Bears hammer Eagles in Marsh Valley for conference advantage

ARIMO — Senior Kortlyn Skinner connected on a 3-pointer to finish Bear Lake’s first possession of the night, giving the Bears an immediate lead over conference rival Marsh Valley. Skinner and the Bears never relinquished that early lead, running away from the Eagles Thursday night at Marsh Valley High School.

Things weren’t pretty for the runners-up. The Bears (14-4, 3-0) dominated the rebounding battle and snagged numerous steals, leading to the one-sided 51-24 victory. But the offense left countless points on the court, turning the ball over far too much for head coach Ken Wells’ liking.

“A lot of turnovers. A lot,” he told EastIdahoSports.com after the game. “I think we just got revved up and started chucking stuff. But once we calmed down, it was fine.”

The Eagles (15-3, 2-1) honored their five seniors during a ceremony before the game. Add the “variable,” as the coach called it, of that emotional roller coaster of a senior night game to an an intense conference game, and it is easy to understand why the game saw some ugly stretches, especially early on, for both teams.

Ken credited his girls for being ready to roll with whatever punches were thrown.

“We came out ready to play,” he said. “It’s the last three or four games before the district tournament, so we have to start locking in.”

As would be expected in a game like Thursday’s, Bear Lake leaned heavily on its captains, Skinner and junior Halle Wells.

Skinner finished the night with a game-high 20 points, starting the third quarter the same way she started the first: with a 3-pointer. She also grabbed two rebounds and swiped six steals.

Halle controlled the paint on both ends, with a game-high 14 rebounds to go with nine points, four steals and three blocks.

“They’re our team captains, they’re our leaders. So, as they go, we go,” Ken said.

High-level execution on defense was the key to getting through the at-times ugly offense, according to Halle, who also addressed the turnover issue — saying it is a non-issue, the product of an “off-game.”

When the offense is not running at an optimal level, she continued, the Bears know that they are capable of ratcheting up the defense and letting that lead to offense.

Skinner added to that, explaining that the key to getting through rough patches is the fact that everyone on the team supports each other, and knows the girl next to her is capable of making plays and scoring.

The Eagles were led by junior Zayli Merzlock, who finished with team-highs in points, with nine, and rebounds, with six. She also blocked one shot.

Marsh Valley will be at American Falls (2-15, 0-3) Saturday, looking to bounce back from Thursday’s loss.

The Bears, who now own wins over all three conference foes, will be at Snake River (6-11, 1-2) Saturday.

Bear Lake has been “ramping up” all season in preparation for this tough stretch of conference games leading into the district tournament.

“We’ve been working toward it the whole season, and we’re ready for it,” she said.

The goal, Ken added, is continuing to go upward, avoiding a plateau at this most important part of the season.

“We always talk about, ‘We’re building towards the last time we play basketball,'” he said, “and we’re just getting there.”