PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners Ferry wins IML; Sandpoint girls to play for state title

BOYS

BONNERS FERRY — Thomas Bateman and Braeden Blackmore each scored 19 points and the Bonners Ferry Badgers won the Intermountain League for the first time since sharing the league title with Kellogg in 2007, beating the Timberlake Tigers 79-61 on Friday night.

Bonners Ferry (18-1, 2-0 IML), ranked No. 1 in 3A will play host to Timberlake (8-12, 0-2) in a best-of-3 series for the 3A District 1 title next week. Games 1 and 2 are Tuesday and Thursday, and Game 3, if necessary, is Friday. All are slated for 7 p.m.

Hunter Higgins scored 16 points, Jacob Yetter 15 for Timberlake.

Timberlake 11 14 18 18 — 61

Bonners Ferry 22 21 23 13 — 79

TIMBERLAKE — Olivieri 7, Jonas 2, McLuskie 6, Yetter 15, Vallieres 10, Meidinger 0, H. Higgins 16, V. Higgins 3, MacArthur 2.

BONNERS FERRY — R. Williams 8, E. Blackmore 7, Rice 0, Henslee 0, Petesch 6, A. Williams 10, Th. Bateman 19, Hammons 1, Tr. Bateman 9, B. Blackmore 19.

GIRLS

Grace 57

Lakeside 37

NAMPA — The Knights went two-and-out at the state 1A Division I tournament at Columbia High, losing to the Grizzlies in the consolation bracket.

Freshman Kyleigh Wolfe scored 11 points for Lakeside, which finished 13-8. Kiona Allen had six rebounds for the eighth-seeded Knights, at state for the first time since 2021.

Tenleigh Walker scored 14 points, Melodie Straatman 13 and Karlie Christensen 12 for fourth-seeded Grace (20-5), which plays Liberty Charter this morning for the consolation title.

Lakeside 6 11 8 12 — 37

Grace 14 17 14 12 — 57

LAKESIDE — Gorr 0, Pluff 5, Wolfe 11, Rivera 5, Wienclaw 0, Thomas 0, K. Allen 2, Matt 2, Lowley 4, Havier-Gorr 3, A. Allen 0, Hodgson 0, Lambert 5. Totals 14-43 6-9 37.

GRACE — Andersen 0, Stoddard 1, J. Christensen 2, Winward 0, Straatman 13, K. Christensen 12, Rigby 4, Gilbert 0, T. Walker 14, B. Walker 0, Jorgensen 0, Smith 8, Yost 3. Totals 21-51 9-19 57.

Sandpoint 47

Columbia 32

NAMPA — Karlie Banks had 16 points and 10 rebounds as the third-seeded Bulldogs advanced to the state title game for the first time since 1996, beating the seventh-seeded Wildcats of Nampa in a state 4A semifinal at the Ford Idaho Center.

Sandpoint (19-5), seeking its first state title, will play top-seeded Shelley (22-3) tonight at 5 PST at the Idaho Center, which began hosting state basketball tournaments in 1997.

Aliya Strock added 11 points for the Bulldogs.

Ellie Robertson scored nine points for Columbia (15-11).

Columbia 4 7 7 14 — 32

Sandpoint 12 7 20 8 — 47

COLUMBIA — Reyna 5, Robertson 9, Andrews 2, Soto 0, Myers 6, Knight 0, Nabors 2, Lundergan 2, Mills 6, Callahan 0, Lozano 0. Totals 11-43 8-9 32.

SANDPOINT — K. Cessna 4, De. Driggs 5, Da. Driggs 8, Mire 0, David 0, P. Cessna 0, Laybourne 0, Richardson 3, Knowles 0, Owens 0, Tuinstra 0, Bleckwenn 0, Strock 11, Banks 16, Thaete 0. Totals 18-42 5-8 47.

Leadore 60

Clark Fork 39

NAMPA — Despite 23 points from Lilly Reuter, the eighth-seeded Wampus Cats fell to the fifth-seeded Mustangs in a loser-out game of the 1A Division II tournament at Nampa High.

Amari Printz-Hay had 10 rebounds for Clark Fork (8-14), at state for the first time since 2012.

Sadie Bird had 25 points and 14 rebounds for Leadore (20-5), which plays Kendrick (17-5) today for the consolation title.

Clark Fork 10 7 13 9 — 39

Leadore 18 15 17 10 — 60

CLARK FORK — Leadbetter 0, Myers 3, Shelton 5, Reuter 23, Printz-Hay 3, Herrick 0, Matteson 2, Scarlett 0, Thompson 3, Berscheid 0. Totals 14-47 2-6 39.

LEADORE — Beyeler 0, M. Mackay 12, Villalon 0, Kesi 2, Carver 4, Matson 2, K. Mackay 2, L. Bird 11, S. Bird 25, Whittaker 0, Herbst 2, Jones 0. Totals 23-58 12-18 60.