Prep boys basketball: Kellogg advances to district title game

ST. MARIES — A night of upsets in the 3A District 1-2 boys basketball tournament has left the third-seeded Kellogg Wildcats as the host team for the district championship game. 

Junior Draeden Taylor scored 16 points and Kellogg hit 7 of 7 3-pointers in the first half and went on to defeat the No. 2 seed St. Maries Lumberjacks 53-43 on Monday night. 

“They were clean looks,” Kellogg coach Mike Martin said. “We’re better shooters when we move the ball from side to side, and move the ball inside to out with clean catches. Confidence is a funny thing; you see the ball go through the hoop a couple of times, and it gets contagious.” 

“Credit to Mike; his kids executed their game plan, and played a great first half,” St.  Maries coach Bryan Chase said. “We forced 24 turnovers, and I think at one point we had three steals in a row, and each time we turned it right back over to them.” 

There was an upset in the other district semifinal as well, with No. 4 Orofino winning 53-51 at No. 1 Priest River. 

That means Kellogg (12-9) will play host to Orofino (8-13) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. for the district title and a berth to state. 

St. Maries (10-11) will travel to Priest River (14-5) on Wednesday at 6 in a loser-out game.

Radley McDonald added 13 points, Brodie Robinson 10 for Kellogg, which led by as much as 17 points in the first half. Taylor scored eight points in the first quarter, including two 3-pointers. Robinson and Evan Vindasius also hit two 3s each in the first half, McDonald one. 

“I just didn't think we got our hands up,” Chase said. “We were in the right spots, we just weren’t getting a hand up from the 3-point line.” 

Junior JJ Yearout scored a game-high 24 points for St. Maries, which had won the last 10 district titles. Isaiah Gustaffe had seven points, five rebounds and five steals. Yearout also had five steals. 

“(No.) 1 and 2 are fighting for survival now,” said Chase, in his 11th season. “We’re in a situation we haven’t been in before." 

Kellogg won by one point at Orofino during Central Idaho League play, then won in overtime at home after a big comeback. 

The Wildcats last played for the district title two years ago. 

“Between the four of us, it’s so tight,” Martin said. “Just really proud of our guys, for a team that doesn't have a lot of postseason experience with this group. A testament to our kids to stay the course and gut one out.” 

Kellogg     16    19    6    12    —    53 

St. Maries    13    7    14    9    —    43 

KELLOGG — Robinson 10, McDonald 13, Taylor 16, Lewis 2, Cheney 4, Vindasius 8, Baker 0. 

ST. MARIES — Harold 5, Garcia 0, J. Barta 1, Yearout 24, Gustaffe 7, B. Barta 0, L. Riberich 2, Defoort 2, T. Riberich 2. 

Bonners Ferry 83 

Timberlake 40 

BONNERS FERRY — Asher Williams scored 32 points and Thomas Bateman added 23 as the top-seeded Badgers, last year’s state 3A champions, clinched a berth to state with the win over the second-seeded Tigers in Game 1 of a scheduled best-of-3 series for the 4A District 1 title. 

Since Bonners swept Timberlake during Intermountain League play, the Badgers needed just to win Game 1 to advance to state. Had Timberlake won, the series would have continued with Game 2 on Wednesday. 

Eli Blackmore added 12 points for Bonners Ferry, which advances to state March 6-8 at Eagle High.  

“Timberlake did a great job in the second quarter executing offense and hitting big shots,” Bonners Ferry coach Nathan Williams said. “We really focused on defense during halftime and tried to limit them to one and done. We played very unselfishly on the offensive end and did a good job on Tyler Engleson for the most part. He is a tough player, and someone we focused on.” 

Engelson hit three 3-pointers — all in the second quarter — and scored 13 points for Timberlake, which finished 9-11. 

Timberlake     8    21    7    4    —    40 

Bonners Ferry     25    28    25    5    —    83 

TIMBERLAKE — Engelson 13, Dykeman 2, VanGundy 7, Shively 2, Hiassen 0, Vallieres 2, DeVore 5, Rush 0, Simpson 9. 

BONNERS FERRY — Schrock 4, Stanger 0, Blackmore 12, Rice 6, Hiatt 0, Hinthorn 4, Williams 32, Bateman 23, Cartwright 0, Abubakari 2, Thomson 0, Cartwright–Kissee 0.