Boys basketball team falls one game shy of qualifying for state tourney

Bonners Ferry High School boys basketball team fell one game shy of qualifying for the 3A State Tournament after losing 57-50 to St. Maries in the district tournament.

The fifth-seeded Badgers placed third in the tournament. Senior Aaron Hoisington was voted all-league.

“Although we didn’t qualify for state, we feel we had a successful district tournament,” said head coach Gordon Allured. “The kids battled their hearts out playing four games in five days against four very good basketball teams. The community should be proud of the kids.”

Bonners Ferry finished 3-7 in the Intermountain League and were 7-15 overall.

The boys opened the tournament by defeating Orofino 57-40 before losing to top-seeded Priest River 56-42. The Badgers qualified for the finals after defeating Kellogg 63-34, but then fell to St. Maries on Saturday.

Against St. Maries, the Badgers were ahead by 2 or 3 in the fourth quarter, but didn’t take advantage of turnovers, Allured said.

“Then it got down to shooting free throws,” he said. “The kids have to be commended for playing four games at that intensity in five days.”

Hoisington led in scoring against the Lumberjacks with 16, followed by Dillon Deitz with 9 and Miguel Mendez and Mat Evans, who scored 8 each. Evans made two, 3-pointers.

In the victory over Kellogg, which qualified the Badgers for the game against St. Maries, Mendez led with 18 points, Deitz added 12, and Evans scored 10.

In the Priest River game, Deitz scored 18 points. Mendez added 10.

Against Orofino, Deitz scored 9 points, Colton Telford added 8, and Mendez and Jacob Parker scored 7 apiece.