Girl Badgers basketball 2-3 in league

BONNERS FERRY — Girl Badger basketball put the pepper to the Kellogg Wildcats beating them 71-52.

The Badgers improved their free throws scoring 28 of 35 from the line. Markynn Pluid had a great night shooting 100 percent. She was 13 for 13 at the free throw line and scored three for three of her field goals.

“Everybody played well. We had a game plan and executed it. We freaked out a little bit at the end of the first half when we were up ten. Then Kellogg came out physical in the second half,” said head coach Travis Hinthorn.

The Badgers kept a solid lead in the first half, but in the third quarter it was a back and forth between the Badgers and the Wildcats with the score being tied twice. The Wildcats finished the third quarter a basket ahead, 49-47.

In the final quarter the crowd was boisterous on both sides. The Badgers answered back, pulling away from Kellogg and making basket after basket.

Kaylee Sumpter had a great game defensively as she stole the ball and scored on nearly every steal.

“We can do different things defensively with her speed,” Hinthorn said.

Braylyn Bayer scored four three pointers and joined Asha Abubakari, Pluid and Sumpter in scoring double digits for the Badgers.

Girl badger basketball is (8-10) overall and (2-3) in league.

BONNERS FERRY — Pluid 19, Abubakari 16, B. Bayer 14, Sumpter 10, Blackmore 6, A. Bayer 2, Burt 1, Villaluz 1.

KELLOGG — Jerome 20, H. Cheney 14, Coe 10, Potts 7, Nearing 4, M. Cheney 5, Vanhoe 2,

Bonners Ferry — 20 11 16 24 71

Kellogg — 11 15 23 13 62

Badgers were at Priest River Wednesday, but due to print time the story will appear in the next edition of the Bonners Ferry Herald. The Badgers play Kellogg at Kellogg on Friday.

Badger girl basketball couldn’t keep up with the Timberlake Tigers. They were two for 14 free throws and 11 for 30 field goal attempts on Friday, Jan. 28.

Timberlake claimed at least a tie for the Intermountain League title and is the No. 1 seed to the 3A District 1 tournament.

Head Coach Travis Hinthorn said that with the games the week before being canceled and not all Badgers at practice, this was one of the first times that week that all the players were in the gym together.

In the first quarter, the game was scoreless with two shots on basket in the first three minutes. The Tigers picked up their tempo and began sinking shots as the Badgers tried to pick it up on defense. The Badgers trailed 14-8 into the second quarter.

After fighting to the basket, the Badgers got ahead of themselves in the second quarter by throwing up shots before fully collecting themselves causing the Tigers to have a fastbreak opportunity. Timberlake scored 21 points in the second quarter to the badger’s five making it 35-13 with Badgers down into half time.

In the second half, Kara Villaluz kept trying to pass to Badgers cutting into the key, but the ball was turned over several times as the Tigers seized nearly every opportunity to score on a fast break.

“Second quarter they picked up the pressure, we had four at practice on Monday, six the next few days. It’s the first time we saw some [players] this week,” Hinthorn said.

The Badgers had games canceled the week before, but due to games already scheduled, it has been difficult to find a time to reschedule games.

He said the team was a little tired before the game, but it is late in the season.

“Credit to Timberlake. They hit 11 threes. When you come out to pressure them they drive. When you sit back they hit threes,” Hinthorn said.

Last time the two teams met, the Tigers didn’t shoot as well as they did on Jan. 28 in Bonners Ferry. They were 12 of 20 free throws when the Badgers were one of five, Hinthorn said.

Asha Abubakari was the high scorer for the Badgers with nine points, Mai Blackmore and Kaylee Sumpter scored six points. Blackmore led the team in rebounds with four and Kaylee Sumpter and Braylyn Bayer had three steals each. Morgan Burt, Villaluz and Sumpter each had a blocked shot.

BONNERS FERRY — Abubakari 9, A. Bayer 3, B. Bayer 3, Blackmore 6, Burt 0, Pluid 2, Sumpter 6, Villaluz 0.

TIMBERLAKE — Soumas 16, Webberley 0, Kronenberg 13, MacArthur 11, Wall 6, Needs 4, Patrick 5, Chase 8.

Bonners Ferry — 8 5 10 6 29

Timberlake — 14 21 13 15 63