Balanced Timberlake clinches IML girls title
(left) Asha Abubakari boxes out Timberlake's Diane Nelson at the Backwoods Brawl spirit game on Jan. 20.
(Photo By: EMILY BONSANT)
SPIRIT LAKE — On Wednesday, it was a little bit of everyone for Timberlake.
Two players with nine points, two with eight.
The team with a league title.
Sophomore Payton Young and junior Jozee MacArthur scored nine points each for the Tigers, who beat the Bonners Ferry Badgers 51-37 in an Intermountain League game, clinching the two-team league title and home court advantage in the best-of-3 game District 1 tournament.
“Everyone scored and we were extremely balanced tonight,” said Timberlake coach Matt Miller, who has coached the Tigers to outright titles in seven of the last eight years. “It was a great team effort with everyone contributing.”
Junior Diana Nelson and senior Kurtsten McKellips scored eight points each for Timberlake (13-3, 2-0 IML), which beat Bonners Ferry 66-61 last Saturday in the Backwoods Brawl spirit game at Bonners Ferry High.
“The last time, it was a super up and down pace,” Miller said. “We did a good job of playing in the half court and playing in control most of the way.”
Freshman Taren Bateman scored 11 points for Bonners Ferry (9-6, 0-2).
The Badgers will play at Stillwater Christian on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and host 4A Lakeland on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Bonners Ferry 8 10 12 7 — 37
Timberlake 17 9 13 12 — 51
BONNERS FERRY — Petesch 0, Kimball 6, Baisden 6, Pluid 6, Bateman 11, Mierke 4, Abubakari 4.
TIMBERLAKE — Soumas 4, Young 9, Nelson 8, MacArthur 9, Simpson 8, Needs 5, McKellips 8.