POCATELLO — The Pocatello Thunder won their first-ever girls state basketball championship last season, before seeing four of five starters graduate. For a team in need of a single returning starter to build around, however, reigning 5A All-State Player of the Year Abby Lusk is a great option.

The Thunder (1-0, 0-0) opened their season at Highland High School Tuesday night, taking down the Rams (1-1, 0-0), 39-31, in a hard-fought battle of cross-town foes, and Lusk figured heavily into the outcome, scoring a game-high 16 points.

Head coach Sunny Evans said that her team, which included two juniors and one sophomore in the starting lineup, played a bit discombobulated at times, but added that she was OK with that because it was a product of the effort the girls put forth.

“They played li

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