Borah Downs Moscow For Title Lions Claim Their Second A-1 Crown With Clutch Points At Free-Throw Line

The Borah High girls basketball team captured its second State A-1 championship in three years Saturday night as expected.

Moscow made Borah earn it, though.

The Bears gave the Lions all they could handle before Borah clinched the crown at the free-throw line.

Senior wing Eden Bates made 7 of 8 foul shots in the final 1 minute, 21 seconds as Borah held off Moscow, 52-47, at the Idaho Center.

“I just knew I had to put them down,” said Bates, who shoots a bit better than 80 percent from the foul line.

Borah coach Jim Pankratz finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief as Moscow sent Bates to the free-throw line four times.

“I’ve seen her make 50 to 60 free throws in a row in practice,” Pankratz said. “She’s just a machine at the foul line.”

Borah finished the season at 25-3. Moscow, co-Border League champs with Coeur d’Alene, concluded at 22-7.

“We were picked fourth in league and we came within five points (of winning) and got within two,” first-year Moscow coach Sam Hoogsteen said.

Bates believed Borah wasn’t going to be denied at the end.

“Everyone worked together. This is our year and we wanted it so bad,” Bates said. “This was our main goal. We worked every minute of practice for it.”

Just call them Team Borah. The Lions had no apparent weaknesses in their starting lineup and brought two capable subs off the bench all season.

Saturday, four Lions scored eight or more points. Bates led with 14, but it was the all-court effort of 5-foot-7 junior wing Kristen Green that inspired her team.

Green scored 11 points, but her 10 rebounds and seven steals hurt Moscow’s hopes of an upset even more.

The teams combined to play an entertaining first half. Moscow, which caused Borah to start slowly, opened a 6-0 lead.

The Bears made it 11-4 lead when Leisha Bonine hit a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left to play in the quarter.

Borah then woke up, using a 12-3 spurt to take a 16-14 lead after the first period. The teams traded baskets in the second period before Moscow took a 27-26 lead at halftime.

Borah played as most thought it would in the third quarter. The Lions scored 14 straight points for a 42-29 lead with 2:24 left in the period, and they led 44-33 going into the final quarter.

Borah would need most of the lead. The Lions didn’t make a basket in the fourth quarter.

Moscow pulled within two points three times, the last with 10 seconds left when a basket by post player Courtney Goetz cut Borah’s lead to 49-47.

Amber Matthews led the Bears with 15 points and nine rebounds. Brenda Robinson added 10 points.

Borah 52, Moscow 47

Borah 16 10 18 8 - 52

Moscow 14 13 6 14 - 47

Borah - Peterson 0 0-0 0, Green 5 1-2 11, Bates 3 7-8 14, Oakley 1 3-4 5, Orchard 4 1-1 9, Fuhriman 3 2-3 8. Totals 18 15-21 52.

Moscow - LeFors 0 0-0 0, Robinson 5 0-0 10, Bonine 2 0-0 6, Thomas 1 0-0 3, Sorbel 0 0-0 0, Bisbee 0 0-0 0, Matthews 6 3-4 15, Hawley 2 1-4 5, Goetz 3 2-2 8. Totals 19 6-10 47.

3-point goals - Bates, Bonine 2, Thomas. Total fouls - B 13, M 21. Fouled out - Goetz. Technicals - none.