PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Timberlake dumps first-place Priest River for first IML win

PRIEST RIVER — Ethan Riley and Zach Yetter combined for 35 points to help Timberlake pick up its first Intermountain League victory on Wednesday night, knocking off league-leading Priest River 66-55.

Yetter finished with 19 points and five assists and Riley had 16 points for Timberlake (6-13, 1-4 IML). Kale Paslay added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers, who led Kellogg by 23 points on Tuesday night before falling on a basket just before the buzzer.

“It was huge, because this game was going the same way that was,” Timberlake coach Mike Menti said. “Priest River did a really good job of cutting that lead, and last night we couldn’t finish it out, and tonight the boys stepped up. Very proud of our leadership and our maturity tonight.”

Jordan Nortz led Priest River (11-7, 3-1) with 18 points and three steals, and Trentyn Kreager tallied 15 points and six rebounds.

It was Priest River's first game since Feb. 8 and early on the Spartans' rust showed. The Tigers pounced on the opportunity to put Priest River in a hole and built a 20-10 lead after the first quarter.

In the third quarter, Priest River went on a run to close the deficit to two points with just under a minute left in the frame. But the Tigers quickly responded and kept the Spartans at a distance in the final quarter.

“It’s huge for our morale, and it’s huge for our confidence,” Menti said of Timberlake’s first league win. “So hopefully this gets us going in the right direction.

In staving off the Spartans in the third quarter, “We got back to what we do,” Menti said. “Zach Yetter did a great job of controlling the team, controlling the offense and the tempo, and driving and finding wide-open guys. And when you have a leader like Zach that does that, the team just follows. I think Zach was that kid that got us going when things were starting to go south.”

Timberlake plays host to Bonners Ferry (7-6, 2-2) tonight to wrap up IML and regular-season play.

Priest River heads to Kellogg (9-6, 3-2) on Friday in the regular-season finale.

Timberlake 20 13 13 20 — 66

Priest River 10 14 15 16 — 55

TIMBERLAKE — Olivieri 6, Riley 16, Tay. Menti 3, Paslay 11, Yetter 19, Millsap 0, Higgins 8, Tan. Menti 3.

PRIEST RIVER — Mathews 6, Butler 0, J. Nortz 18, Kreager 15, Marinello 2, Barrett 6, D. Nortz 0, Thompson 0, Yount 8.

Kellogg 74

Bonners Ferry 69

KELLOGG — KJ Walker and Tanner Groves led the way as the Wildcats rallied from a big first-half deficit for the second straight night to beat the Badgers in IML play at Andrews Gymnasium.

Groves had 14 of his 18 points in the second half for Kellogg (9-6, 3-2 IML), which trailed by double digits in the first quarter. Walker scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half.

“He carried us in that first half,” Kellogg coach Mike Martin said.

Groves also had five rebounds.

“He was huge,” Martin said of Groves. “Defensively he was flying around. By far the best game he’s played for us this year.”

Logan Jerome scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half for Kellogg, which has won six of its last seven, including three straight league games after an 0-2 start to move into second place. Kolby Luna added 13 points, and Riply Luna had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Luna was 10 of 11 from the foul line, including 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter.

Kellogg wraps up the regular season Friday at home against IML-leading Priest River.

Braeden Blackmore scored 18 points for Bonners Ferry (7-6, 2-2), which plays at Timberlake tonight.

Bonners Ferry 23 12 15 19 — 69

Kellogg 12 23 19 20 — 74

BONNERS FERRY — Williams 17, Petersen 14, Rice 6, Henslee 0, Stockton 3, Hubbard 9, Mai 0, Beazer 2, Blackmore 18.

KELLOGG — R. Luna 12, K. Luna 13, McLean 0, Groves 18, Frohlich 6, Walker 12, Jerome 13.

Wallace 62

Clark Fork 42

WALLACE — Hayden Hogamier scored 15 points for the Miners in a nonleague win over the Wampus Cats at Kirby Krulitz Court.

Carter Bailey scored 13 points for Wallace (7-10), which hosts Genesis Prep in a 1A Division I District 1 playoff game on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Cameron Garcia scored 18 points for Clark Fork (3-12), which plays at Mullan on Wednesday in the 1A Division II District 1 championship game starting at 6 p.m.

Clark Fork 12 4 5 21 — 42

Wallace 17 16 15 14 — 62

CLARK FORK — Garcia 18, C. SanRoman 10, Barnett 5, Wade 6, Shelton 0, Reuter 1, Mayorga 2, Matteson 0, Howard 0.

WALLACE — Tesky 7, Farkas 5, Hogamier 15, Allison 0, Jaramillo 0, Bailey 13, Morin 2, Murdoch 0, Denson 11, Hull 3, Hammerberg 2, Goldade 4.