Petterson leads Diggers past Wells, Bears in title game rematch

MONTPELIER — The reigning 4A state champion Sugar-Salem Diggers brought back just three players with varsity experience this year, as they hope to continue upon what was an undefeated 2024-25 season.

And their second game of the season offered a test that head coach Crystal Dayley suggested many would not have expected her team to pass.

The Diggers (2-0, 0-0) traveled to Bear Lake High School Thursday night to take on the same Bears team they faced in last season’s title game. Behind a fourth-quarter explosion from junior guard Andee Petterson, Sugar-Salem was able to overcome an incredible performance from junior forward Halle Wells and the Bears (0-1, 0-0).

“It’s fun to see these younger kids step up and build on the momentum that we ended our season with last year. I don’t think anyone would’ve picked us to win this game tonight,” Dayley told EastIdahoSports.com after the game, calling the victory a “big confidence-builder” for her young squad. “I think, hands down, Bear Lake is one of the top teams in Idaho. So, being able to beat them on their home court is huge for us.”

The two 4A girls’ basketball juggernauts were quick to get right after each other, exchanging big stops and impressive buckets in the first. That first period came to a close with Sugar-Salem holding a slight 14-13 advantage, after Larsen converted an and-one in the closing seconds.

Both teams continued to battle back and forth in the second, sending the game to halftime with the Diggers ahead, 28-24, on six points from Petterson. Not to be outdone, Wells chipped in seven for the Bears in the first half.

Bear Lake’s 6-foot-1 junior took over in the third, however, pouring in 10 points in the quarter and helping her team erase the deficit and send the game into the final eight minutes tied, 40-40.

And Wells kept coming, adding another 12 in the final frame to finish the night with a game-high 29 points. She added eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

Every punch Wells and the Bears landed was answered by the Diggers, specifically Petterson, who dropped her own 10-spot in the fourth and finished with 20 points to go with four rebounds and six steals.

Petterson appeared to drop a hammer on Bear Lake when she hit a huge 3-pointer, giving Sugar-Salem a 52-45 lead with just under four minutes left to play. But Wells came right back with a triple of her own on the other end.

Seven of the nine points scored from there were tallied by the Diggers — six of those from Petterson.

Dayley spoke about the growth Petterson has shown from last season, when she was part of the undefeated title run as a sophomore, to this year, when she will be expected to assert herself more as a scorer.

“I think she’s one of the best point guards in Idaho,” Dayley said of Petterson. “That kid — she’s such a tough kid to defend because she can score from the outside, the inside, she can see anything. She has the capability to take a lot of games into her own hands, and she did a great job tonight.”

With limited experience, especially down low, Sugar-Salem was unable to hold its position when defending Wells, leading to paint points as well as 16 free throw attempts for the Bears’ big — 10 of which she hit.

Still, Dayley thought the defensive effort was there for her team. She regularly preaches to her team the importance of controlling the things they can, which is something they did well Thursday.

Following their first big 4A test of the young season, the Diggers will now travel to Arco on Tuesday to face another team that brought home some hardware last season — the Butte County Pirates, who finished with the 2A consolation trophy.

If the way they comported themselves Thursday is any sign, though, Dayley is hopeful for another run at the banner.

“I was super-happy with them,” the coach said of her team. “This is one of the toughest gyms to play in, they’ve got such an amazing crowd — it’s tough to play here. … We had a lot of adversity, but no matter what was going on, the girls stepped up.

The Bears will lick their wounds before hosting the Ririe Bulldogs, also on Tuesday.