Sometimes when you brag about how good you are, it turns out you’re not as tough as you think. Then, of course, there are the Northwest Conference boys basketball teams.
In a Thursday night of total domination, the District 1 NWC swept away its District 2 opponents in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A District 1/2 tournament, taking all four semifinal spots and clinching at least two of the tournament’s four state berths.
Leading the way as expected were the defending state champion Lynden Lions, who never let visiting Bellingham get into the game, thumping the Red Raiders, 68-27.
But the biggest surprise Thursday was Sehome’s 57-52 upset of Mountlake Terrace … on the road, no less. The Mariners (15-7) came into the game seeded sixth before knocking the third-seeded Hawks (14-6) into the losers’ bracket.
For updates on how our Whatcom County teams are doing in the 1B, 1A, 2A, and 3A tournaments, be sure to keep checking www.whatcomhoops.com.
Sehome will have to work its magic on the road again Friday, when the Mariners face second-seeded Anacortes (14-7) at Oak Harbor High School at 7 p.m. Sehome lost at Anacortes, 53-50, in early January.
Lynden’s victory puts top-seeded Lions (20-1) into a semifinal rematch against Burlington-Edison (17-5) on Friday at 7 p.m. in Lynden’s Jake Maberry Gymnasium. The Lions beat the Tigers earlier this season, 73-44.
Burlington reached the semifinal with a minor “upset” of sorts by knocking off Liberty of Issaquah, 58-55. The Tigers were somehow seeded fifth in the district tournament despite being rated fourth among all 2A teams in the state’s RPI rankings. Liberty was seeded fourth in the district tournament.
CLASS 2A DISTRICT 1/2 BOYS TOURNAMENT
First round (Thursday, Feb. 7)
Sehome 71, Sedro-Woolley 55
Lakewood 63, Archbishop Murphy 59 (loser out)
Burlington-Edison 79, Blaine 41(loser out)
Bellingham 74, Cedarcrest 57 (loser out)
Second round (Thursday)
Sehome 57, Mountlake Terrace 52
Anacortes 63, Lakewood 47
Burlington-Edison 58, Liberty 55
Lynden 68, Bellingham 27
Consolation round (Friday)
Lakewood (13-9) at Mountlake Terrace (14-6), 7 p.m. (loser out)
Liberty (13-8) vs. Bellingham (10-13), location and time to be determined (loser out)
Semifinals (Friday)
Sehome (15-7) vs. Anacortes (14-7) at Oak Harbor High School, 7 p.m.
Burlington-Edison (17-5) at Lynden (20-1), 7 p.m.
Consolation semifinals (Saturday)
Lakewood-Mountlake Terrace winner vs. Burlington-Lynden loser at Mount Vernon High School, 1:30 p.m. (winner to state, loser out)
Bellingham-Liberty winner vs. Sehome-Anacortes loser at Mount Vernon High School, 4:30 p.m. (winner to state, loser out)
Consolation final (Sunday)
At Mount Vernon High School, 3 p.m. (winner third, loser fourth, both advance to state)
Championship final (Sunday)
At Mount Vernon High School, 6 p.m. (winner first, loser second, both advance to state)
(Full schedule and bracket at nwcathletics.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.
