Spartans barely edge out Badgers

PRIEST RIVER — It took every second to decide a winner in Tuesday night’s Intermountain League match-up between Priest River and Bonners Ferry, but missed opportunities down the stretch by the Badgers would give the host Spartans the edge in the end, 36-35.

Point guard Steffie Pavey put the Lady Spartans ahead 36-33 with two minutes to play on a great steal that the senior took coast-to-coast for the lay-up.

Badger sophomore Jasmine Hill answered by hitting two big free-throws to bring Bonners Ferry within one point and just over a minute to play.

Bonners Ferry (9-3, 1-2 IML) had an opportunity to regain the lead after Aubree Wasmer, who played a great all-around game, jumped a passing lane and picked the ball off — but was unable to convert on the lay-up at the other end.

Two Badger players came down with offensive rebounds but were again unable to score and gave possession back to the Spartans.

Pavey, who scored nine points to go along with eight rebounds and seven steals, missed on a one-and-one free-throw opportunity to give Bonners Ferry the ball back with 17 seconds left to play.

Running a two-man game from the wing, Badgers Abby Skeen and Jasmine Hill were unable to get a final shot off as time expired.

“We wanted to run a two-man game, or screen and reverse if that wasn’t open and we didn’t reverse the ball, we panicked,” Badger head coach Travis Hinthorn said after the game.

“There were 17 seconds, so we had plenty of time,” he added. “Our internal clock was just off with their score clock.”

Wasmer went 4-for-13 from the field to score a team-high 12 points for the Badgers, who helped themselves out by hitting 13-of-17 free throw attempts.

Junior Jill Weimer led all scorers with 13 points for Priest River (9-6, 2-0 IML), going 5-for-12 from the field and pulling down eight rebounds.

Skeen scored nine points and Hill seven for the Badgers, who host the Post Falls JV on Thursday and the Sandpoint Bulldogs on Friday for Moose Madness.

“Priest River is normally older, bigger and stronger, so it was nice to match their physicality tonight,” Hinthorn said. “You can’t knock our defense and we had opportunities at the end of the game.”

Bonners Ferry 11 9 11 4 — 35

Priest River 11 5 12 8 — 36

BONNERS FERRY — Skeen 9, MacDonald 0, Merritt 1, Kelly 0, Oxford 2, Woods 4, Merrifield 0, Davis 0, Hill 7, Wasmer 12, Foster 0, Minor 0.

PRIEST RIVER — Douglas 6, Trantum 0, Luckey 0, Weimer 13, Trost 4, S. Pavey 9, A. Pavey 0, Deal 0, Bradbury 2, Summers 2.