PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners battles past Timberlake in first round at districts
• GIRLS
SPIRIT LAKE — The Timberlake Tigers were runners-up at last year’s state 3A girls basketball tournament.
But the top-seeded and host Tigers are one loss away from seeing their season end, after being upset by the second-seeded Bonners Ferry Badgers 55-53 in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the 3A District 1 title on Monday.
An inside basket by senior Markynn Pluid of Bonners Ferry (10-7) broke a 53-all tie. Timberlake (14-5) then turned the ball over with a chance to tie.
“They played great; really balanced scoring,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller said of Bonners Ferry, which had four players in double figures. “The biggest thing was the amount of effort in rebounding, and they gave a lot of effort in rebounding, especially in the fourth quarter. They just seemed hungrier than us; we gave up a lot of easy shots.”
Pluid led the Badgers with 15 points. Brooke Petesch, Rylie Kimball and Taren Bateman each scored 10 for Bonners.
Junior Diana Nelson scored a game-high 21 points for Timberlake, which was 7 of 16 from the free-throw line.
“Diana had probably the best game she’s ever had,” Miller said. “She rebounded well most of the game, but it takes a few more.”
Timberlake won both meetings in Intermountain League play, though the Badgers led much of the way in the Backwoods Brawl spirit game at Bonners Ferry.
Bonners Ferry can qualify for state by winning Game 2, scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Timberlake. If Timberlake wins, the deciding game would be Thursday at 6 at Timberlake.
Bonners Ferry 16 10 12 17 — 55
Timberlake 12 18 11 12 — 53
BONNERS FERRY — Petesch 10, Kimball 10, Baisden 5, Pluid 15, Bateman 10, Abubakari 3, Hiatt 2.
TIMBERLAKE — Soumas 7, Dickinson 3, Young 3, Nelson 21, MacArthur 6, Simpson 8, Needs 4, McKellips 1.
Lakeland 55
Moscow 42
RATHDRUM — Junior Landree Simon hit four 3-pointers and scored all 19 points in the first three quarters as the second-seeded Hawks led by 20 after three in eliminating the third-seeded Bears in the loser-out first round of the 4A Region 1 tournament at Hawk Court.
Senior Payton Sterling added 12 points for Lakeland (11-8), which travels to top-seeded and defending state champion Sandpoint (18-3) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the regional title.
Maya Anderson scored 13 points for Moscow, which finished 7-12.
“A big win for Lakeland tonight,” Lakeland coach Tyrel Derrick said. “I thought our girls made the plays they needed in order to pull out the win tonight. Moscow is a well-coached team who plays hard until the final whistle, and I am glad to start seeing our girls win these games that matter for our program, culture and community, with belief that they are meant to belong.”
Lakeland and Sandpoint will meet in the championship series for the fifth straight year. Sandpoint won the last four; Lakeland is bidding for its first state berth since 2019.
“Looking forward to going to Sandpoint this week,” said Derrick, in his second season as Lakeland coach. “Hopefully we can play our most intense, best basketball.”
Moscow 7 8 9 18 — 42
Lakeland 10 17 17 11 — 55
MOSCOW — Knott 8, Kiblen 0, Becker 0, Anderson 13, Skinner 7, Rae 0, Johns 10, Williams 2, Tiegs 2.
LAKELAND — Simon 19, K. Kiefer 4, Loutzenhiser 0, S. McMurray 0, Hatcher 0, Holte 6, Vopat 0, J. McMurray 0, Forsman 0, L. Kiefer 9, Bretveld 3, Sterling 12.
Orofino 40
St. Maries 19
OROFINO — The fourth-seeded Maniacs eliminated the fifth-seeded Lumberjacks in the first round of the 2A District 1-2 tournament.
St. Maries finished 3-17.
Orofino (5-12) at top-seeded Grangeville (19-2) tonight at 6 in a semifinal game.
No other information was available.
