It was a game that didn’t mean a lot since the Lummi Nation boys basketball team had already wrapped up a Class 1B state tournament berth, but there’s nothing like finishing on a high note.
The Blackhawks did just that, demolishing Lopez, 75-31, in the semifinals of the 1B Tri-District 1/2/3 tournament Saturday at Mount Vernon Christian High School. It was Lummi Nation’s 20th straight victory and raised the Blackhawks’ record to 22-1.
But that was Lummi’s last game of the tournament. Because of the weather-related postponements, the championship game and consolation final were both canceled since the six state-bound teams were decided either Friday or Saturday.
For more updates on how our Whatcom County teams are doing in the 1A, 2A and 3A tournaments, be sure keep checking www.whatcomhoops.com.
Joining Lummi Nation as a semifinal winner was the Muckleshoot Tribal School, which defeated Neah Bay, 69-58, on Saturday.
In the winner-to-state, loser-out consolation semifinals on Saturday, Concordia Christian Academy beat Evergreen Lutheran, 52-31, and Tulalip Heritage clobbered Cedar Park Christian (Mountlake Terrace), 61-31.
Lummi Nation, Muckleshoot Tribal School (21-3), Neah Bay (16-6), Concordia Christian Academy (16-9), Tulalip Heritage (19-4) and Lopez (9-12) now advance from the tri-district to the state regionals, which will be played next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23.
The top 12 from the regionals will advance to the 1B state tournament in Spokane.
The Blackhawks, who won the District 1 tournament on Feb. 2, are ranked second among 1B schools in the state’s RPI ratings. They will find out their regional opponent and the location probably on Tuesday.
CLASS 1B TRI-DISTRICT 1/2/3 BOYS TOURNAMENT
Play-in games (Wednesday)
Evergreen Christian 55, Fellowship Christian 48 (loser out)
Cedar Park Christian (Mountlake Terrace) 57, Tacoma Baptist 46 (loser out)
Play-in game (Thursday)
Lopez 47, Crescent 42 (loser out)
Tulalip Heritage 84, Rainier Christian 65 (loser out)
Quarterfinals (Thursday)
Lummi Nation 63, Evergreen Lutheran 31
Muckleshoot Tribal School 52, Cedar Park Christian (MLT) 41
Quarterfinals (Friday)
Lopez 51, Concordia Christian Academy 50
Neah Bay 66, Tulalip Heritage 44
Consolation round (Saturday)
Concordia Christian Academy 52, Evergreen Lutheran 31 (winner to state, loser out)
Tulalip Heritage 61, Cedar Park Christian (MLT) 31 (winner to state, loser out)
Semifinals (Saturday)
Lummi Nation 75, Lopez 31 (both to state)
Muckleshoot Tribal School 69, Neah Bay 58 (both to state)
Consolation final and championship final canceled
(Full schedules and brackets at nwbathletics.com)
Jim Carberry is a former Bellingham Herald sports editor and author of several books on Whatcom County prep basketball. Follow him on Twitter @whatcomhoops and visit the Whatcom Hoops Facebook page.
