As the Lynden basketball teams head into the Class 2A state regionals, the girls find themselves in a familiar position. The boys? Not so much.
The two-time defending state champion Lynden girls, who lost only two players to graduation, will be the favorites to three-peat when they open state play on Friday at 6 p.m. And if being undefeated and top-seeded isn’t enough, the Lions will be at home when they take on eighth seed Selah.
“Selah is a great team and has had a tremendous year,” said Lynden coach Rob Adams, whose 23-0 team is also riding a 71-game winning streak. “We were surprised to find out we were hosting and can’t wait to see the fan turnout.”
Friday’s winner will move directly to next Thursday’s state quarterfinals in the Yakima SunDome. The loser also will head to Yakima, but will play a loser-out contest on Wednesday and must win to advance to the quarterfinals and the double-elimination portion of the tourney.
For previews of all the regional games involving Whatcom teams, check out Whatcom Hoops.
The Lynden boys also will be playing in the friendly confines of Jake Maberry Gymnasium on Friday, when they take on Franklin Pierce at 8 p.m. But the Lions, who came in as the top seed last year and won 2A state titles the three previous years, will be seeded an unaccustomed ninth.
That means Lynden will be facing the 16th-seeded but dangerous Cardinals in an elimination game. The winner advances to Wednesday’s loser-out round of 12 at Yakima’s SunDome but the loser Friday night will see its season come to a sudden end.
“Franklin Pierce does not look like a 16th-seed on film,” said Lynden coach Brian Roper. “They have size, athletes, and scorers.”
The team from Tacoma is led by two seniors, powerful 6-foot-5 Hakeen Collins and sharpshooting guard Emmanuel Johnson. The Cardinals come in with a 16-8 record, but have been hot of late, their only loss in their past 10 games coming at the hands of No.1 Bremerton.
The Lions’ 17-7 doesn’t look impressive either unless you consider that the team has been dealing with injuries to its top two players — seniors 6-6 Spencer Adams and 6-7 Ty Jorgenson — and others all season.
Although both are still not completely healed, Adams has been one of the Northwest Conference’s best players, and Jorgenson’s inspiring comeback from a terrible broken leg has coincided with the Lions winning 12 of their past 14 games.
When it comes to winning, however, no team has been more dominant perhaps in the state than the Lynden girls. This season, they’ve won by an average score of 68-23 and in the past two seasons have won all but one of their 51 games by double figures.
A big reason is their all-state duo of junior guard Finley Parcher, the 2A player of the year last season, and senior post Payton Mills, a University of Hawaii commit. If those two aren’t enough, consider that the veteran Lions return almost everyone else from the team that beat undefeated Ellensburg by 17 in last year’s state championship game.
But as coach Adams reminded, that was last year and no team has its name engraved on this year’s gold ball yet.
Lynden’s regional opponent, Selah, won’t be intimidated, however, especially coming from the rugged Yakima Valley. The Vikings warmed up for Friday’s showdown by beating another good Whatcom team (Squalicum) on the road in a crossover game for a state berth last Saturday.
Here’s a look at both Lynden teams and their regional games:
2A GIRLS
#1 LYNDEN (23-0) vs. #8 SELAH (19-7)
Friday, 6 p.m., at Lynden High School
If Lions win: Play in quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5, 10:30 a.m.
If Lions lose: Play Fife-Ridgefield winner in loser-out game on Wednesday, March 4, 2 p.m.
Regional outlook: The Lions know better than to overlook Selah, which has played state contenders Deer Park, Prosser, and Ellensburg. The Vikings aren’t your usual tiny, run-and-gun Yakima team and will match up size-wise with Lynden. But can they figure out how to score against the best 2A defense in the state? So far, nobody has been able to do it consistently enough to knock off the champs.
