Bulldogs Rebound with Road Win After Tough League Loss

A demonstratively different team this year, the Bulldogs didn’t tally their fifth win until Jan. 14 last year.

Mace Thivierge continued to be one of the most potent scorers in all of northeast Washington. Against the Grizzlies, he poured in 20 points as the Bulldogs slowly pulled away from Newport.

Kettle Falls led 29-16 at halftime, outscoring Newport in every quarter. Zac Burch added 16 points to the Bulldogs’ total, meaning that the Grizzlies couldn’t focus their defense just on Thivierge.

The win came one night after a hard-fought home loss to unbeaten Northwest Christian, who is fresh off a fourth-place finish at the state tournament last season.

Thivierge exploded for a game-high 34 points, including five three-pointers, but the Bulldogs couldn’t overcome a fast start by the Crusaders, falling 73-61. Northwest Christian’s offense focused on two focal points – Caleb Grant and Jonah Pope – who combined for 58 points.

Despite the loss, Kettle Falls showed resilience. They were outscored by 13 points in the first quarter, but didn’t wilt. In the fourth quarter, Kettle Falls outscored the Crusaders 20-7.

The Bulldogs showed they can travel long distances, picking up a 61-47 nonleague road win at Tonasket on Dec. 9, improving to 4-0 at the time. Thivierge scored 18 points, while Zander Johnson added 13 and Alex Mazanek chipped in nine, including a three-pointer.

Kettle Falls used a strong third quarter to take control against the Tigers, outscoring Tonasket 21-7 and holding off a late push to secure the win.

Through six games, the Bulldogs have the second-most potent offense in the entire league, scoring 380 points total. Their defense has given up the second-fewest points as well. 

The boys team faced Davenport Tuesday, Dec. 16; results were not available at press time. They are scheduled to host Reardan on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m., then travel to Omak on Saturday, Dec. 20, for a game at 4 p.m.