Kettle Falls Boys Rebound After Quarterfinal Loss, Advance in District Play

It was a tale of two games for the Kettle Falls boys basketball team in District 6 2B action at West Valley High School.

After running into unbeaten Colfax in a quarterfinal matchup on Feb. 10, the Bulldogs regrouped Saturday, Feb. 14, with a dominant 74-35 win over Upper Columbia Academy to keep their postseason hopes alive.

In the quarterfinals, Kettle Falls (10-12) faced a tall task against Colfax (21-0), which entered the contest undefeated and riding a 10-0 league record. The Bulldogs struggled to find offensive rhythm early, scoring just nine points in the first quarter and five in the second quarter as Colfax built a commanding 54-14 halftime lead.

Colfax’s Adrik Jenkin led the way with 22 points, including four 3-pointers, while Ledger Kelly added 14 points. Colfax knocked down nine 3-pointers overall and shot efficiently throughout the contest.

Kettle Falls was led by Mace Thivierge, who scored 16 points and connected on both of the team’s 3-point baskets. The Bulldogs finished 12-of-12 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line but were unable to match Colfax’s offensive output.

The loss sent Kettle Falls into a loser-out game against Upper Columbia Academy.

The fourth-seeded Bulldogs responded with a strong offensive performance, rolling to a 74-35 victory over the sixth-seeded Lions (4-15). 

With the victory, Kettle Falls improved to 11-12 overall and is scheduled to face second-seeded Reardan on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 3:30 p.m.