SODA SPRINGS – Different opponent, same Soda Springs story.

Malad was the latest team to be terrorized by a suffocating Cardinals defense, which made nothing easy, including advancing past half court and keeping a dribble in a half-court set.

Soda Springs was never behind in the game and won in a 60-37 home rout Tuesday, ending the Dragons’ eight-game winning streak.

“They know when to rotate, they set you up,” said Malad coach Jeremy Jones, whose team hasn't been held to a lower point total against a 2A team this season. “That’s the first game we had 20 turnovers in a long time and I don’t know. It’s a really sound defense. They know what they’re doing, and he switches in and out of stuff.”

The Cardinals also scored more than any 2A team has against Malad, partly thanks to the points off turnovers. Sadie Gronning led Soda Springs with a game-high 18 points, while sisters Jorianne Balls and Jocelyn Balls scored 15 points and eight points, respectively.

“This is probably the best shooting team we’ve had in a while,” Soda Springs coach Wade Schvaneveldt said. “The Balls girls work together extremely well. They pass extremely well. I think our trade right now is we pass the ball well and shot the ball well.”

Soda Springs (14-0, 3-0 2A District 5) is the only 2A Idaho team still undefeated and is one of five unbeaten teams in all Idaho classifications. The Cardinals' winning streak is at 40 games, going back to the second game of last season.

“I don’t think that our record means that we’re perfect,” Gronning said. “We still have room to grow. We just see glimpses of how good we can be in our games. I think the record just shows how hard we’re working.”

Spectators saw the result of the effort Tuesday, as Soda Springs' uber-tenacious defense did not let the Dragons breathe, especially in the opening quarter when it allowed two points in the first four minutes of the game and jumped out to a 16-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The highlight of the game for Malad (11-6, 3-1 2A District 5) was the final five minutes of the first half, capped by an off-the-backboard 3-pointer by Malad guard Bayla Tripp in an 11-7 run to cut her team’s deficit to 29-19 at halftime.

But Soda Springs responded ravenously, going on a 24-6 run to open the second half. Gronning opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer before scoring the first basket of the fourth quarter on a layup to double up Malad’s point total and take a 50-25 lead.

The game’s leading scorer was coming off spraining her right ankle exactly a week prior to the Malad game, caused by landing on someone’s foot during a layup in practice. The injury caused Gronning to miss the Bear Lake game on Thursday and all but one practice since then.

“She was fatigued and tired,” Schvaneveldt said. “But she’s a trooper. She just plays ball.”

Shawnee Simpson was Malad’s key cog offensively as she has been all season, averaging double figures in points and rebounds per game. She scored 15 points against Soda Springs, but found it difficult to get the ball because her guards struggled to stay in possession of the ball as they were unable to handle Soda Springs' full-court defense and on-ball pressure in the half court.

“We haven’t been pushed like that,” Jones said. “That’s the first real test we’ve had for a while, so it was kind of an eye-opener. We’ve been able to do whatever we want and against a good team, you don’t. Our fundamentals were terrible tonight, defensively and offensively.”

Malad, which suffered its first league loss, is still in second place in 2A District 5 and ahead of the rest of the field by two games. It is not beyond the Dragons to make up ground in short time against the Cardinals, who Malad beat in the 2017 2A state semifinals less than 10 days after losing to them by 22 points.

“You’ve got to limit your turnovers,” Jones said. “If you can have 10 turnovers or less, you’re in the game or have a chance. They thrive off turnovers.”

UP NEXT

Soda Springs hosts West Side on Wednesday, while Malad plays Friday against the Pirates on the road.

VIDEO: Soda/Malad