Bonners Ferry Answers Call

Idaho girls basketball

When the horn sounded to begin play in the fourth quarter of the final A-2 District I-II Tournament girls basketball game Saturday afternoon, it seemingly triggered an alarm in the heads of the Bonners Ferry players.

Still smarting perhaps from an overtime loss to Moscow in the district title game the night before, the Badgers awoke to finish off Lakeland, 49-23, at North Idaho College’s Christianson Gym.

Not that the Badgers were in any danger of being upset. It’s just that they had seemingly dozed through most of the previous three quarters.

Bonners Ferry (16-4 overall) advances to the state tournament, which begins Thursday at Centennial High in Meridian. The Badgers will take on District IV champ Buhl (17-5) at 7 p.m. PST.

Lakeland finishes its season at 10-12.

“I told the kids on the bus ride home last night that they had to get rid of the loss to Moscow,” Bonners Ferry coach Jim Nash said. “So it’s pretty tough playing that late game, losing, riding the bus home and coming back today. Then they had butterflies playing in a loser-out game.”

Still, the Badgers played well enough to avoid any serious threat from the Hawks.

Bonners Ferry opened a 15-5 lead through the first quarter, and led by 17 points late in the second period before going into halftime ahead 25-10.

The teams combined to shoot 2 of 18 in the second quarter.

The Badgers’ poor shooting continued in the third period when they made 1 of 12 shots - 6 of 34 overall at that point.

Bonners Ferry loosened up in the fourth quarter, outscoring Lakeland 17-4.

“We had our chances. Defensively, we didn’t play a terrible game,” Lakeland coach Steve Seymour said. “Offensively, it was the same old story. Half of it was Bonners Ferry’s defense and half of it was just our lack of offensive ability.”

Juniors Amber Paulson and Sarah Walter, the Badgers’ two all-Intermountain League selections, were too much for Lakeland. Paulson led with 14 points and almost as many rebounds and Walter added 10.

“When we got out and got the good lead (in the first half) that took a lot of the butterflies away,” Nash said. “At that point it was a matter of not losing. Unfortunately that is a lot like we played - not to lose. But in the fourth period we played pretty well.”

The Badgers were solid on defense, not allowing many easy shots.

Bonners Ferry 49, Lakeland 23

Lakeland 5 5 9 4 - 23 Bonners Ferry 15 10 7 17 - 49

Lakeland - Beyer 2, Foldvik 0, Douglas 5, Jamison 6, Boone 0, DeBoer 2, Campbell 0, Banbury 2, Harwood 2, Fox 4, Berger 0.

Bonners Ferry - Walter 10, Decker 3, Bateman 4, J. Larson 2, Myers 2, Braniff 5, Carey 4, Paulson 14, Downing 0, Carlson 2, Mormon 2.

Centennial 60, Post Falls 42

The defending State A-1 champion Patriots used second chances and 3-point shooting to knock off the upsetminded Trojans in a playoff game for a state berth at Grangeville.

Centennial (16-8 overall) pulled away from the Trojans (14-11) in the second quarter after a tight opening period.

The Patriots hit 8 of 14 3-pointers to open a comfortable lead. Laura Mangum led a balanced Centennial attack with 13 points.

Sophomore Janelle Ruen led Post Falls with 24 points.

Centennial 14 21 10 15 - 60 Post Falls 12 15 6 9 - 42

CENTENNIAL - Martin 5, Boyle 5, Birch 10, Mangum 13, Booth 11, Synder 8, Scown 8.

POST FALLS - Billetz 2, Edmonds 0, Foster 2, Glaser 6, Juhlin 0, Klaudt 0, Ruen 24, Swanstrom 0, Waltz 8.

Kootenai 50, Falls Christian 47

Kootenai is headed to state for the first time since the early 1980s as Amanda Reinhardt made three key free throws in the final 2 minutes to lift the Warriors over the Eagles in an A-4 District I Tournament loser-out game at Lakeland High School in Rathdrum.

The Warriors (10-10 overall) had to fight off nerves and foul trouble in the fourth quarter to join district champ Lakeside at state.

Kootenai will meet District V runner-up Rockland (13-8) in a state opener Wednesday in the expanded 16-team tourney.

The Warriors secured the victory with three starters on the bench after fouling out.

“I’m just dazed,” Kootenai coach Scott Shafer said. “I’m just glad the game is over. It wasn’t pretty, but the girls pulled it out. The girls put too much pressure on themselves to win.”

Kootenai led 30-21 at halftime, its biggest lead in the game.

Nat Damiano and Danyel Hunter led Kootenai with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Emilee Jackson led FCA (9-12) with 21.

Kootenai 10 20 11 9 - 50 Falls Christian 14 7 12 14 - 47

Kootenai - S.Kraack 6, Reinhardt 5, Andersen 3, Bornitz 6, Hunter 12, Goodson 4, L.Kraack 1, Damiano 13.

Falls Christian - Johnson 0, Eberle 15, Williams 6, Jackson 21, Gelnette 0, Moate 4, Taylor 0, M.Jenkins 1, Tuttle 0, Ap.Coy 0, S.Jenkins 0.

Prairie 63, Wallace 29

In an A-3 playoff game at Moscow, Prairie ran away from the Miners.

Prairie (20-6) advances to state, which will begin Thursday at Vallivue High School in Caldwell.

Wallace finishes the season at 7-13.

Prairie 17 17 13 16 - 63 Wallace 4 5 10 10 - 29

PRAIRIE - Remacle 4,J.Arnezen 2, R.Arnezen, Hinkelman 2, Wassmuth 6, Wessels 7, Kuther 0, Funke 24, Kaschmitter 0, Klappricch 12, Bruno 0, Stark 1, Clark 1.

WALLACE - Gregory 2, Calabretta 5, England 4, Nipp 5, Branstetter 0, Sleazer 6, Krulitz 4, Carrico 2, Striker 1.

, DataTimes