Badgers vie for state
COUR D’ALENE — The battle for a berth to state continues for the Bonners Ferry boys basketball team. After losing to Kellogg (88-62) in the semifinal round of the 3A Intermountain League (IML) district tournament last night, Feb. 23, the Badgers will take on Timberlake tonight in a loser-out game to decide who goes to state and who calls it quits for the season.
The Badgers came into the semifinals with momentum on their side after blowing out Immaculate Conception Academy (78-44) at home on senior night, Feb. 16, and then knocking off Cour d’Alene Charter (75-50) on Feb. 20 in the first round of the tournament.
The Feb. 16 game was a special one for the four seniors on the team — Elijah Price, Kaleb Stockton, Caleb Harrington and Zach Egge — as well as for their friends and families who watched them play at home for the last time.
All four of them had big nights.
Harrington led the team in scoring with 18 points, while Stockton contributed 12. Egge put up 10 points and Price was good for four.
Price’s real contribution in the game was his tenacity — his ability to hustle off the ball and force turnovers on defense has been an asset to the team all season.
The Badgers came out firing, with Stockton and Harrington driving aggresively to the basket and helping their team build up a 28-9 lead in the first quarter.
Chris Sabin, who put up eight points in the game, had no trouble picking apart the visiting team’s defense and dishing out assists, including a behind-the-back no-look bounce pass early on that got the crowd on their feet.
Bonners Ferry’s defense was even more impressive during that first half.
They had a lot of success pressing the Cristeros early and were able to turn a slew of turnovers into points on the board.
By halftime they let up a little bit with the press, but not until proving that they could take the ball from the visiting team pretty much whenever they felt like it.
The Cristeros did have one weapon on their side, L. Wilhelm, who put up 32 points on the night.
The star didn’t have much of a supporting cast and tried to win the game by himself, but Wilhelm does deserve some credit — the kid can shoot.
However, a silky smooth jumpshot is worth little when you are double-teamed and have nobody to kick the ball out to.
The Badgers took advantage of this fact and spent most of their energy on defense trying to contain him.
The Badgers maintained a 20 point lead or better throughout the second half and ended up winning by more than 30.
Head coach Andy Rice pulled Harrington, Stockton and Price out of the game about halfway through the fourth quarter, and the three received a standing ovation as the jogged off the court toward the bench.
Four days later, Bonners Ferry rolled right over Cour d’Alene Charter for the third time this season.
The Panthers were able to hang with the Badgers at first — the game was tied at 13 at the end of the first quarter — but the second half was a different story as the Badgers outscored them 44-22 during those 16 minutes.
Sabin led his team in scoring with 22 points. Stockton and Harrington were right behind him with 15 and 14 points apiece.
With that win, the no. 4 seeded Badgers moved on to play a potent Kellogg team in the semifinals. Kellogg, who went 7-0 in league play this season, got out to an early lead and ended up winning the game handily.
The first half ended with Sabin knocking down a buzzer beater from beyond the half-court line, but a lucky three-pointer wasn’t enough to get the Badgers back in it. They were down by 14 at half and that deficit grew to 26 by the end of the game.
Losing in the semifinal round means that Bonners Ferry will play tonight at Timberlake’s gym in a loser-out game.
This is a grudge match for the Badgers.
After letting the Tigers claw their way back into the Feb. 13 game and win it in the final stretch, the Bonners Ferry team has a score to settle, and they are hoping to turn last week’s frustration into this week’s fuel.
After all, there’s a shot at state on the line.
Tip off is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Go Badgers.