Lady Badgers win at the buzzer
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Baylee Blackmore drives to the basket during the home game against the Spartans on Jan. 23.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Baylee Blackmore scored 10 points against Priest River High School.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The Badgers came out on top with a score of 63-24 against the Priest River Spartans.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Mia Blackmore drives to the basket.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Holly Ansley scored 12 points in the first quarter of the game against the Spartans on Jan. 23.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Both teams fighting hard for control of the ball during the home game last Thursday.
KALISPELL, Mont. — It only took nine seconds for the Bonners Ferry girls basketball team to turn a tough loss into a thrilling road win on Saturday.
With the Badgers trailing 56-55 with 9 seconds remaining, freshman Mia Blackmore grabbed a defensive rebound on a missed free throw and dribbled the length of the floor, shooting and missing a deep 3-pointer with 4 seconds remaining. But she gathered in her own offensive rebound and sank a short power-up at the buzzer to give the Badgers a 57-56 win over the Cougars of Stillwater Christian in Kalispell, Mont.
“That was a pretty heads-up play for a freshman,” said coach Travis Hinthorn. “She had an open look on the first shot, and made a great play to follow it in.”
The game did not start well for the Badgers as Holly Ansley and Grace Villelli sat most of the first quarter in foul trouble, and the Badgers trailed 18-8 to start the second quarter. The Badgers cut the deficit to 3 points at half and used a 19-10 point third quarter to take a six-point lead into the fourth. That is when 6-foot senior post, Selah Neumann, went to work in the paint. Neumann scored 11 of her game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Cougars but fouled out in the last few minutes of the game.
Holly Ansley led the Badgers with 18 points. Baylee Balckmore contributed 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Sierra Hill reached double digits, scoring 10 points, including two 3-pointers, and had 7 rebounds.
Bonners Ferry 8 15 19 15 — 57
Stillwater Christian 18 8 10 20 — 56
Bonners Ferry: B. Blackmore 13, Sa. Hill 4, M. Blackmore 6, Petesch 2, Ansley 18, Si. Hill 10, Villelli 2, Pinkerton 2.
Stillwater Christian: Amick 0, Linn 6, Tintzman 7, Morken 13, Sulzbacher 2, Neumann 23, Hudson 5.
Bonners Ferry 63, Priest River 24
Holly Ansley scored all 12 of her points in the first quarter as the Lady Badgers jumped out to a 19-2 first quarter lead and then stretched that to a 43-8 halftime advantage against the Spartans.
Baylee Blackmore added 10 points and the Hill twins, Sadie and Sierra, each added 9 points.
Priest River 2 6 14 2 — 24
Bonners Ferry 19 24 12 8 — 63
Priest River: Fitzmorris 0, Rantala 0, Rusho 4, Pound 0, Fink 8, Prudek 0, Palfrey 7, Minish 2, Freitas 3.
Bonners Ferry: B Blackmore 10, Sa Hill 9, M Blackmore 3, Petesch 8, Ansley 12, Si Hill 9, Villelli 5, Pinkerton 7.
The Lady Badgers currently have an overall record of 7-9 and are 1-2 in Intermountain League play.
The Badgers host Timberlake Thursday, Jan. 30, and travel to Priest River on Saturday, Feb 1.
The girls wrap up their regular season on Tuesday, Feb 4, as they host the Wildcats of Kellogg on senior night.