Lakeland Cruises, Salmon River Sets Record in Girls Basketball State Tourney

Top seeds Lakeland and Salmon River advance, while Columbia, Fruitland, and Vision Charter fall in opening round

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The first day of the Idaho high school girls basketball state tournament saw some dominant performances, as well as a few upsets. Top-seeded Lakeland (5A) routed Columbia 72-28, while Salmon River (1A) set a tournament record in a lopsided win. However, other high seeds like Fruitland (4A) and Vision Charter (2A) were upset in the opening round.

Why it matters

The state tournament is the culmination of the high school basketball season, and these results will shape the rest of the bracket and determine which teams advance to the championship games. Strong showings by top seeds like Lakeland and Salmon River demonstrate their title contender status, while the upsets of Fruitland and Vision Charter shake up the lower classifications.

The details

In the 5A tournament, Lakeland overwhelmed Columbia in the first half, outscoring the Wildcats 27-3 in the second quarter to take a 42-10 halftime lead. Lakeland junior Presley Fagan scored a game-high 21 points, while freshman Jaeli Hoffman had a double-double by halftime. In 4A, Fruitland fell to Marsh Valley 53-50, despite 16 points and 13 rebounds from sophomore Kennedy Fitch. And in the 2A tournament, top-seeded Butte County routed Vision Charter 71-38 in the opening round.

  • The Idaho high school girls basketball state tournament tipped off on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • Lakeland and Pocatello will play in the 5A semifinals at noon on Friday, February 20, 2026 at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
  • Columbia will face Jerome in an elimination game at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026 at Mountain View High School.
  • Fruitland will play Kimberly in an elimination game at noon on Friday, February 20, 2026.
  • Vision Charter will play Lakeside in an elimination game on Friday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Presley Fagan

A junior guard for Lakeland who scored a game-high 21 points in the Hawks' 72-28 win over Columbia.

Jaeli Hoffman

A freshman forward for Lakeland who recorded a double-double by halftime and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Gabby Nabors

A senior guard for Columbia who scored 10 points in the Wildcats' loss to Lakeland.

Kennedy Fitch

A sophomore forward for Fruitland who had a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds in the Grizzlies' 53-50 loss to Marsh Valley.

Raelynn Nickel

A senior guard for Vision Charter who led the Golden Eagles with 27 points, including 6 three-pointers, in their 71-38 loss to Butte County.

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What they’re saying

“We had a game plan. We even told the girls, 'Hey, we're pretty confident in this one. We think we can get this one.' But they came out and played very well. I mean, that's a championship-caliber team.”

— Neal Robertson, Columbia Head Coach (The Idaho Statesman)

What’s next

Lakeland will play defending state champion Pocatello in the 5A semifinals on Friday, while Columbia and Fruitland will look to extend their seasons in elimination games.

The takeaway

The opening day of the Idaho girls basketball state tournament saw some dominant performances by top seeds like Lakeland and Salmon River, as well as a few surprising upsets of highly ranked teams. These results will shape the rest of the bracket and determine which teams advance to the championship games.