Rigby gets defensive in its state tournament win over Boise

NAMPA – Break out the cliches, but one always seems to ring true during tournament time.

Rigby’s defense was on display Thursday night as the unbeaten Trojans faced Boise in the opening round of the 6A state tournament.

Only a handful of 6A teams average more than 50 points, and Boise was one of them.

Does defense win championships?

Rigby (24-0) has definitely bought in, as the Trojans shut down the Brave 54-40 to advance to Friday’s semifinals against No. 3 seed Middleton, a 58-38 winner over Timberline.

Boise (16-10) was held to just four points in the first quarter as second-seeded Rigby jumped out to a halftime lead of 25-11.

“If you’re playing on a court that you’ve never played on before, in my mind, your defense should always travel,” Rigby coach Todd Barber said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the girls for bringing it.”

Boise, which finished sixth in the Southwest Idaho Conference, made its ninth straight state tournament appearance and was defending state runner-up.

Rigby was back in the state tournament for the eighth-straight season, but unlike Boise, the Trojans returned key players, including guard Kinzley Larsen, who finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.

But it was on the other end of the court, where the game was won, Larsen noted.

“We’ve worked really hard this year and I think our record reflects that,” Larsen said. “I think our defense, especially in that first half … we were just playing solid, we had each other’s back.”

Boise chipped away in the second half, but never really recovered from the first half.

Rigby’s offense did its part, with four players finishing in double figures, with Lauren Burnside scoring 14 point to go with eight rebounds and two blocks.
Brinley Larsen finished with 11 points and Bailey Barber added 10 points and five rebounds.

“We really wanted to shut them down and we did,” Bailey Barber said of the first half. “We just really fight as a team as it worked out.”

The Trojans and Brave do have history.

Rigby lost to No. 1 Boise in the 2024 third-place game, and then lost to Boise in last year’s tournament opener.

Olivia Chatfield led Boise with 14 points.