Badger boys blown out at home by Genesis Prep

The Bonners Ferry boys basketball team hosted Genesis Prep on Thursday, Jan. 5 and lost the nonleague game 41-82.

The Badgers, who were coming off a two-week break without any games, struggled to keep up with a fast and physical Genesis team.

While the preparatory school, located in Post Falls, might have significantly fewer students enrolled than BFHS and the rest of the 3A schools in the Intermountain league, their ability to recruit players allows them to pick up some serious athletes most years.

One of their stars this season is Stephane Manzi, a long-limbed center who put up 21 points in Thursday night’s game. Manzi, topping out somewhere around 6’ 6”, was difficult to guard at the post position and his rebounding abilities gave the offense a number of second chances.

The potent Jaguars offense jumped out to an early 21-point lead within the first eight minutes. Their three-ball was on, but the team scored most of their points on fast break opportunities. Nearly all of these opportunities came off of turnovers by the Badgers, who looked off-balance and scattered during the first half.

The Jaguars’ defense, which stayed in a full-court press for most of the game, continued to stifle the Badgers’ offense throughout the second quarter. Lobbed passes, telegraphed passes, and rushed passes — these were all picked off by the Jags and converted to points on the board, leading to an even bigger deficit — 27 points — at the halftime buzzer.

The Jaguars, who went 27-34 from the field in 32 minutes of play, continued to pour it on in the second half, and while their lead increased, so did the Badgers’ level of frustration, which led to even more turnovers and rushed shots.

Bonners Ferry’s point guard Chris Sabin, who put up seven points in the game, played aggressively in the final quarter, driving hard to the bucket but having a difficult time finishing in a lane clogged with Jaguars. Kaleb Stockton led the team in scoring with 15 — he would be the only Badger to score double digits.

Caleb Harrington and Brady Bateman both made a lot of strong plays off the ball but were surprisingly quiet in the scoring department. Reece Bell, Zach Egge and Pacen Pluid rounded out the Badgers’ offensively, putting up nine, six and four points apiece.

This loss brings the Badgers’ overall record to 3-4. Their next game is against Libby at home on Jan. 12.