The local holiday basketball tournaments might feature teams from around the state, but the championship games of the three-day tourneys at Lynden Christian and Meridian will definitely have a Whatcom flavor on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
After big wins on Tuesday, the undefeated Lynden girls will be playing for the Lynden Christmas Classic championship and the Lummi Nation boys and girls, the Meridian boys, the Blaine girls, and the Sehome girls will be in their respective finals at the Trojan Storm Winter Classic.
Other winners on Tuesday were the Lynden Christian boys and girls, the Nooksack Valley boys, the Squalicum boys, the Sehome boys, the Meridian girls, and the Ferndale girls.
Here’s a look at all the holiday tournament games involving Whatcom teams.
Lynden Christmas Classic
Lynden Girls Power Past White River, 67-28
The Lynden girls have won games with their defense and won games with their offense, but on Tuesday, they showed what happens when they put them both together: a dominating 67-28 victory over a good White River team.
“I didn’t expect that,” said Lynden coach Rob Adams, who is good friends with coach Chris Gibson of the Class 3A Hornets. “I think this was our most complete game so far.”
With the victory, the Lions (8-0) will be playing for their third Lynden Christmas Classic championship in a row when they face Class 2B Napavine, the tournament’s Cinderella team, on Wednesday at 2:45 p.m.
Lynden, of course, is anything but a Cinderella story, having won the past two Class 2A state championships and beaten everyone this season by an average margin of 42 points.
“Whether we win by one or by 40, we don’t care,” said Adams. “We don’t worry about the two state titles or the winning streak or how much we win by. The question is, can you go all gas with no brakes? That’s what separates this team.”
They put their foot to the pedal on Tuesday. After White River’s feisty Hornets — they often played with five guards, none taller than 5-foot-8 — cut Lynden’s early lead to 13-8, it appeared a close game might be in store.
Nope. From midway through the first quarter until about a minute before halftime, the Lions ran off 26 straight points.
Give a lot of credit to the defense and particularly the guards who shut down White River’s top scorer, Maggee Schmitz, who had eight points in the first quarter and didn’t score again.
“It (defense) is what we focus on every day,” said senior Rilanna Newcomb, who along with senior Degitu Bowler shadowed Schmitz the whole game. “It was a fun challenge. I don’t think we’ve reached our potential yet. It’s been fun to see how much better we can get.”
Even one of the offensive stars of the game said the key was defense. “We take pride in our defense,” said 6-foot-2 senior Payton Mills, who led the Lions with 20 points mostly by going inside. “Today, the big thing was to get the ball in the paint. My teammates did a good job of that.”
All-state guard Finley Parcher finished with a quiet 16 points but as usual made the big plays at the right time. When the Hornets closed to within five and were double-teaming Mills, Parcher hit a 3-pointer, made two steals, assisted on a fastbreak layup and a 3-pointer, and then scored on a putback to push the lead to 19.
Ten different Lions would score as the starters sat out the fourth quarter. Junior Lexi Hermanutz added 9 points, and Bowler had 7 points.
Lynden 67, White River 28
Lynden 22 22 17 6—67
White River 8 3 8 9—28
Lynden: Bowler 7, Hermanutz 9, Nyhoff, Newcomb 3, Slayton 2, R. Stephan 4, I. Stephan 2, Somma 2, Basart, Parcher 16, Mills 20, Dykstra 2.
White River: Froemke 12, Banks, Hewlett, G. Banks, Schmitz 8, Olson, Young, Taylor 6, Rathbun 2, Rose.
LC Girls Beat Up River Ridge, 51-34
The Lynden Christian girls were determined to bounce back from their first loss of the season, and they took it out on River Ridge on Tuesday, 51-34, in the consolation round of their Lynden Christmas Classic.
The Lyncs (8-1), who were upset by Napavine on Monday, jumped out to a 15-2 first-quarter lead and never let the Hawks (4-4) get the lead under double-digits.
“Our girls came out focused,” said LC coach Brady Bomber. “We design this event to get three games to be tested. We want to win, but we also want opportunities to learn.”
Despite the rough play that left her with more bruises and scratches than a MMA fighter on Tuesday, LC senior Ella Fritts said the message after Monday’s loss was “to be the team that responds with grit and toughness.”
Fritts sure did, battling for a game-high 23 points, sinking two 3-pointers, making 7 of 8 from the free throw line, and helping the Lyncs hold the Class 3A Hawks to their second-lowest point total of the year.
“Early on, she set the tone,” said LC coach Brady Bomber of his all-state guard. “We knew it would be physical. She can beat you with her skill and with her power. Today, she imposed her will.”
Joining Fritts in double figures was sophomore Tyra Dykstra, who had 11 points and two more 3s. Freshman Jess DeJong came off the bench to add 7 points.
Lynden Christian 51, River Ridge 34
River Ridge 2 9 12 11—34
Lynden Christian 15 12 13 11—51
River Ridge: Arko, Armstrong 5, Bol 2, Weatherly 2, Robinson 2, Jordan-Moody, Stanford 23, Cavalier, Olney.
Lynden Christian: Fritts 23, T. Dykstra 11, Eshuis 3, D. Dykstra, Russell, Van Loo 5, Pierce 2, DeJong 7.
