Girls basketball performs well, loses to Timberlake
Freshman Asha Abubakari launches a shot in the Badgers' first practice of the season. Photo by Jake Caccavaro.
BONNERS FERRY — Badgers girls basketball played a strong first half but couldn't stay with defending 3A state champion Timberlake on Saturday, Jan. 23, falling 53-39 to the visiting Tigers.
Bonners Ferry (11-5 overall, 3-2 IML) scored the game's first six points, but by the end of the third quarter, Timberlake had opened a 15-point lead.
Brooke Jessen scored 10 of her 12 points in the decisive third quarter as the Intermountain League-leading Tigers (14-2, 3-0 IML) outscored the second-place Badgers 20-10 in the period.
“They came out with a little more energy and physicality in the third quarter,” Bonners Ferry coach Travis Hinthorn said. “We had 12 turnovers in the second half, and most of those were in the third.”
Taryn Soumas and Blayre Jeffs scored 14 points each to lead Timberlake, which beat the Badgers by 33 points 11 days earlier.
“Blayre was the one that killed us tonight,” Hinthorn said.
Freshman Asha Abubakari tallied a game-high 15 points for Bonners Ferry, and Holly Ansley added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“It was nice (to have a crowd),” Hinthorn said. “Even though we were at 40 percent (capacity), it was loud; it was fun.”
Bonners Ferry’s last regular-season game is an away game against Kellogg on Feb. 4
Timberlake 13 12 20 8 — 53
Bonners Ferry 12 8 10 9 — 39
TIMBERLAKE — T. Soumas 14, Hammond 3, Kronenberg 6, K. Simmons 0, Carhart 4, Jessen 12, Jeffs 14.
BONNERS FERRY — Sa. Hill 2, Bayer 2, Bliss 0, Blackmore 0, Abubakari 15, Ansley 10, Si. Hill 4, Sumpter 0, Pinkerton 6.