The first-place Lynden Christian girls and boys basketball teams literally weathered the Storm and held off the red-hot Squalicum squads in a doubleheader Saturday night, Jan. 17.
In the first game, the No.2-ranked LC girls had to hold the Storm scoreless for nearly the final four minutes to escape the upset and snap Squalicum’s 12-game winning streak with a thrilling 44-40 victory.
The win, coming after a five-point loss to 4A Lake Stevens on Friday night, raised the Lyncs’ record to 14-2 overall and kept them tied with Lynden atop the Northwest Conference with an 8-0 mark. The loss dropped the Storm, which came into the game ranked eighth among 2A schools, to 11-4 overall and 7-2 in the NWC.
In the second game, the LC boys needed a big fourth quarter to finally pull away from the stubborn Storm, 68-46. With their 13th win in a row, the Lyncs improved to 14-1 overall and remain atop the NWC with a 9-0 mark.
“We usually get everybody’s best shot,” said Lynden Christian coach Tim Zylstra, whose squad is also ranked second in Class 1A. “We need to expect that.”
For Squalicum, the defeat was its first after five straight wins and left the Storm at 8-5 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
Girls: LC Holds Off Squalicum Comeback, 44-40
When the Lynden Christian girls scored the first 10 points of the game and led, 15-6, after the first quarter, it looked like it would be the same old story with the tradition-laden Lyncs adding another victorious chapter in their history over the Storm.
But this isn’t the same old Squalicum and even though the Storm still hasn’t notched its first-ever victory over LC, it came close Saturday before falling, 44-40.
“Lynden and Lynden Christian have programs where as soon as you’re old enough to walk, you’re running their plays,” said Squalicum coach Caden Mee. “But our group has been together a long time too. We could have won that game, but we’re getting better every single game. We’ll get there.”
The Storm showed their toughness by scoring the first nine points of the second quarter to tie the game and eventually take the lead at 21-20. But the Lyncs are no lambs, either, and retook the lead by halftime and stretched the margin to 11 going into the fourth quarter.
Then it was Squalicum’s turn to fight back, scoring 10 straight points, and when junior Lexi Robbins hit a 3-pointer with 4:11 left to close the gap to 40-39, it looked like perfect script for an upset. But it was not to be.
Senior Ella Fritts hit a free throw, sophomore Tyra Dykstra made a jumper with just over a minute remaining, and junior Jocelyn Eshuis sank another free throw with 11 seconds left. Meanwhile, the Storm couldn’t score until there was only 1.7 seconds left when Tiana Thompson made a free throw, leaving Squalicum three points short.
“They played hard and took us out of what we wanted to do,” said Lynden Christian coach Brady Bomber. “We want to play our best every game, but these were two quality opponents (Lake Stevens and Squalicum). We’re still figuring out what’s the best version of ourselves for February and March.”
In a game dominated by athletic defenses, Dykstra was the only player in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Fritts had 9 points and also amassed 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocked shots; Eshuis had 8 points and 6 rebounds; and senior Estela Hernandez had 6 points.
For the Storm, Addison Kettman had 8 points and 9 rebounds, sophomore Kai Perez had 7 points, Thompson and junior Colee Harper had 6 points each with Thompson adding 4 rebounds, Robbins had 5 points, and freshman Avery Kettman had 5 rebounds.
The outcome might have been frustrating, but the effort showed the Storm what could be. Said Harper, “We’ve never been this close (to beating LC) in the past. We were able to keep our momentum and never lost our composure. We want to strive to reach this every single game.”
Of course, striving for the top is nothing new to Lynden Christian.
“The adversity is really good for us,” said Eshuis, who played on the same select team as many of the Squalicum juniors. “We’ll build from this and continue to get better. It will prepare us for district and state.”
Next up for Lynden Christian is a home game against Anacortes on Wednesday before Friday’s big 1A showdown at Nooksack Valley. Squalicum travels to Sedro-Woolley on Tuesday and then hosts Anacortes on Friday.
