PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Priest River downs Kellogg, advances to state

PRIEST RIVER — When Kevin Wylie took over the Priest River boys basketball program six years ago, a trip to state wasn't even close to being in the cards for the Spartans.

Wylie had to build the program from the ground up and make connections with kids in the community to foster a brighter future for the team. But after several losing seasons, all the late nights and time spent in the gym paid off for Wylie and the Spartans on Tuesday night.

Trentyn Kreager scored 28 points for Priest River (13-8), which took down the seven-time defending district champion Kellogg Wildcats 59-52 to capture their first 3A District 1 title since 2011 and punch their ticket to the state tournament next week in Nampa.

Kolby Luna scored 16 points for Kellogg (9-8), which hosts Bonners Ferry (9-7) in the district second-place game tonight at 6.

Kellogg 14 6 16 16 — 52

Priest River 9 17 16 17 — 59

KELLOGG — Miller 0, R. Luna 15, K. Luna 16, McLean 0, Groves 8, Frohlich 6, Walker 0, Jerome 7.

PRIEST RIVER — Mathews 5, Butler 0, J. Nortz 4, Kreager 28, Marinello 5, Barrett 14, D. Nortz 3, Thompson 0.

Bonners Ferry 64

Timberlake 53

BONNERS FERRY — Sophomore Hunter Higgins scored 17 points for the Tigers, who fell short to the Badgers in a 3A District 1 tournament loser-out game at Bonners Ferry High.

“Hunter did a great job and spaced his points out throughout the game,” said Timberlake coach Mike Menti, whose team entered the fourth quarter tied at 41, but was outscored 23-12 in the final quarter. “Our shots stopped falling and they got the momentum, and we just couldn’t get it back.”

Ethan Riley scored 14 points for Timberlake, which finishes 7-15.

Blake Rice scored 18 points for Bonners Ferry (9-7), which plays at Kellogg (10-8) tonight in the district second-place game starting at 6.

“Every time we’d get within three, they’d answer right back,” Menti said. “Their kids responded and our kids just couldn’t seem to get the momentum back.”

Timberlake 8 13 20 12 — 53

Bonners Ferry 12 14 15 23 — 64

TIMBERLAKE — Olivieri 5, Riley 14, Tay. Menti 5, Paslay 2, Yetter 10, Millsap 0, Higgins 17, Tan. Menti 0.

BONNERS FERRY — Williams 15, Petersen 3, Rice 18, Stockton 9, Hubbard 7, Mai 2, Beazer 0, Blackmore 10.

Wallace 46

Genesis Prep 40

WALLACE — Hayden Hogamier hit back-to-back 3-pointers to erase a four-point deficit in the fourth quarter for the Miners, who held off the Jaguars in a loser-out game in the 1A Division I District 1 tournament at Kirby Krulitz Court.

Hogamier finished with 16 points for Wallace (9-10), which plays at Lakeside in the championship game on Friday at 6 p.m.

Nathan Weeks scored nine points for Genesis Prep, which finished 2-11 in coach Jeff Hironaka’s first season as coach.

Genesis Prep 14 12 6 8 — 40

Wallace 7 14 11 14 — 46

GENESIS PREP — Weeks 9, Gonzales 6, Schroeder 3, Daniels 9, McLuskie 8, Specht 0, Russworm 0.

WALLACE — Tesky 5, Farkas 10, Hogamier 16, Bailey 11, Morin 0, Hull 4, Hammerberg 0.