ORDER GAME PHOTOS 

The girls basketball state tournament landscape is starting to take shape.  Melba and Cole Valley Christian officially clinched spots to state by virtue of semifinal wins last night at the Class 2A District 3 Tournament.  Melba defeated Nampa Christian 67-26, while Cole Valley took out Ambrose 60-36.

The Mustangs and Chargers will meet on Tuesday, February 7th at Ridgevue High for the district championship.  You can watch that game on IdahoSports.com.  Because District 3 has 2.5 bids to state this year, though, Melba and Cole Valley are locks for state no matter what happens.

The most eye-opening result from Thursday night occurred at the Class 5A District 5-6 Tournament, where Rigby handed Thunder Ridge its first loss of the season in a 53-48 triumph.  The win allows Rigby to host next week's district championship game.  Thunder Ridge, meanwhile, will have to battle Madison in a loser-out game for the right to challenge Rigby again.

Rigby post Kambree Barber led all scorers with 21 points.  Kylie Dansie and Mylee Graham each finished with 11 for the Trojans, as well.

Thunder Ridge was paced by Kennedy Stenquist's 20 points.  Late in the fourth quarter, Stenquist had a good look at a possible game-tying three, but her shot spun out at the last moment, and the Trojans were able to put the game away at the free throw line.

The most exciting finish came in Raft River's 54-53 win over Murtaugh at the 1AD1 District 4 Tournament at Jerome High School.  Murtaugh made the game-winning basket as time expired, but the shot attempt came after the final buzzer had sounded.  Raft River will now face Oakley in the district championship game on February 7th at the College of Southern Idaho.  You can watch that game on IdahoSports.com. 

The biggest upset occurred at the Class 2A District 5 tournament, where third-seeded West Side defeated second-seeded Malad 46-38.  The Dragons swept the regular season series with the Pirates, but will now have to fight their way through the consolation side of the bracket.  West Side will now challenge Soda Springs in the undefeated semifinal on Saturday, February 4th.

Here is our updated bracketology.  A couple of notes first, though.  Teams that have officially clinched bids to state will now be filled in with bold font.

And we have a change in our 5A projections, as fifth-seeded Timberline defeated 4th-seeded Eagle 57-48, setting up a semifinal showdown with top-seeded Boise.  Since District 3 received four auto bids to state, and Timberline is now part of the semifinals, they are one step closer to an auto bid.  So Timberline has replaced Eagle in our latest projections.

As a reminder, you can follow all of the district tournament action here.  Teams will be seeded according to their MaxPreps rating.

CLASS 5A

District 1-2 1.5 bids
District 3 4.5, .5 bids (potentially could be 6 with play-in wins)
District 5-6 1.5 bids

#1 Coeur d'Alene (19-2) vs. #8 Rocky Mountain (15-7)
#4 Rigby (19-4) vs. #5 Boise (19-2)
#3 Lake City (17-4) vs. #6 Owyhee (18-3)
#2 Thunder Ridge (22-1) vs. #7 Timberline (19-4)

CLASS 4A

District 1-2 1 bid
District 3 2 bids
District 4 2 bids
District 5 1 bid
District 6 2 bids

#1 Shelley (19-2) vs. #8 Twin Falls (10-11)
#4 Pocatello (14-6) vs. #5 Bishop Kelly (17-3)
#3 Sandpoint (14-5) vs. #6 Minico (14-7)
#2 Blackfoot (12-9) vs. #7 Columbia (11-9)

CLASS 3A

District 1 1 bid
District 3 2.5 bids
District 4 2 bids
District 5 1.25 bids
District 6 1.25 bids

#1 Snake River (19-3) vs. #8 Filer (14-9)
#4 Sugar-Salem (14-6) vs. #5 Weiser (18-3)
#3 Parma (18-3) vs. #6 Fruitland (14-6)
#2 Timberlake (18-2) vs. #7 Kimberly (14-8)

CLASS 2A

District 1-2 1.5 bids
District 3 2.5 bids
District 4 1 bid
District 5 1.5 bids
District 6 1.5 bids

#1 Melba (22-0) vs. #8 Declo (9-12)
#4 North Fremont (18-4) vs. #5 Ririe (17-6)
#3 Cole Valley Christian (18-4) vs. #6 Grangeville (13-8) 
#2 Soda Springs (18-4) vs. #7 Ambrose (14-8)

CLASS 1AD1

District 1 1 bid
District 2 2 bids
District 3 2.5 bids
District 4 2 bids
District 5-6 .5 bid

#1 Lapwai (21-1) vs. #8 Rimrock (13-5)
#4 Grace (17-4) vs. #5 Oakley (18-4)
#3 Raft River (20-2) vs. #6 Liberty Charter (13-6)
#2 Prairie (17-4) vs. #7 Lakeside (11-6)

CLASS 1AD2

District 1 1 bid
District 2 2 bids
District 3 2 bids
District 4 1 bid
District 5-6 2 bids

#1 Deary (15-1) vs. #8 Mullan (8-7)
#4 Mackay (20-3) vs. #5 Dietrich (19-3)
#3 Kendrick (14-4) vs. #6 Council (11-5)
#2 Rockland (19-3) vs. #7 Garden Valley (8-6)