Lynden Christian 44, Squalicum 40
Squalicum 6 15 8 11—40
Lynden Christian 15 9 16 4—44
Squalicum: Av. Kettman 4, Singh-Sanchez, Horst, Perez 7, Paz 4, Thompson 6, Robbins 5, Harper 6, Ad. Kettman 8.
Lynden Christian: Fritts 9, T. Dykstra 10, Eshuis 8, D. Dykstra, Hernandez 6, Russell 2, Van Loo 3, Pierce 2, DeJong 4.
Boys: LC Uses Big Fourth Period To Outrun Storm, 68-46
It was Seniors Night for the Lynden Christian boys, but in the first half of the Lyncs’ 68-46 victory, it was a Squalicum senior and an LC junior who stole the spotlight.
The Storm’s Rhys Knowlton was unstoppable with 14 points in the first quarter and 18 before halftime, while the Lyncs’ Gunnar Dykstra kept pace with 16 points and a pair of 3-pointers to give LC a tenuous three-point lead at intermission.
The second half and especially the fourth quarter was a different story as LC held Squalicum to 18 points after halftime and used a 23-point final period to end Squalicum’s dreams of an upset.
“The first half, we played how they wanted to play,” said Lynden Christian coach Tim Zylstra. “In the second half, we played how we should play. We learned we can’t just show up. We want to get better each day; in the second half, we got better.”
With fouls plaguing the Lyncs throughout the game, they were forced to go to their bench early and often. While it didn’t hurt them defensively, it made for a piecemeal attack on offense.
The Storm, meanwhile, had to make do without their all-league guard, junior Hunter Calloway, whose return from an injured ankle in late December coincided with the team’s hot streak. Calloway “tweaked” his ankle again in Squalicum’s previous game and could only watch Saturday.
“It was a weird game,” said Dykstra, who finished with a game-high 24 points in addition to 8 rebounds and 4 steals. “We knew it wouldn’t be high-scoring with Hunter out. Then it started with everyone in foul trouble so we had different combinations.”
The Lyncs were missing their own all-state guard, Dawson Hintz, for most of the first half after he got three fouls in the first quarter and was forced to sit. But the junior made up for lost time in the second half when he scored 14 of his 17 points and would finish with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Senior Boyce Robertson and junior Kaden Veldman added 8 points and 7 rebounds each for LC despite having four fouls each.
Knowlton would end up leading the Storm with a career-high 20 points, but only two came after halftime. Juniors Blake Elston and Orion Granberg-Kiddle had 8 points each and combined for 18 rebounds, and senior Ansen Asbjornsen had 7 points, but the Lyncs defense clamped down after the first half, limiting Squalicum to only 27 points over the final three quarters.
Still, Squalicum coach David Dunham was not disappointed in his team’s effort.
“They’re really good and can score in a lot of different ways,” he said of the Lyncs. “We just ran out of gas. We’re still growing, still learning how to play. That takes time. But honestly, we’re a little bit ahead of schedule. I’m proud of these guys.”
And on Saturday, he was most proud of Knowlton, who despite being only 5-foot-10 shined among all the stars.
“We told him, ‘We believe in you,’” the coach said. “Tonight he believed in himself. That was playing with confidence.”
Of course, when it comes to confidence, the Lyncs aren’t lacking. When asked if he was surprised that his team was in first place and undefeated in the Northwest Conference, Dykstra looked surprised at the question.
“Not really,” he said. “That’s the standard.”
Lynden Christian takes on another contender in its quest for a league title on Wednesday when the Lyncs are at Anacortes and then wraps up the week with a visit to Nooksack Valley in a 1A rivalry game on Friday. Squalicum hosts Sedro-Woolley on Tuesday and goes on the road to face Anacortes on Friday.
Lynden Christian 68, Squalicum 46
Squalicum 19 9 9 9—46
Lynden Christian 20 11 14 23—68
Squalicum: Truemper, Knowlton 20, Tetrick, McDaniel, Elston 8, Col. Le 3, Granberg-Kiddle 8, Shimkus, Asbjornsen 7.
Lynden Christian: Hintz 17, Dykstra 24, Howell 5, Maberry 2, Adams, Kooiman, Kamphouse, Joostens, Robertson 8, Veldman 8, Herwerden 4, Vos.
