Cold-shooting Badgers fall in 3rd-place game

By ROD HARWOOD

Hagadone News Network

MERIDIAN — The Bonners Ferry Badgers went into the 3A state tournament on a pretty good run, having won their third straight Intermountain League title and third consecutive District 1 championship.

The Badgers just picked a bad time to have a bad shooting night.

Not that there's ever a good time, but Bonners Ferry was 17 of 64 from the floor for 26.6 percent Saturday in the third-place game at Meridian High School.

Snake River (16-7) of Moreland jumped out to a nine-point lead after the first quarter and Bonners Ferry just couldn't reel the Panthers in, falling 53-43 to place fifth.

"It was close early, then they went on an 18-2 run and that put us in a deep hole," said Bonners Ferry coach Gordy Allured, whose team has played for a trophy two of the past three years. "We just couldn't make our shots. We went from cold to colder."

The Badgers (19-6) were 6 of 30 from the floor in the second half and a little better in the second half when they made 11 of 34. Snake River wasn't much better from the floor, converting 20 of 56 for 35.7 percent, but where the Panthers pulled away was at the free-throw line where they were 10 of 19.

Ryan Winebark was 5 of 13 from the floor and finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Badgers. James Krejci and Josh Hawks finished with eight points apiece and Drew Galloway added seven points.

Kyle Gelles was 8 of 17 from the floor for 20 to lead all scorers for Snake River.

"On defense, we weren't getting back for awhile, then when we did everything they shot was going in," said Jesus Mendez, who finished with nine rebounds and four points. "We had open shots, they just weren't going in."

The Badgers overcame the loss of one returning starter, who transferred prior to the season, and another, who quit during the season.

"It was a great year. We were 19-6 and the kids really came together," Allured said. "We created a great chemistry and we were hard to beat. We won the league for the third time, districts for the third time. I couldn't be prouder of the kids, they battled all year."

Bonners Ferry

9 9 16 9 — 43

Snake River

18 9 17 9 — 53

BONNERS FERRY — Pluid 0 0-0 0 Bennett 1 0-1 2, Krejci 3 2-2 8, J. Mendez 2 0-1 4, M. Mendez 0 0-0 0, Deitz 0 0-0 0, Galloway 2 1-2 7, Winebark 5 1-4 12, Hawks 3 1-3 8, Newhouse 1 0-0 2. Totals 17-64 5-13 43.

SNAKE RIVER — Thibeault 0 0-0 0, Ibarra 3 3-7 11, Reece 1 0-2 2, Gilbert 2 0-1 4, Tominaga 2 2-2 7, VanOrden 4 0-0 8, Trejo 0 0-0 0, Lund 0 0-0 0, Harral 0 0-0 0, Katseanes 0 0-0 0, Parkinson 0 1-2 1, Miller 0 0-0 0, Black 0 0-0 0, Gelles 8 4-5 20, Dawson 0 0-0 0. Totals 20-56 10-19 53.