STATE 4A BOYS BASKETBALL: Defending champion Bonners Ferry rolls in opener

Bonners Ferry 81

Kimberly 62

EAGLE — Senior Asher Williams scored 31 points on a 13-for-16 performance from the field as the No. 1 Badgers downed No. 8 Kimberly for the second straight year in the first round of the state 4A boys basketball tournament Thursday at Eagle High.

Senior Thomas Bateman added 16 points for Bonners Ferry (22-1), including two 3-pointers, and hauled in nine rebounds. Senior Brody Rice had 12 points and seven assists for the Badgers, who used a 26-9 second quarter scoring advantage to take a 48-29 lead heading into intermission. Williams added six assists and three steals. Bonners Ferry shot 60.3 percent from the floor, assisted on 23 of its 35 made baskets, and outrebounded Kimberly 29-17.

Junior Sulay Abubakari collected 12 points, sophomore Peyton Hinthorn eight points and seven rebounds for the Badgers, last year's state 3A champions.

Bonners Ferry will host No. 5 Marsh Valley (14-11), which beat No. 4 Cole Valley Christian 58-52 on Thursday, in the semifinals tonight at 6 p.m. PST at Eagle High. The Badgers faced the Eagles in the semifinals last year and came away with a 64-57 victory.

The Bulldogs (12-15), led by junior Gerwin Jeschke's three 3-pointers and 17 total points, gave Bonners Ferry some trouble early on. Last year, in the same opening round matchup as the second and seventh seeds, the Badgers took a 61-50 win.

Kimberly 20 9 15 18 — 62

Bonners Ferry 22 26 19 14 — 81

KIMBERLY — Jeschke 17, Q. Pettingill 16, Larson 10, Anthony 8, Beckstead 4, Bruning 3, Lloyd 2, Paz 2. Totals 24-58 8-10 62. 

BONNERS FERRY — Schrock 0, Stranger 0, Blackmore, Rice 8, Hiatt 0, Hinthorn 12, Williams 31, Bateman 16, Cartwright 0, Abubakari 12, Thomson 0, Cartwright-Kissee 0. Totals 35-58 8-8 81.