines ended the third quarter leading 57-20.
 Noyer accumulated ten-points in the third quarter, while Erickson had six-points, Shirts had four-points and Yraguen and Soliz had two-points apiece.
 With a 30-point lead, the fourth quarter resulted in a running clock and given the willingness of the referees to blow their whistle and the time it takes to shoot free throws, the fourth quarter was a quick eight minutes.  
 The Wolverines scored no points in their seven attempts from the field in the final period while the Trojans had a basket and two free throws. The lead was insurmountable and the Lady Wolverines took the game 57-24 and advanced them in the tournament in their quest to secure a berth in the 3A Idaho State Basketball Tournament.
 The Wolverines proved their defensive dominance with 20 steals against the Trojans and causing 33 turnovers to only 13 turnovers on the Wolverine side. The Wolverines also dominated the boards on both ends of the court with 50 total rebounds, led by Mattie Shirts with 14.  Sophomore, Tobie Noyer was at the top of the scoring stats for the Wolverines with 17-points and nine rebounds, followed closely by senior, Maddy Erickson, with 16-points and six rebounds. Mattie Shirts had seven-points and 14 big rebounds, while Jenifer Juarez had seven-points of her own and five rebounds. Ivy Morris had all of her points from beyond the arc with six-points and four rebounds and Rhianna Soliz and Jasi Yraguen had two-points apiece and one and five rebounds, respectively.