1A Girls State: LC Loses Finale To Royal, Finishes Fifth

After playing three of the four best teams in the state on consecutive days, the Lynden Christian girls basketball team finally ran out of gas and lost its season finale to Royal, 44-42, in the Class 1A state tournament Saturday at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

The loss, which left the Lyncs with a 23-5 record, also left them in fifth place in the tournament. With the win, Royal (23-5) placed third.

“I’m so tired,” said exhausted Lynden Christian senior Ella Fritts after the game. “I felt like I had nothing left.”

She and her teammates probably didn’t after their three-game schedule in Yakima.

On Thursday, they won a late-night, double-overtime contest against Annie Wright, which would take fourth. On Friday night, they lost a heart-breaker to eventual state champion Zillah in the semifinals. Then they had to come back Saturday afternoon and take on the rough and tumble Knights.

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

“Our girls gave us everything they had the last three days,” said Lynden Christian coach Brady Bomber. “Obviously, we’ re disappointed in the outcome last night and today. But we’re grateful for the way they battled.”

And when they say a team battles to the final buzzer, well, on Saturday, the Lyncs truly did.

The game started well for the blue and white as Lynden Christian jumped to a 9-1 lead in the opening quarter. But you knew that wouldn’t last against the physical Knights, who came to state with only four losses, three of them to Zillah.

Royal cut the margin down to one midway though the second quarter, and even after the Lyncs built the lead up to 10 again early in the third quarter, it was never safe. Royal rallied again, eventually taking a 41-39 lead with 2:35 left.

All appeared lost as LC couldn’t score and was forced to foul. Zillah sank three throws, the final one with 3 seconds left to give Royal a seemingly insurmountable five-point lead. But then it got crazy.

Junior Ellie Pierce tried a desperation heave from halfcourt and a foul was called, giving her three free throws with 0.8 seconds on the clock. She made the first two but missed the third only to have freshman Jess DeJong get the rebound and be fouled while trying to shoot.

That gave her two free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining. She made the first but with LC down by two, had to intentionally miss the second and hope for a miracle tap-in. Unfortunately, she missed the rim completely giving Royal the ball and the victory.

Sophomore Tyra Dykstra would finish with a game-high 19 points and three 3-pointers, and Fritts finished her four-year career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. DeJong had 6 points and junior Jocelyn Eshuis added 5 points and 5 rebounds, but there wasn’t a whole lot of offense from anyone else thanks to tired legs.

“Obviously, we wanted to go out with a (championship) ring … that was my dream,” said Fritts, who is planning to play for Biola University next year. “It didn’t turn out the way we wanted. But we were a team that never lost hope.”

Bomber praised the other two seniors — Sara Van Loo and Estela Hernandez — for what they meant to the program the past four years, but he said Fritts’s presence will truly be missed.

“Ella has invested in our pgragram as much as anyone we’ve had,” he said. “She’s represented her school and community well. When you see her in the blue and white, you see someone who has given everything she has.”

Bomber, who has guided the Lyncs to the last four of their 14th state championships, made sure to put Saturday’s fifth-place finish in perspective.

“It’s easy to celebrate when you win these game,” he said. “But we appreciate the journey with this group. They’ve had a lot of adversity. Every team has. But every group has a unique journey. There are a lot of young girls who we hope will have good memories.”

Royal 44, Lynden Christian 42

Royal 1 16 9 18—44

Lynden Christian 9 11 9 13—42

Royal: O. Wardenaar 5, Frank 6, V. Cedillo, B. Cedillo 3, L. Wardenaar 18, Sutor, Kast 10, Hebdon, Christensen, Webb 2.

Lynden Christian: Fritts 10, T. Dykstra 19, Eshuis 5, Hernandez, D. Dykstra, Russell, Van Loo, Pierce 2, DeJong 6.

CLASS 1A GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT

At Yakima SunDome

Wednesday, March 4

Bellevue Christian 68, Wapato 51 (loser out)

Seton Catholic 35, Cascade Christian 33 (loser out)

Annie Wright 47, Montesano 33 (loser out)

Lakeside (9 Mile Falls) 44, King’s Way Christian 23 (loser out)