1-seed Butte County, 2-seed Mackay suffer similar sour results in semis

TREASURE VALLEY — The Mackay Miners could not overcome a rough second quarter, as they fell to the Nezperce Nighthawks in the semifinal round of the girls’ 1A state basketball tournament Friday. It was a slow first quarter that doomed the Butte County Pirates in the 2A semis, as the two favorites saw their state championship aspirations sizzle in defeat.

Butte County arrived at the state tournament as the top seed in the 2A bracket, having gone 18-6 during the regular season and won the District 5-6 championship. Prairie entered as the 4-seed, with a 22-5 record and a D2 runner-up finish.

With both teams winning Thursday, the all-Pirate showdown was set for the semifinals.

Neither offense came out blazing, but Prairie, led by forward Sage Elven, used defense to create transition opportunities, and claimed a 10-2 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Butte County offense finally found some rhythm in the second, but Prairie extended its lead behind more solid play from Elven and some clutch shot-making from guard Sydney Shears.

Prairie led 19-9 at halftime, and 29-17 after three quarters.

Junior Autumn Gamett came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of her team-leading 13 points in the final period and leading a Butte County surge. A Gamett and-one conversion with just over two minutes to play in the game cut the Prairie lead to just five, 33-28.

Behind seniors Abbie Knight, who finished with three steals and a block, and Brynn Andersen, with three steals, the Butte County defense did just enough all game long to keep Prairie from pulling away.

It looked like that work was going to pay off. But Shears ended the Butte County run, replacing some of Prairie’s cushion as time continued to dwindle on their eventual 41-31 victory.

Shears finished with a game-high 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers — more than Butte County made as a team (1). Elven scored 13, most coming in the first half, to go with five steals and six rebounds.

Butte County can still make it a fruitful trip to Nampa. They will face Oakley Saturday in the 2A third-place game. A third-place trophy would be an improvement from 2025, when the Pirates finished the state tournament as consolation champions.

Prairie will face Lapwai Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center for the 2A state championship.

Mackay

Unlike Butte County, the Mackay Miners got their offense going in the first, and led Nezperce 9-8 after one quarter of play.

Mackay, the 1A bracket’s 2-seed, suffered a catastrophic letdown in the second, when they were outscored 21-1 by the 6-seed Nighthawks. Turnovers were a major problem throughout the game, particularly in the second quarter, for the Miners, who finished with 27.

The Nighthawks’ plus-14 margin in points off turnovers — 19 to 5 — accounted for the difference in the 52-40 Nezperce victory.

Mackay, like Butte County, showed its fight in the fourth, when, trailing by 10 entering the quarter, it cut the deficit to four with just under three minutes left. A 9-0 run from the Miners was capped by an Alyssa Pehrson corner 3-pointer — one of just three triples made by Mackay on 18 attempts in the game.

The wind seemed to be sucked from Mackay’s sails when Jaida Rodriguez fouled out with more than two minutes to play, down just four points. Rodriguez finished with nine points, four rebounds and five steals — several of which came in the fourth.

Nezperce scored 10 of the game’s 12 points following her disqualification.

Pehrson finished with a game-high 15 points, with another 14 coming from Danika Seefried. Nezperce was led by Avery Lux, who scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Mackay, who finished last year’s tournament 0-2, will face Salmon River in the 1A third-place game Saturday. Nezperce advances to face Deary for the state championship.