Bonners Ferry 77, Timberlake 33

BONNERS FERRY — Junior Asher Williams scored a game-high 25 points for the top-seeded Badgers in a win over the second-seeded Tigers in Game 1 of the best-of-3 game 3A District 1 championship series at Bonners Ferry High.

Senior Trey Bateman scored 17 points for Bonners Ferry (18-3), which can advance to the state 3A tournament with a win in Game 2 on Thursday in Bonners Ferry at 6 p.m. The Badgers finished runner-up to Sugar-Salem in last year’s state tournament.

Junior Nathaniel Dykeman and senior Jacob Yetter scored six points each for Timberlake (6-15).

“Timberlake came out to win the first half and we didn’t,” Bonners Ferry head Coach Nathan Williams said. “They were getting 50-50 balls and at half time had 6 offensive boards, that’s too many.”

“They are a team that is supposed to be disciplined like us. At halftime we challenged the guys to play better, help defense and box out every time. In the second half [Timberlake] didn’t have any offensive boards and we had 18.”

In a Feb. 20 media poll conducted by IdahoSports.com, Bonners Ferry is ranked number two in 3A, with Snake River ranked as number one. 

Timberlake 14 11 3 5 — 33

Bonners Ferry 19 27 26 5 — 77

TIMBERLAKE — Engelson 5, Dykeman 6, Yetter 6, Vallieres 4, DeVore 0, Meidinger 3, McDougall 4, Doorman 0, Higgins 5, Simpson 0.

BONNERS FERRY — Schrock 3, Jimerez 0, Blackmore 13, Rice 2, Smith 7, Hinthorn 2, Williams 25, Th. Bateman 17, Cartwright 0, Tr. Bateman 4, Abubakari 4.