PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Lake City hands Bonners Ferry first loss
COEUR d’ALENE — Two of the top teams in North Idaho went at it Monday night before Lake City, ranked No. 3 in 6A, handed Bonners Ferry, ranked No. 1 in 4A, its first loss of the season, 70-65 at Lake City.
Lake City snapped Bonners Ferry’s 36-game winning streak.
“Man, what a great high school basketball game,” Lake City coach James Anderson said. “Two evenly matched teams; some high-level players. I told them (the Badgers) we should have played a home and home, because we make each other better.”
With his team up 67-65, Reese Strawn hit two free throws with 7.1 seconds left to seal it for Lake City (16-4). Strawn finished with 21 points.
Asher Williams, the Montana Tech commit who came into the game with 2,048 career points, made three 3-pointers and scored 29 points for Bonners Ferry (19-1), which won its last 17 games last season en route to the state 3A title in 2024.
Jordan Carlson hit back-to-back baskets to give Lake City a 59-48 lead with just under 6 minutes remaining.
Brody Rice’s driving layin capped a 9-0 run that pulled Bonners Ferry within 59-57.
Strawn answered with a four-point play, and Lake City never gave up the lead, though the Badgers got within two points twice in the final minutes.
“We came up with some big plays, made some big shots,” said Anderson, who was impressed with Bonners Ferry’s offensive rebounding ability. “Bonners, they are really good at all five spots; if you send too many bodies at Asher, they’re even a better team.”
Carlson and Cason Miller each scored 12 points for Lake City, and Shane Parker added 10.
Rice finished with 14 points, Sulay Abubakari four 3s and 12 points for Bonners.
Lake City wraps up the regular season Wednesday at Sandpoint in an Inland Empire League game.
Bonners Ferry plays host to Timberlake on Friday in the Badgers’ Intermountain and regular-season finale.
Bonners Ferry 21 8 15 21 — 65
Lake City 18 18 15 19 — 70
BONNERS FERRY — Blackmore 3, Rice 16, Hinthorn 0, Williams 29, Bateman 5, Abubakari 12.
LAKE CITY — Parker 10, Winey 0, Strawn 21, Miller 12, Watson 7, Kloos 2, Pearson 6, Carlson 12.
Coeur d'Alene 60
Sandpoint 44
SANDPOINT — Trailing by one point entering the fourth quarter, the visiting Vikings outscored the Bulldogs 19-2 to capture the IEL win at Les Rogers Court.
Caden Symons scored 21 points, Maxwell Riley 12, Kai Wheeler 11 for Coeur d'Alene (10-9, 3-4 IEL).
Emerik Jones scored 15 points for Sandpoint (8-9, 3-3) hosts Lake City on Wednesday.
Coeur d'Alene travels to Moscow on Thursday for an IEL game.
Coeur d'Alene 11 17 13 19 — 60
Sandpoint 11 10 21 2 — 44
COEUR d'ALENE — Symons 21, Riley 12, Wheeler 11, Montague 8, Robertson 6, Murray 2.
SANDPOINT — Jones 15, Yarbrough 8, Roos 7, Corbett 7, Williams 5, Gion 2.