Badger boys edge Timberlake

Timberlake's Cody Jones put up a game-high 18 points during Saturday night's match at Bonners Ferry, but the effort wasn't enough to overcome a good Badger defense.

The Badgers prevailed, 67-61, to improve their season record to 10-3.

After a tentative start, Timberlake's Logan Cook put the first points on the boards, laying in an inside deuce.

Badger Matt Pluid answered with a trey, and the fight was on.

Harmon Newhouse, a 6'2" Badger junior, helped the Badger effort considerably in the opening quarter, stepping in and all but stifling the Tiger's inside game, forcing two key turnovers that let the Badgers squeak to an 18-16 lead, decided only as the buzzer sounded.

The Badgers were up by one when Timberlake scored with four seconds left on the clock.

As the crowd counted down the clock, Ryan Winebark patiently drove to position, set and lobbed just as the bell sounded, scoring a trey to give the Badgers the two-point go-ahead.

The Badgers held in the second quarter, holding the Tigers to 10 points while putting up 21, nine from the charity stripe, to lead 39-26 at the half.

Once again, the Badgers used the clock, with James Krejci lobbing the final bucket in time to beat the bell.

It was a close defensive match in the third, fought from the floor instead of the stripe.

Despite a strong attempt by Timberlake that saw four three point shots, 10 deuces and three charity shots attempted, the Badgers again edged the contest, outscoring the Tigers 16-13, thanks in large part to the outside shooting of Matt Pluid, who landed two treys, and Casey Langford, who added the a third.

Timberlake fired back in the final quarter, with a balanced attack that saw six players outshoot the Badgers 22-12, but they couldn't beat the clock.

With two minutes left, the Tigers pulled to within four and were poised to close the gap, but the Badgers refused to cede the lead, stepping up the defense just enough to stay ahead.

Behind 67-59, Timberlake's Cook lobbed the final shot of the game as the clock wound down, scoring the final two points as the bell sounded.

Bonners Ferry 18 21 16 12 — 67

Timberlake 16 10 13 22 — 61

BONNERS FERRY — Pluid 8, Bennett 14, Krejci 15, Mendez 4, Langford 5, Galloway 0, Winebark 12, Hawks 9, Heigel 0, Newhouse 0.

TIMBERLAKE — Jones 18, Powers 12, Schreier 8, Gonzales 4, Crump 3, Denton 2, Cook 14, Jacobson 0.