MERIDIAN — A quick exit from the state 3A tournament was the last thing on the Timberlake Tigers' mind when they left Spirit Lake earlier this week.

Sure, their opener Thursday was against favorite Snake River, but “on film, I thought we matched up with them really well,” Timberlake coach Michael Scott said. “Actually, I predicted we'd win the game. I just felt we had been playing really good basketball, and I thought we were going to surprise some people.”

But Snake burst out to a 38-8 halftime lead en route to a 63-39 drubbing of the Tigers.

“They're different than on film,” Scott said.

On Friday afternoon, Timberlake hung within range of Sugar-Salem, but 35.9-percent shooting from the field (14 of 39) eventually caught up to the Tigers in a 61-43 loss at Meridian High.

Timberlake, in its second trip to state in two years, finished 10-15.

“It was tough — a lot different competition than up there where we play,” said Timberlake senior guard Jordan Hardy, who led the Tigers with 13 points. “It's a lot more physical.”

Chandler Pincock scored a game-high 16 points for Sugar-Salem (21-8), the defending state champs. Sugar will play Kellogg (18-4) for the consolation title today at 8:15 a.m. PST at Meridian High.

Junior Chase Gardom added eight points and six rebounds for the Tigers, who shot just 15 of 44 (34.1 percent) in Thursday night's loss.

Scott, in his second season as head coach, said the loudness of the gym — caused mainly by the opposing fans — made it tough for his squad to communicate.

“People complain about the Battle of the Buck (the spirit games between Timberlake and Priest River), and the distractions, and I think it's good to prepare for this, because this is louder than Battle of the Buck,” Scott said. “My voice doesn't carry, and I finally had to start whistling, because I couldn't get their attention.

“I think what really hurt us was the lack of communication from coach to player. And within the players, they weren't communicating on their own either. Too many times we would give up a basket because we didn't communicate, and too many times the offense would break down because we didn't communicate with our voices.

“It was loud, and we didn't get used to doing it during the season.”

Timberlake 9 10 13 11 — 43

Sugar-Salem 16 11 17 17 — 61

TIMBERLAKE — Hardy 13, Wilfong 0, Cramer 0, Meijerink 0, Counts 2, McDonald 0, Kluss 6, VanBuskirk 0, James 7, Gardom 8, Kistler 7. Totals 14-39 8-12 43.

SUGAR-SALEM — Warner 0, Shirley 11, Drake 8, Dodson 2, Schwendiman 1, Blaser 0, Miller 5, Pincock 16, Parkinson 0, Baldwin 7, Bean 0, Harris 0, Michaelson 7, Handy 4, Barr 0. Totals 22-50 9-15 63.