Badgers battle state-ranked Kellogg
Photo by Tanna Yeoumans The Badger boys continue to push through the season.
BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry boys’ basketball team used a late rally to force overtime, but couldn’t pull out a victory, falling 66-56 to the state-ranked Kellogg Wildcats on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
The host Badgers trailed by double-digits with four and a half minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter, but Bonners Ferry’s Chris Sabin hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to finish off a late run and tie the game.
In the extra session, Kellogg (13-3) took the lead and forced the Badgers to foul, and the Wildcats made 11-of-15 free throws in overtime to put the game away.
“It was very tough. We went into overtime but came up short,” said BFHS coach Andy Rice. “The guys played a smart, physical game that gave them an opportunity to beat Kellogg, who is one of the top-ranked teams in the state.”
Playing against such tough competitors didn’t slow the drive of the Badgers, but fueled the boys to strive for the win.
“We were able to execute our game plan in the first half and took a one-point lead into half,” said Rice. “I thought we let Kellogg take control of the tempo in the third quarter and pull away.
“It was a great night of basketball for fans to watch,” Rice added.
Sabin led all scorers with 26 points, while teammate Seth Bateman added 11 points for the Badgers. Trevor Bumgardner scored 19 points to lead Kellogg in scoring.
Kellogg 13 9 19 10 15 — 66
Bonners Ferry 7 16 10 18 5 — 56
BONNERS FERRY — Ryan 3, Sabin 26, S. Bateman 11, T. Bateman 0, Hittle 8, Stone 0, Pluid 2, Bell 4, B. Bateman 4, Morgan 0.
Timberlake 66, Bonners Ferry 57
BONNERS FERRY — Senior Colton Counts scored 15 of his game-high 28 points in the third quarter to lead the Tigers past Bonners Ferry in an Intermountain League game on Tuesday.
“He just used his length and finished at the hoop,” said Timberlake coach Michael Scott of Counts — a 6-foot-5 post — who scored nine points in the first quarter. “We got up by two at halftime and got another lead in the third, but they just didn’t have anyone that could handle his size. We did a good job of breaking their press in the first quarter.”
Jordan Hardy scored 17 points for Timberlake (7-11, 3-2 IML), which hosts Lakeland on Saturday.
Chris Sabin scored 18 points for Bonners Ferry (8-9, 2-2).
Timberlake 20 10 19 17 — 66
Bonners Ferry 14 14 16 13 — 57
TIMBERLAKE — Hardy 17, Wilfong 1, Cramer 4, Meijerink 3, Counts 28, Kluss 2, James 7, Gardom 0, Kistler 4.
BONNERS FERRY — Seamus 2, Sabin 18, S. Bateman 13, T. Bateman 0, Hittle 9, Stone 0, Bell 5, B. Bateman 8, Morgan 2.