1A Boys State: LC Downs King’s To Return To State Final, 63-54

Junior Dawson Hintz used a history lesson to inspire him and his Lynden Christian boys basketball team, and now the Lyncs are just one win away from making history.

LC rallied in the second half to dethrone King’s in the Class 1A state semifinals, 63-54, on Friday night in the Yakima Valley SunDome and will play for a state championship for the fifth time in the past six tournaments.

Second-ranked Lynden Christian improved to 25-1 and its opponent in Saturday’s 7 p.m. final will be undefeated and No.1-ranked Zillah.

For coverage of all of our Whatcom teams’ state games, click on State Games.

But on Friday, when the Lyncs found themselves down by 12 points in the first half to the sixth-seeded Knights, Hintz remembered when he was in seventh grade and watched older brother Jamison fire up the 2022 Lyncs when they trailed heavily favored King’s by 16 in the state final, a game LC would come back to win.

“I thought of him,” said Hintz, who fired up the 2026 Lyncs on Friday. “He didn’t give up. I didn’t give up.”

None of the Lyncs did on Friday. When nothing was going right for LC and the Knights ran off 12 straight points to break a 19-all tie, there was no panic as they clawed back to within seven at the half. Then the Lyncs went on a 17-4 run of their own and took the lead on a wild driving hook/flip/trick shot by Gunnar Dykstra late in the third quarter.

With Hintz and fellow junior Wyatt Kamphouse leading the emotional charge, LC got a huge 3-pointer from senior Boyce Robertson with just over two minutes left and then nailed down the victory with two free throws each by Hintz and Dykstra and one free throw by junior Kaden Veldman.

“We fought through it,” said Lynden Christian coach Tim Zylstra, who was a first-year head coach when the Lyncs won the 2022 state title. “I’m very proud of the boys. Defense and rebounding were in my top five things (to do). We didn’t do it (in the first half). The second half, we did it really well. The boys got after it.”

In the second half, the Lyncs limited King’s to 22 points and finally got their own offense going, shooting 60 percent after intermission. Hintz was the main instigator, scoring 24 points, pulling down 5 rebounds, and handing out 4 assists.

“Dawson was huge,” said Zylstra. “With the ball in his hands most of the time, I feel really good.”

Hintz was quick to praise his teammates and the relationship they have.

“We’ve done such a good job bonding together,” said the all-state guard. “We knew we didn’t play our best in the first half; we just needed to play like we have all season. We all want it so badly, but not for ourselves … for each other.”

The Lyncs’ got truly balanced scoring from their other starters with Dykstra, Veldman, and Robertson scoring 12 points each. Dykstra also dished out 3 assists; Veldman had 9 boards as LC outrebounded the taller Knights, 38-25; and Robertson had 12 rebounds and two 3-pointers.

“I had so much confidence in him,” said Hintz of Robertson’s two big shots, “I didn’t even crash the boards.”

While Friday’s game against a traditional and talented rival was difficult, Saturday’s final against the 26-0 Leopards figures to be even tougher.

“Tomorrow will be a big hill to climb,” said Zylstra. “But they (the Lyncs) have battled all year. That was a team win (today), fighting for your teammates. This is where it pays off.”

LC senior Eli Maberry was awarded the team’s sportsmanship medallion for the game.

Lynden Christian 63, King’s 54

King’s 14 18 7 15—54

Lynden Christian 16 9 17 21—63

King’s: Cooper 15, Needham 6, King, Bjella 2, Evans 3, Gerbig 14, Steen, Asinob 14.

Lynden Christian: Hintz 24, Dykstra 12, Howell, Maberry, Kamphouse 3, Ridnour, Robertson 12, Veldman 12, Herwerden.

CLASS 1A BOYS STATE TOURNAMENT

At Yakima Valley SunDome

Wednesday, March 4

Royal 61, Overlake 33 (loser out)

Chelan 60, Cascade Christian 44 (loser out)

Bear Creek 44, Wapato 42 (loser out)