Basketball whip-around: Belnap reaches milestone in Marsh Valley victory; Lusk leads Poky; Held paces Rockland

EASTERN IDAHO — Marsh Valley head coach Ashley Baker called for a timeout, giving Eagles fans time to rain cheers upon senior Tayzlee Belnap after she hit a 3-pointer to reach the 1,000-point threshold.

Belnap, a Second-Team All-State selection last year as a junior, has been the driving force to Marsh Valley’s perfect start, which reached nine wins Wednesday night with a 51-43 over the Teton Timberwolves (4-4, 0-2).

The Pocatello Thunder (5-3, 1-0) got a monster performance from senior star Abby Lusk as they downed the Twin Falls Bruins (3-7, 0-0) at home. Senior Isaac Held led Rockland (5-2, 0-0) in the Bulldogs’ home victory over Raft River (2-2, 2-1).

Eagles soar past Teton

Belnap led Marsh Valley (9-0, 0-0) in scoring with 16. Zayli Merzlock chipped in 15, and Ellie Lunt added 12.

The Eagles get back to work in search of a conference title Friday, when they visit the West Side Pirates (3-7, 0-0).

Bulldogs chomp Trojans

Rockland grabbed a quick lead behind a seven-point first quarter from Held, who finished with a team-high 16 points.

The Bulldogs led Raft River, 33-21, heading into halftime. And after giving a bit of ground back to the Trojans in the third, sealed a slide-ending victory with 14-7 final period.

Zach Permann (12) and Woodrow Lowder (11) each reached double-figures to support Held. Raft River was paced by Zane Higley, who scored a game-high 18.

Rockland had lost back-to-back games to conclude the Ririe Bulldog Shootout before Wednesday’s victory. They are back on the court Friday, when they host the Aberdeen Tigers.

Thunder roll past Bruins

Pocatello got 22 points, on 9-of-13 shooting, and 12 rebounds from Lusk, coming back from a slim halftime deficit to beat Twin Falls, 53-43.

The Thunder trailed 23-21 at the break, after struggling to score in the second quarter. They outscored the Bruins 32-20 in the second half, behind Lusk and sophomore Madysen Torngren, who finished the game with 13 points and six rebounds.

Leilani Ellis’ 14 points led Twin Falls.

Pocatello looks to continue its current two-game winning streak Thursday night when it visits the crosstown rival Century Diamondbacks (1-8, 0-0).