Bears, Badgers Reach Title Game

A-2 District I-II

The A-2 District I-II boys basketball tournament scoreboard operator should make sure his fingers are in shape for the title showdown Friday between top-seeded Moscow and Bonners Ferry.

If the first round of the double-elimination tourney Wednesday is any indication, the tempo and scoring should be nothing short of breakneck in the district title game.

Undefeated Intermountain League champ Moscow ran past Lakeland as if the Hawks were wearing cement-filled shoes as the Bears easily prevailed 71-49.

In the opener at Lake City High’s gym, No. 3-seeded Bonners Ferry overcame a 7-minute scoring drought to leave second-seeded Kellogg behind 53-40.

Moscow (15-3 overall) and Bonners Ferry (13-7) collide at 7:45 p.m. Friday, following a loser-out game between Lakeland (7-13) and Kellogg (13-8) at 6.

The Moscow-Bonners Ferry winner advances to state, which will be held Thursday through Saturday in the Nampa area. Two teams qualify for state.

Moscow 71, Lakeland 49

Had the Lakeland Hawks played error-free, it would have been difficult for them to keep up with the Bears.

“They showed why they’re No. 1 in the league,” Lakeland first-year coach Trent Derrick said. “They shot extremely well and they really defended. They got after us. They’re a really fine ballclub. We came in thinking we could do some things, but they took it away from us.”

Moscow coach Don Dudley, ever the perfectionist, did criticize one part of the Bears’ game - turnovers.

“We struggled taking care of the ball at times,” said Dudley, whose club committed 14 turnovers in the first half and 23 total.

Still, Lakeland couldn’t take advantage of the Bears’ mistakes.

For good reason, too. The Bears played air-tight defense, not giving Lakeland many open shots or lanes to the basket.

Moscow was particularly hot from 3-point range, making 12 of 23 attempts. Point guard Adam Miller made three straight in the second quarter during a run that allowed Moscow to open its first big lead.

Miller led with 21 points and Kirby Brown, with three 3-pointers, had 14. Lakeland’s Ryan Banks had 16.

Derrick wasn’t dejected afterward.

“We’re not out of it,” he said. “We’re not going to die.”

Dudley emphasized defense against Lakeland. He said his team allowed the Hawks nine transition baskets the last time the teams played.

“Defense and rebounding were the keys,” Dudley said. “We’ve rode our defense all year.”

Moscow 13 19 17 22 - 71 Lakeland 11 10 18 10 - 49

Moscow - Brown 14, Strobel 5, Rinaldi 9, Miller 21, Kuska 4, Curtis 3, Cosgrove 2, Richards 4, Johnson 0, Owen 9.

Lakeland - Kowalcyzk 8, Rothrock 8, Dotts 0, Banks 16, Holt 3, Rasor 0, Reese 7, Thiringer 0, Mudge 7, Bertsch 0, Hindberg 0, Moore 3.

Bonners Ferry 53, Kellogg 40

The Badgers were the preseason pick to win the league, but they stumbled to a 5-5 third-place finish.

In the opener Wednesday, Bonners Ferry looked a lot like the team many expected it to be earlier in the season.

Offense came almost effortlessly in the first half - especially with senior shooter Adam Hiatt leading the charge.

Bonners Ferry led 29-17 at halftime. But Kellogg actually trailed Hiatt 19-17, too. Hiatt made 7 of 9 shots from the field in the first half, including 5 of 5 from 3-point range.

The Badgers held a 10-point cushion going into the fourth quarter. But Bonners Ferry’s scoring woes actually started at the 4:25 mark of the third period.

Bonners Ferry wouldn’t score again until Danny Bahe got a putback to extend the Badgers’ lead to 37-30 with 5:30 left in the final quarter.

Kellogg, which had trailed by 13 points in the third quarter, cut the lead to five in the early moments of the fourth. But the Wildcats wouldn’t get closer.

Two free throws by Allen Ashby put the Badgers ahead 51-36, their widest margin, with :49 left.

“We stalled out there for a little while,” Bonners Ferry coach Ken Robertson said. “We missed a few scoring opportunities that should have went in. But I was really pleased with our overall effort. I thought we played hard throughout and under control.”

Kellogg was awful offensively. The Wildcats didn’t get many open looks at the basket, and many of their shots were off-balance attempts.

It was redemption for the Badgers, who dropped two close games in the regular season to Kellogg.

Hiatt finished with a game-high 22 points and Ashby added 14. Nathan Corkill led Kellogg with 11.

Bonners Ferry 17 12 6 18 - 53 Kellogg 8 9 10 13 - 40

Bonners Ferry - Bahe 2, Hiatt 22, Arthur 0, Meeker 4, Staples 0, Ashby 14, Hurst 2, Zimmerman 0, Robertson 0.

Kellogg - Co. Lewis 1, Mercado 8, Corkill 11, C. Marek 2, Ch. Lewis 0, Derbyshire 0, Rice 2, Carlson 9, H. Marek 3.

, DataTimes