It wasn’t easy, but, oh, was the three-peat sweet.
The Lynden girls basketball team cemented its championship legacy by taking down Prosser, 59-49, to win the Class 2A state crown Saturday night in the Yakima Valley SunDome.
It was the Lions’ third straight state title, making them the first 2A girls team to accomplish the feat. And they did it in impressive fashion, beating the second, third, and fourth seeds on consecutive days by an average of 18 points a game. You can add it to a resume that includes a 27-0 season, and a 75-game winning streak.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Lynden coach Rob Adams, who has now coached the Lions to six state titles. “Three in a row. That’s pretty cool.”
Not as cool as the top-seeded Lions were down the stretch on Saturday night.
For coverage of all of our Whatcom teams’ state games, click on State Games.
Facing a hot, third-seeded Prosser squad that was riding a 16-game winning streak, had scored 80 or more points nine times this season, and figured to be Lynden’s toughest competition in the tournament, the Lions leaped out to a shocking 19-3 first-quarter lead.
But this wasn’t the Mustangs’ first rodeo as they continued to put the pressure on the defending champs. The 15-point halftime lead slipped to eight to start the fourth quarter and dropped to 48-45 with just over three minutes left in the game.
It was perfect recipe for a painful Lynden collapse and a monumental Prosser upset. With the red half of the SunDome screaming like maniacs and the weight of everyone’s expectations coming down on them, did the Lions have any doubts right then?
“Never,” said junior Finley Parcher, who was named the tournament MVP. “It’s what we prepared for all year.”
“We never had any doubt,” said senior Payton Mills of her teammates.”I believed in every single one of them.”
And for good reason. With the state title on the line, the Lions were clutch.
Parcher put in two free throws with 3:11 left. Then Mills scored inside after being mugged once again with 1:37 left, and Parcher put in another free throw with 59 seconds left. Finally, junior Lexi Hermanutz took over, putting in a rebound and hitting all four of her free throws in the final 50 seconds to close out the game.
“When they made their runs, it wasn’t so much what they were doing as what we didn’t do,” said Adams, whose squad outscored Prosser, 11-4, to end the game. “The whole tournament our defense has played that way.”
Ah, the Lynden defense. If it wasn’t for a meaningless layup by a Prosser reserve just before the final buzzer, the Lions would have held the Mustangs to their lowest point total of the season. It was, however, only the second time Prosser had been held under 64 points.
Leading the Lynden offense were the usual suspects. Parcher, the all-state guard, had 17 points as did Hermanutz. Parcher also had 10 rebounds and Hermanutz had 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocked shots. Mills, who also was named the all-tournament second team, pitched in 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and 10 rebounds, as the Lions won the rebounding battle, 37-26.
Seniors Rian Stephan and Reese Nyhoff added 5 points each. They, along with Mills and fellow seniors Degitu Bowler, Rilanna Newcomb, and Jules Slayton will be remembered as a class that made four state appearances and won three state championships.
“It was so fun,” said the fun-loving Mills in the midst of net-cutting, confetti-blasting, and a sea of green and gold congratulations. “I appreciate every single teammate. This is my highlight We were ready for this. We couldn’t let down our fans.”
“Gratitude,” Parcher answered when asked what she felt after the big win. “I’m grateful for the team, the coaches, the band, the fans.”
The Lynden faithful certainly were into it — again. This marks the ninth straight tournament that either the Lions boys or girls have won a state title. And then there’s the Lynden girls’ sports record this year, the girls basketball state crown coming after state titles in volleyball and flag football.
“It’s sweet,” said Adams of Lynden’s championship tradition, particularly in basketball. “When you put as much into it as we have … it’s their legacy. ‘Playing for the ones that came before us.’” Which, of course, is the team’s motto.
Although the WIAA doesn’t release any official all-tournament recognition, the media has “unofficial” all-tournament teams. Joining MVP Parcher on the first team were Herbie Wright of Prosser, Ashlan Bryant of Deer Park, Bella Standish of Ellensburg, and Elise Kingston of Selah.
Joining Mills on the second team were Deidre Phillips of Prosser, Emma Bryant of Deer Park, Zia-Daye Anderson of Nathan Hale, Brooke Blachly of Archbishop Murphy, and Dilyn Boeck of W.F. West.
Lynden 59, Prosser 49
Prosser 3 16 13 17—49
Lynden 19 15 6 19—59
Prosser: Cox 3, Carter 3, Wright 14, Westenberg 6, Bailey 10, Chapman 13, Phillips.
Lynden: Bowler 2, Hermanutz 17, Nyhoff 5, Newcomb 2, Slayton, R. Stephan 5, I. Stephan, Parcher 17, Mills 11, Dykstra, Basart, Somma.
CLASS 2A GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT
At Yakima SunDome
Wednesday, March 4
Nathan Hale 83, W.F. West 71 OT (loser out)
Deer Park 67, Mark Morris 32 (loser out)
Archbishop Murphy 53, Port Angeles 29 (loser out)
Selah 56, Fife 42 (loser out)
Thursday, March 5
Clarkston 63, Nathan Hale 30
Lynden 58, Deer Park 33
Prosser 78, Archbishop Murphy 41
Ellensburg 57, Selah 48
Friday, March 6
Deer Park 53, Nathan Hale 22 (loser out)
Selah 50, Archbishop Murphy 48 (loser outd)
Lynden 50, Clarkston 30
Prosser 64, Ellensburg 42
Saturday, March 7
Deer Park 65, Selah 45 (winner fourth, loser sixth)
Ellensburg 58, Clarkston 44 (winner third, loser fifth)
Lynden 59, Prosser 49 (winner first, loser second)