Lakeside 54
Genesis Prep 34
COEUR d’ALENE — Sophomore Kyleigh Wolfe scored 15 points and the second-seeded Knights built a 30-point lead after three quarters en route to the win over the No. 3 Jaguars in the loser-out semifinal of the 1A Division I District 1 tournament at North Idaho College’s Rolly Williams Court.
Kimberly Pluff added 12 points, Destiny Lowley 10 for Lakeside (8-9), which will play top-seeded Wallace (11-5) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at NIC for the district title and a berth in a play-in game on Saturday.
Junior Sienna Williams scored 13 points for Genesis Prep, which finishes 9-12.
Genesis Prep 7 11 6 10 — 34
Lakeside 18 20 16 0 — 54
GENESIS PREP — Covey 0, E. Martin 8, Williams 13, Nelke 0, Yount 8, Lawler 5.
LAKESIDE — Pluff 12, Wolfe 15, Rivera 6, A. Lowley 0, Wienclaw 3, Hodgson 2, Lozon 0, D. Lowley 10, Nomee 0, Lambert 6, Abrahamson 0.
• BOYS
Lewiston 70
Lakeland 52
LEWISTON — The visiting Hawks fell to 9-9, 1-5 Inland Empire League with the loss to the Bengals (12-7, 4-4).
No other information was available.
Lakeland plays at Coeur d’Alene on Friday.
Coeur d’Alene JV 76
Genesis Prep 36
COEUR d’ALENE — Jack Johnston scored 15 points and Josh Liston added 11 as the Viking junior varsity beat the Jaguars varsity at Viking Court.
Spencer Farrell and Brady Rubert each scored nine points for Genesis Prep (5-14).
Genesis Prep 7 4 12 7 — 36
Cd’A JV 19 17 23 17 — 76
GENESIS PREP — Farrell 9, Nichols 1, Tosh 0, Martin 2, Bateman 1, Rubert 9, Meyer 2, Earley 5, Blood 1.
COEUR d’ALENE JV — McCall 0, Montague 9, Stevens 5, Palmgren 3, Abell 8, Liston 11, Murray 7, Robertson 9, Trevena 9, Johnston 15.
N.I. Christian 68
Im. Conception 52
LIBERTY LAKE — Caden Smith scored 24 points, Ethan Antone 21 as the Royals beat the Cristeros in nonleague play at the HUB Sports Center.
Carson Malinauskas added 13 points for North Idaho Christian (14-7), which returns to action Thursday at the Mountain Christian League tournament in Spokane Valley.
Dominic Wilhelm scored a game-high 29 points for Immaculate Conception.
N.I. Christian 16 18 14 20 — 68
Immac. Con. 18 5 15 14 — 52
NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN — Smith 24, Winde 4, Ca. Malinauskas 13, Antone 21, Co. Malinauskas 2, Sakae 2, Lawhead 2.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION — M. Wilhelm 11, Demeyer 3, K. Jones 6, D. Wilhelm 29, Counts 3.
Christian Center 51
Spo. Ath. Co-Op 40
LIBERTY LAKE — Colton Smith had 21 points, 13 rebounds and three assists for the Lions in the nonleague win at the HUB Sports Center.
Michael Marshall had 11 points, Luke McWhorter five blocked shots for Christian Center (12-8), which will be the fourth seed in the Mountain Christian League tournament, and open vs. No. 5 Pullman Christian on Thursday at 8 p.m. at The Oaks in Spokane Valley.
James Severn scored 17 points for the Spokane Athletic Co-Op.
Christ. Center 16 15 12 8 — 51
Spo. Ath. Club 8 15 7 10 — 40
CHRISTIAN CENTER — Jones 6, Tesky 0, Smith 21, Coppinger 6, McWhorter 5, Cotton 2, Marshall 11, Sperling 0, Mametieff 0, Paulson 0, Siers 0.
SPOKANE ATHLETIC CO-OP — Halterman 8, Severn 17, Herbers 13, Picker 0, Roets 0, Schmidt 0, Wiens 2, Hughes 0, Hyman 0.