Bonners Ferry Muscles Its Way To State

Bonners Ferry wasn’t about to be denied a return trip to the State A-2 girls basketball tournament, even if it meant getting physical with Kellogg.

And it took some pushing and shoving for the Badgers to slip past the Wildcats, 57-46, in the District I-II loser-out game Saturday afternoon at the Post Falls High gymnasium.

At one point during the second half, Kellogg coach Wayne Pfeifer met Bonners Ferry coach Jim Nash on the sideline.

“I was telling him, I hope nobody gets killed because of the officiating,” Pfeifer said. “They allowed the teams to play, and both teams got physical. It would be fine, if they allowed them to do it the whole game.”

The win sends Bonners Ferry to this week’s state tournament at Centennial High in Meridian. The Badgers (16-7) open against Kuna (17-5) on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. (PST).

“I didn’t have to talk to them last night,” Bonners Ferry coach Jim Nash said of the 30-28 championship-game loss to Moscow, the threetime state champ.

“We knew we had to come back today,” Badgers senior guard Amy Regehr said. “For us seniors, this is our last game.

“If we are intense we can go, but if we don’t have intensity, we’re off,” Regehr added. “We played as a good team today.”

For the first 12 minutes, the teams played even with 11 lead changes and three ties.

Midway into the second quarter, the Badgers took control.

Fueled by a 2-2-1 full-court pressure defense, Bonners Ferry scored 10 straight points, including six off Kellogg turnovers.

Senior forward Jana Nearing’s steal and baseline basket 2:06 before halftime left the Badgers up 26-17.

Bonners Ferry hit 8 of 10 third-quarter field goals. Regehr’s 3-pointer at the 2:08 mark extended the Badgers’ lead to 15.

Back-to-back baskets by post Laura Rauenhorst rallied Kellogg (14-10) to within 46-38 in the last 27 seconds of the third period.

Bonners Ferry forced the Wildcats to foul in the fourth quarter, as the Badgers went into a delay offense.

Three Kellogg players fouled out, although Bonners Ferry didn’t help itself at the freethrow line, going 12 of 25. The Wildcats were 11 of 18 at the line, as the teams combined for 40 fouls.

Nearing’s 20 points and 10 rebounds led all players. Regehr added 16 points and five steals for Bonners Ferry.

Bonners Ferry 57, Kellogg 46

Kellogg 12 9 17 8 - 46 Bonners Ferry 12 14 20 11 - 57

KELLOGG Shiplett 0, Mercado 9, Derbyshire 11, Costa 3, Hei 0, Lemon 11, Delcomte 0, Lemieux 2, Rauenhorst 10.

BONNERS FERRY Walter 0, Knott 0, Bateman 7, Regehr 16, D. Ripatti 2, Cartwright 6, Nearing 20, K. Ripatti 6, Mulvaney 0.