By Badger sports reporter Piper Banning
The Lady Badgers put up a hard fight in today’s Backwoods Brawl with the Timberlake Tigers, but fell just short of a win, 66-61, while the boys couldn’t be stopped, starting out hot in a three-point shootout in the opening minutes of the opening quarter on the way to an 84-45 win against their sole rival in this year’s Intermountain League.
“We played very unselfish offensively and I thought we attacked their half court trap fairly well,” boys head coach Nathan Williams said, with Badger three pointers from Eli Blackmore, Thomas Bateman, Trey Bateman and Asher Williams landing in the opening minutes of the game to give Bonners Ferry a 24-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Timberlake also landed four three-pointers in the opening quarter, with lead scorers Tyler Engleson hitting a one for three of his 14 game points and Jacob Yetter hitting two for half his night’s 12 points. The only other Tiger score to in the first half, Cole Meidinger, did it from three-point land early in the first quarter.
Williams had an exceptional day, with no personal fouls committed, six of six from the free throw line in the second quarter and 30-points on the game. Thomas Bateman came in with 16 game points and Trey finished the game with 12.
The Badgers went into half time up 52-21, they outscored the Tigers 21-17 in the third and coasted in the final quarter but still outscored the Tigers, 11-7, for a 39-point win.
The Badgers will play two cross-border bouts in the week ahead as they host Lincoln County High School, Eureka, Montana, at home at 5 p.m. for the varsity girls and at 6:30 p.m. for the boys on Tuesday, January 23, and then make the long trek to Kalispell to take on Stillwater Christian at 4:30 p.m. for the girls and 6 p.m. for the boys on Friday, January 26.
The girls face a repeat at Timberlake at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 24.