Boys basketball outlasts Bonners Ferry
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE) Senior Christian Niemela attempts to shoot over a pair of St. Maries defenders on Jan. 7.
BONNERS FERRY — Sandpoint boys basketball prevailed in a tightly contested affair with Bonners Ferry on Tuesday night, winning 77-70.
Fans in Bonners Ferry were treated to another one of the Bulldogs’ signature heart stopping, can’t catch your breath games.
“Every game we’ve had this season has just been back and forth and all over,” head coach Wade Engelson said. “This game was no exception.”
The energy level was high from the start and the teams traded big shots and the lead all night.
“They were relentless and our guys were the same, it was just back and forth,” Engelson said.
It came down to the final minutes just like Sandpoint’s last game against Moscow, but this time the Bulldogs did three things down the stretch, according to Engelson, to come out on the other side: 1. Took care of the ball, 2. Attacked the rim and 3. Knocked down key free throws.
That simple.
Kobe Banks led the team with 21 points, Brandon Casey scored 17 Christian Niemela tallied 12 and Colin Roos added 10.
The Bulldogs (5-5) returns to Les Rogers Court for their second league game of the season against Lakeland at 8 p.m. Friday.
Sandpoint 16 19 19 23 — 77
Bonners Ferry 19 15 19 17 — 70
SANDPOINT — R. Roos 4, Banks 21, Niemela 12, Eldridge 9, VanDenBerg 4, Lee 0, C. Roos 10, Treadaway 0, Lane 0, Casey 17.
BONNERS FERRY — Hines 2, Williams 8, Bateman 11, Stockton 7, Hubbard 2, Rice 2, Mai 4, Peterson 2, Blackmore 30, Margan 2.
The story has been updated to reflect the correct scoring stats for each player.