Badgers Bounce Back For A-2 Berth

Back door, front door, side door, trap door.

It didn’t matter to the Bonners Ferry High School basketball team which door it opened to advance to the State A-2 Tournament.

The Badgers disposed of the Priest River Spartans 71-56 in the District I-II final Saturday at Lake City High School, earning the runner-up berth to state.

Coach Dick Hollenbeck was just glad the Badgers found the door after an emotional loss the night before to Kellogg (74-66) in the district championship game.

“We just knew that if we came to play we’d be going to state,” Hollenbeck said.

The Badgers (18-5) are headed to Pocatello, where the state tournament begins Thursday at Idaho State University’s Reed Gym. Bonners Ferry meets District III champion Weiser, also 18-5, in the final game that night at 7:15 PST.

Two-time district champion Priest River ends its year at 10-13.

Essentially this was a game between a team (Bonners Ferry) with multiple offensive weapons and a team (Priest River) that played most of the season with one versatile weapon - Kyle York, the Intermountain League’s two-time most valuable player.

So Hollenbeck’s primary concern was not allowing York to beat his team one-on-five.

The Badgers used a 1-3 defense with a chaser on York. Doing most of the chasing was 6-foot-4 Gavin Glindeman.

York, an athletically blessed 6-foot guard, scored 21 points, but only once did he score successive baskets. He took just one shot, a 3-pointer, in the third quarter.

With his team playing Bonners Ferry for a fourth time, Priest River coach Kelly Reed threw a gimmick defense (a triangle and two) at the Badgers, hoping to contain talented seniors Kris Gravelle and Gavin Glindeman.

It was effective at times, but it allowed 6-5 senior wing Benson LaRue to have a perfect first half.

LaRue scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half. He made 6 of 6 shots in the first half, including two 3-pointers and a dunk. His second-half basket also was a dunk.

“He’s hit shots from outside, but that’s the first time he’s had a real solid half like that,” Hollenbeck said.

Glindeman equaled LaRue’s 18 points and Gravelle added 10.

Bonners Ferry built a 31-21 lead by halftime, then widened the margin to as much as 22 in the third quarter, when Priest River’s woeful shooting hit bottom. The Spartans opened the second half by missing eight straight shots.

Reed was proud of his team’s season.

“I thought we overachieved,” he said. “I’m proud of them.”

Bonners Ferry 71, Priest River 56

Priest River 13 8 11 24 - 56 Bonners Ferry 19 12 20 20 - 71

PRIEST RIVER York 21, Score 8, Bradbury 9, Rabe 5, Trost 6, Mohr 2, Schaefer 0, Walters 1, Clark 0, Eskelson 2, Warren 2.

BONNERS FERRY Walter 0, Gravelle 10, Glindeman 18, High 4, Holeski 6, Hubbard 3, LaRue 18, Meeker 0, Ashby 4, Stewart 8.