WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW: First-year head coach Hummel hoping to keep Lady Badgers basketball trending in right direction

LAST SEASON: 13-9, 3A Intermountain League runner-up with key wins over Kellogg (78-62), St. George's (61-40), Lakeside (Plummer) (72-59), and Timberlake (55-53).

COACHES: Sarah Hummel (head coach, first year), Brion Poston (assistant coach).

PLAYERS TO WATCH: G — Taren Bateman, so.; Sydney Hinthorn, sr.; Makenna Baisden, jr.; Alexys Mierke, jr. F — Eva Willis, so.; Brooke Petesch, sr.; Nollie Hiatt, so.

When the Lady Badgers defeated Timberlake in the first round of the 3A Intermountain League best-of-three district tournament series last season, it was the first time they beat the Lady Tigers since the 2014-2015 season. Under new head coach Sarah Hummel, an Idaho native, the Bonners Ferry girls basketball team hopes to keep trending in the right direction.

Hummel grew up Garden Valley and then moved to Payette, which is in the same classification as Bonners Ferry, where she eventually graduated as a Lady Pirate. Her basketball experience as a player and a coach is deep, having played for NJCAA powerhouse College of Southern Idaho and at Idaho State University in Pocatello. After her playing career, she was a student assistant for a year at ISU and then an assistant coach at New Mexico Highlands University (NCAA Division II) for two seasons. She's spent the last 19 years living in Alaska where she coached various high school and middle school girls basketball teams, and most recently, coached the high school girls team at the Tanalian School in Port Alsworth before being named the head coach at Bonners Ferry.

"It has been an exciting last few weeks of practice getting to know these young women on and off the court," coach Hummel said. "They have been very open to everything I have thrown their way and have been really getting after it. We will continue to grow and strive to get better every day. The goal is to build a positive team culture centered around creating better players, better leaders and better people so they can not only serve their teammates well, but also be impactful in their school and community. This team has shown their willingness to try new things, they are eager to learn and put in the work to get better."

Now for the returning impact players, which Bonners Ferry has a handful of. Senior captain and forward Brooke Petesch brings a number of years of experience and leadership to the team.

"She is a steady force, with a great work ethic and positive attitude, and has a willingness to contribute in whatever area she is needed," coach Hummel said of Petesch.

Fellow senior captain and guard Sydney Hinthorn, who is already off to a hot start this season, is described as a gritty, unrufflable player with great court sense and ability to score. Coach Hummel said she is particularly excited about having her back out on the court for her senior season.

Juniors Makenna Baisden and Alexys Mierke both return and are a force to be reckoned with on defense. Hummel says Baisden has a quick first step and gets to the rim and that Mierke has a great hesitation move off the dribble.

Sophomore Taren Bateman, last year's 3A IML MVP, is the biggest piece of the Bonners Ferry puzzle. She averaged a team-high 19.8 points and 1.7 steals per game last season.

"She sees the floor well, has the ability to pull up from deep and take people off the dribble," coach Hummel said of Bateman. "She is also a tenacious defender who anticipates well."

With Markynn Pluid, who now plays basketball for Snow College, and Asha Abubakari, who now competes in track and field for Fresno State, both gone from the mix, the Lady Badgers will need some younger players to step up.

Sophomore Nolie Hiatt, who saw court time last year on varsity, is a competitor who can take it to the rim and has a great outside shot — she'll see considerably more time this season. Off the bench, junior Hallie Thomson, who has really made strides on the inside with her post moves and hands during the offseason, and sophomore Frankie Johnson, a utility player who is willing to do whatever is asked of her and has a great 3-point shot, will be two others who will be relied on for quality minutes. Lastly, Eva Willis, who is back on the basketball court after wrestling last year, is an athletic post who learns quickly and will provide a lot of versatility on the inside.

Brion Poston will be the assistant coach of this year's young squad and will also coach the junior varsity program. Poston is no stranger to Badger Basketball, having coached and assisted for many years with different basketball programs in Bonners Ferry. Hummel described him as someone with a great depth of basketball knowledge and has a great rapport with the athletes.

The Lady Badgers, which are 2-2 so far this season, will back in action on Dec. 6 when they play host to Moscow and will look to get revenge on the Lady Bears. Looking ahead, they'll to travel to 5A Lakeland, will face a strong Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls, Wash.) team that was 17-4 last year at a tournament in Reardan, Wash., and then will host a tough Thompson Falls squad before heading into the final stretch of the season. During that final stretch, they'll head to Timberlake on Jan. 18 for the Backwoods Brawl and will then square off against their one and only conference foe again at home on Feb. 4 to cap off the regular season.

Girls Basketball Schedule

11/16 — @ Sandpoint, 7 p.m. 

11/18 — @ Moscow, 7 p.m. 

11/22-23 — Silver Valley Tournament @ Kellogg 

12/6 — vs. Moscow, 7 p.m. 

12/7 — vs. Stillwater Christian, 4 p.m. 

12/12 — @ Lakeland, 7 p.m. 

12/17 — @ St. Maries, 7 p.m. 

12/27-28 — Reardan Tournament @ Reardan HS 

1/4 — vs. Thompson Falls, 1:30 p.m. 

1/7 — vs. Libby, 7 p.m. 

1/10 — @ Stillwater Christian, 7 p.m. 

1/14 — @ Lincoln County, 6 p.m. 

1/18 — @ Timberlake, 2 p.m. 

1/22 — vs. St. Maries, 7 p.m. 

1/30 — vs. Lakeside, 7 p.m. 

1/31 — @ Genesis Prep, 6 p.m. 

2/4 — vs. Timberlake, 7 p.m. 

    Bonners Ferry High senior forward Brooke Petesch blocks a Timberlake player from behind during an away game against the Lady Tigers last season.