Welcome to Baney's Basketball Breakdown, a weekly reset that allows all of us to catch our breath and reflect on the past week of high school competition.  There will be lots to digest below, so let's get to it!

OPENING TIP

The start of another high school girls basketball season officially started on Friday night, as 16 games took place around the state.  I'm always disappointed that we haven't been able to find a way to stagger the calendar a little better.  The start of a new girls basketball season should be celebrated, but instead, it's overshadowed by the state football semifinals.  After this week has concluded, some teams will be more than one-fifth of the way through their schedule, and yet, Idaho's girls will still have to contend with state football championship games in terms of viewer attention.  A similar scheduling snag is hit at the end of the season, when the girls basketball state tournaments are held two weeks before the boys.  While Idaho's best teams are competing in Boise for a state championship, many fans will stay home and watch the boys basketball team battle it out in district tournament play.  There has to be a way to give Idaho's girls the start and finish to their season that they deserve.  To that end, we will continue to spotlight the best teams, players and performances each week in this space (whether football has finished or not).

GAME OF THE WEEK

Class 5A Columbia trailed Class 6A Kuna in a non-conference game on Saturday, November 15.  The halftime score read 22-18 in favor of the Kavemen.  But the 'Cats outscored Kuna 18-13 in the third quarter to pull ahead by a point, 36-35.  The fourth quarter turned into a defensive clinic, as seven total points were scored between the two sides.  Kuna earned a 4-3 advantage in the final frame, and the game went to overtime knotted up at 39-39.  With just two seconds to play in OT, a 45-45 deadlock was snapped when Columbia made one free throw, preserving the 46-45 victory.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Rigby Trojans defended their home floor with a perfect 2-0 start against Southern Idaho Conference opponents.  On Friday, November 14, the Trojans dispatched perennial power Boise, 49-38.  That was followed by a 61-35 thumping of defending 6A state champion Owyhee on Saturday, November 15.  5th-year head coach Todd Barber has a stable of guards he can deploy at various times, including seniors Kinzley Larsen and Bailey Barber, and juniors Ali Dansie, Brinley Larsen and Breleigh Youngstrom.  If junior forward Lauren Burnside can provide quality play inside, the Trojans will be a tough out in 2025-26.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Parma senior forward Aarey Harris is the only returning starter from last year's championship-winning team (the first in school history).  That means that she'll be at the top of the opponents' scouting report each night, and should receive the most attention from the opposition.  Despite that, Harris dropped 30 points on 14-of-19 shooting in a 50-34 win over Vallivue.  Harris, normally a low-block and mid-range scorer, even sank both of her three-point attempts.  The Panthers are 1-0 to start their 3A title defense in 2025-26.

30-BURGER CLUB

Each week, we will highlight any player that breaks the 30-point mark in a single game (please send in 30-burger performers to brandon@idahosports.com).

Aarey Harris, 12, Parma (30 points vs. Vallivue on Saturday, November 15)

TOURNEY TIME!

Each week, we'll list all of the regular season tournaments featuring Idaho squads:

CASCADE INVITATIONAL (CASCADE HS)
Thursday, November 20 - Saturday, November 22
8 teams, 4 scheduled games for each team
Cascade, Castleford, Garden Valley, Highland (Craigmont), Horseshoe Bend, Richfield, Rimrock, Vision Charter

SILVER VALLEY TOURNAMENT (WALLACE HS)
Friday November 21 - Saturday, November 22
4 teams, bracket play
Clark Fork, Kellogg, Troy, Wallace