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NAMPA — Bonners Ferry punctuated a second season of dominating its classification in fitting fashion, leading Snake River from almost start to finish to claim a 65-51 victory Saturday in the Class 4A boys state championship game.
Bonners Ferry (24-1), which has won 41 of its last 42 games, suffered its only loss this season to 6A finalist Lake City, a 70-65 defeat on Feb. 10.
The Badgers’ tight-knit group of seniors have been playing together since the third grade. And it looked like it in the finals.
Working the ball with precision and running a fast-break offense, Bonners Ferry seemed to have an emphatic answer every time Snake River threatened to make a run.
“My job is to stretch these guys physically and mentally,” Bonners Ferry coach Nathan Williams said. “They work hard and they know the game.”
Williams, who fostered an environment for success on the court for Bonners Ferry by forming an AAU team and driving the players all over for games, said it was all worth it.
“The memories just make this worth it,” Williams said. “We just played and played and played and they responded. That’s what I harp on at practice, but there’s no duplicating what you guys saw out there. It’s a lot of games and lot of tough situations.”
Snake River (25-4), which entered the game as the No. 2 seed, couldn’t find an answer for Bonners Ferry’s presence in the paint.
Montana Tech commit Asher Williams was nearly perfect from the field, hitting eight-of-nine shots from the floor and making all seven of his free throws in scoring a game-high 24 points to lead the Badgers. And he did it all going against Snake River star Marcus Coombs.
“I just wanted to play my game tonight and attack the rim,” Asher Williams said. “I was playing a little tentative early because I didn’t want to get two fouls like last year’s final and miss the whole second quarter. I still got a foul in the first minute, but I was able to settle down and play my game.”
The Panthers didn’t have an answer for Thomas Bateman either, as he finished with 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and going five-of-seven from the field.
Snake River looked to play the part of spoiler early, trading baskets with the Badgers in the opening minutes.
But with the score tied at 12 late in the first quarter, Bonners Ferry put together a quick 9-2 run to close out the frame and take a 23-14 lead.
Bonners Ferry continued its high-intensity approach in the second quarter, continuing to pull away until the Badgers held a commanding 42-27 halftime lead.
In the second half, Snake River trimmed the deficit to 10 several times, but couldn’t get any closer.
“They have a lot of size and a lot of speed—and they were a little more aggressive in the first half,” Snake River coach Robert Coombs said. “We started digging out a little in the second half, but it was just too late, but you’ve got to give them credit. That’s a good team.”
Brody Rice added 13 points and two assists for Bonners Ferry, joining Williams and Bateman as the only other double-figure scorers.
Marcus Coombs pumped in 19 points to lead Snake River. Dawson Jackman chipped in with 16 points.
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