PREP BBALL: Boys finish regular season 20-1, gear up for playoffs

Timberlake 35, 

Bonners Ferry 78 

BONNERS FERRY – The Bonners Ferry Badgers boys (20-1) wrapped up their regular season in dominant fashion behind a near triple-double from Brody Rice in a 43-point Feb. 14 victory against the Timberlake Tigers (9-10).

The Badgers will play the Tigers again on Feb. 24 at home at 7 p.m. in the conference championship game. If they win, they will advance to the state tournament, and it will be the last time this group of Badgers plays a game in Bonners Ferry. Asher Williams, Thomas Bateman, Brody Rice and Eli Blackmore are all seniors. 

Rice finished the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Williams led the scoring attack with 18 points and registered six assists.  

The Badgers facilitated the ball well in a balanced scoring effort, with four players finishing with double-figure points. The team had eight assists on nine made shots in the first quarter. 

“We’re just very unselfish,” said head coach Nathan Williams. "A lot of our guys – Eli, Peyton, Brody – could average a lot more if they were selfish. But since third grade, I've been telling them, ‘Let's be unselfish. let's distribute the ball.”    The Williams family stands at midcourt during a pregame recognition for Asher William's 2,000 career points. Before tipoff, Asher Williams was recognized for surpassing 2,000 career points. He now has 2,066. 

Thomas Bateman is only nine points away from reaching 1,000. 

The Badgers’ win over the Tigers was the second victory they’ve had against Timberlake this season. They also won in the Backwoods Brawl, where Asher Williams scored a school record 50 points. 

Coach Williams said the team will be ramping up its intensity in practice moving into the playoffs to ensure the defense is where it needs to be. 

“What we’re preparing for in our next matchup with Timberlake is rebounding,” he said. “We want their possessions to be one and done. They shoot, they miss, they’re done. If we can do that a little bit better, we’ll be more prepared for state.” 

Timberlake – 11 5 8 11 35 

Bonners Ferry – 20 23 23 12 78 

PTS: BF – Williams 18, Bateman 17, Rice 14, Abubakari 11, Blackmore 9, Hinthorn 7, Cartwright 2. TL – Engleson 11, Dykeman 9, Simpson 6, Shively 4, VanGundy 2, Rush 2, Vallieres 1. 

REB: BF – Rice 10, Bateman 7, Hinthorn 4, Williams 4, Abubakari 3, Blackmore 3. 

AST: BF – Rice 8, Williams 6, Bateman 4, Abubakari 2, Blackmore 1, Hinthorn 1, Schrock 1. 

STL: BF – Williams 2, Bateman 1, Schrock 1. 

BLK: BF – Bateman 1, Hinthorn 1. 

3PM: BF – Bateman 2, Blackmore 2, Abubakari 1, Hinthorn 1, Williams 1.