State preview: There’s no doubt the Lions are the favorites. How can they not be? But this year’s tournament is truly top-heavy with the top seven all considered finals contenders. In addition to last year’s runner-up Ellensburg, Deer Park (third), Archbishop Murphy (fourth), Prosser (fifth), and W.F. West (sixth) all are back. Toss in a formidable Clarkston squad and you might have one of the most competitive tournaments in recent history.
Lions coach Rob Adams: “We are hoping that we are battle-tested and ready for whatever might come our way Our biggest focus has been managing what we can control — our effort, attitude, and energy. We are excited about the opportunity in front of us.”
CLASS 2A GIRLS STATE REGIONALS
Friday, Feb. 27
#1 Lynden (23-0) vs. #8 Selah (19-7), 6 p.m., at Lynden HS (both to state tournament)
#3 Prosser (21-3) vs. #6 W.F. West (20-4), 6 p.m., at Grandview HS (both to state tournament)
Saturday, Feb. 28
#9 Fife (19-5) vs. #16 Ridgefield (13-12), noon, at University of Puget Sound (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#4 Clarkston (20-3) vs. #5 Archbishop Murphy (18-5), 2 p.m., at Cheney HS (both to state tournament)
#11 Nathan Hale (13-9) vs. #14 Sequim (15-7), 2 p.m., at Bellevue CC (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#10 Mark Morris (17-6) vs. #15 Kingston (13-11), 4 p.m., at Kelso HS (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#12 Port Angeles (17-6) vs. #13 Renton (21-3), 6 p.m., at University of Puget Sound (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#2 Deer Park (21-2) vs. #7 Ellensburg (19-5), 8 p.m., at West Valley (Spokane) HS (both to state tournament)
2A BOYS
#9 LYNDEN (17-7) vs. #16 FRANKLIN PIERCE (16-8)
Friday, 8 p.m., at Lynden High School
If Lions win: Play Bremerton-Renton loser in loser-out game, Wednesday, 9 p.m.
If Lions lose: Their season is over.
Regional outlook: Both the Lions and the Cardinals have similar resumes with both struggling early but coming on late. Both also have big wins over strong playoff teams. Both also are big, athletic, deep, and experienced. They do share a common opponent — Nooksack Valley — which Lynden beat by 11 but which defeated Franklin Pierce by four. Lynden has the advantage of playing at home, but expect this to be a tight one.
State preview: Last year, Bremerton came out of the pack to win the state title. This year, with almost everyone returning, the Knights are the big favorites. But there’s another talented pack ready to dethrone the champs including undefeated R.A. Long and Yakima Valley power Selah, which finished third and fourth at state last season.
Lions coach Brian Roper: “We are playing our best basketball of the season right now. We have good depth and good chemistry. We are excited to still be playing, being that at one point in the season we were 6-5. We want the season to last as long as possible.”
CLASS 2A BOYS STATE REGIONALS
Friday, Feb. 27
#9 Lynden (17-7) vs. #16 Franklin Pierce (16-8), 8 p.m., at Lynden HS (winner to state tournament, loser out)
Saturday, Feb. 28
#3 Selah (21-3) vs. #6 Anacortes (19-4), 10 a.m., at Davis HS (both to state tournament)
#12 Lakewood (17-7-1) vs. #13 West Valley (Spokane) (15-7), 10 a.m., at Mount Vernon HS (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#2 R.A. Long (24-0) vs. #7 Grandview (18-6), 2 p.m., at Kelso HS (both to state tournament)
#4 Pullman (19-3) vs. #5 Tumwater (21-2), 4 p.m., at West Valley (Spokane) HS (both to state tournament)
#10 Bainbridge (17-6) vs. #15 Foster (17-7), 4 p.m., at University of Puget Sound (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#11 Columbia (17-7) vs. #14 Clover Park (19-5), 6 p.m., at Camas HS (winner to state tournament, loser out)
#1 Bremerton (20-2) vs. #8 Renton (12-11), 8 p.m., at University of Puget Sound (both to state tournament)
