During Bear Lake's second regular-season matchup against Marsh Valley, Bears coach Jim Mattson noticed the Eagles became tired toward the end of the game.

On Saturday, Mattson employed a full-court press throughout the game for the first time all year, as Bear Lake gradually pulled away in the second half to capture a 59-44 win over Marsh Valley in the opening round of the 3A Fifth District tournament at Highland.

"We figured we could run 'em," Mattson said. "It took us a while to wear 'em out, but then we pulled away."

The Eagles used the press to their advantage in the first half, making layup after layup after passes over the Bears' traps. In the third quarter, though, Bear Lake stopped worrying about trapping and focused more on stopping the ball.

The move paid off. In the third quarter, the Bears outscored the Eagles 17-9 to take control.

"We talked more, we kept our hands up and we worked as a team," Bear Lake sophomore Kayla Wallentine said of the second-half defensive effort.

In the final frame, Marsh Valley simply didn't have enough energy to mount a comeback.

"We've been conditioning hard all year, and it paid off in the third quarter," Bear Lake senior Trezlyn Bartschi said.

Wallentine led Bear Lake with 20 points, and Bartschi pitched in 14.

Eagles coach Kyle McQuivey admitted the Eagles weren't expecting the full-court defense after the Bears played mainly a half-court zone in the teams' first two meetings.

Still, he didn't blame the loss on the pressure.

"We just couldn't hit a shot," he said.

For the most part, that was the case. Other than Megan Poly, who scored 18 points to lead Marsh Valley, no other Eagle could consistently hit her shots.

Poly controlled the first quarter, scoring 12 points to give her team a 19-13 lead after one quarter.

With the loss, Marsh Valley (10-10) dropped to loser-out play, where it will face American Falls at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Highland.

The district receives 1 1/2 bids to the state tournament, so the Eagles can still earn a trip to the Treasure Valley by taking the long way.

Bear Lake (9-12), which was the state 3A runner-up a year ago with a senior-dominated team, now will face Snake River at 8 p.m. Tuesday for the district championship and a spot at state.

"It's what we've been working for all year," Bartschi said. "This is what we wanted."