Trojan Storm Winter Classic (Boys)
Lummi Nation Blasts Bellingham In Semis, 85-42
The Lummi Nation boys came out fast and never let up in blasting Bellingham, 85-42, in Tuesday’s semifinals of the Trojan Storm Winter Classic.
The Blackhawks (8-1) now advance to the tournament championship game against Meridian on Wednesday at 2 p.m. The Bayhawks will play Bush at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Lummi Nation exploded for 26 points in the first quarter and then upped that to 28 points in the second period, all while holding the Bayhawks to 21 points in the first half. By the third quarter, the lead had ballooned to 70-28 and the running clock had begun.
Junior Dyson Edwards led the Blackhawks’ attack with eight points in the first period and 15 in the second to finish with a game-high 23.
Seniors Jerome Toby Jr. and Chayce Waite-Kellar had 11 points each, junior Landon LaFontaine had 10 points and a pair of 3-pointers, senior Deandre James had 8 points, junior Tre James had 7 points, and freshman Mason Revey had 6 points.
Bellingham (3-5) was led by senior Joe Harward’s 12 points. Sophomores Emmett Vanhouten and Reid Hals had 6 points each.
Meridian Brushes Aside Bush, 62-52
The Meridian boys advanced to the championship game by beating Bush, 62-52, in Tuesday’s other semifinal. The Trojans (3-4) will face Lummi Nation at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. The Blazers fell to 3-5 on the season and will play Bellingham at 8 a.m.
Trojan Storm Winter Classic (Girls)
Lummi Nation Beats Bellingham In Semis, 69-43
The Lummi Nation girls notched another win over a bigger school, running past Class 2A Bellingham, 69-43, in the Bracket 2 semifinals on Tuesday. The Lady Blackhawks will take on Blaine in the championship game on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
(Because there are 17 girls teams entered, the tournament is divided into Brackets 1 and 2.)
Lummi Nation (8-1) only led by five at the half against the taller Bayhawks, but used a 19-7 third quarter to take command and then put the game away with a 22-point fourth quarter.
Senior Ailina Rabang had 20 points and junior Jemma James had 19 points to lead the Lady Blackhawks. James had three 3-pointers and Rabang scored all of her points in the second half as Lummi Nation pulled away. Senior Bri Metteba and eighth-grader Jordy Reeder each added 14 points and three 3s.
Bellingham was led by sophomore Lucy Holland, who had 16 points and four 3-pointers, and junior Merritt Jensen, who had 14 points.
Bellingham (5-4) will take on La Center, a 43-33 loser to Blaine on Tuesday, in an 8 a.m. consolation game on Wednesday.
Blaine Outlasts La Center To Reach Final, 43-33
The Blaine girls pulled away in the final quarter to defeat La Center on Monday, 43-33, and advance to the Bracket 2 championship game. The Borderites will play Lummi Nation at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Blaine (3-6) led by two going into the fourth period of the back-and-forth contest, but outscored the Wildcats (4-4), 12-4, to secure its second win in a row.
Senior Aaliyah Bowman led the Borderites with 20 points and two 3-pointers, one coming in the crucial final period. Senior Mesa Puls had 9 points and another 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Senior Olivia Tanjuaquio had 5 points and a 3-pointer of her own.
Ferndale Has Its Way With Federal Way, 74-26
Just for fun, the Ferndale girls picked up an extra game at the Trojan Storm Winter Classic and it turned out to be a lot of fun for the Golden Eagles, who demolished Federal Way on Tuesday, 74-26.
Ferndale (2-3) joined Bracket 2 on the second day, when Mount Baker had to bow out after Monday’s win to prevent scheduling too many games. The Golden Eagles took advantage of the opportunity — thank you, Mounties — by shooting down the 3A Eagles (1-7).
Senior Abbey White led the Ferndale barrage with 10 of her game-high 20 points coming in the first quarter as the Golden Eagles scored 26 points in the first quarter to start the rout.
Senior Kayla Washington had 13 points and three 3-pointers, junior Heavens Jefferson came off the bench to sink four 3s for 12 points, junior Brooklyn Larrabee had 8 points, and freshman Mia Collins added 9 points.
The Golden Eagles will wrap up the tournament against South Whidbey on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Sehome Tops Kamiak In Thriller, 44-41
The Sehome girls advanced to the Bracket 1 championship game by knocking off Kamiak, 44-41, in a semifinal that went down to the wire Tuesday.
Going into the final quarter of the back-and-forth battle with the 4A Knights (3-6), the Mariners (7-2) trailed by two. But they rallied to take the lead and were up, 42-41, with under a minute to go. That’s when junior Kate Schroeder made the deciding plays.
She sank one of two free throws to boost the lead to two with 33 seconds left, then picked off a Kamiak pass and was fouled with 10 seconds left. She again made one of two free throws and when the Knights couldn’t get off a game-tying shot, the Mariners were in the final.
Schroeder led a balanced offense with 11 points, sophomore Taylor Turrell and junior Elyse Panagos had 8 points each, junior Sadie Gustafson had 7 points, and senior Aspen Barge had 6 points.
Sehome will face Bellevue Christian on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The defending Class 1A state champion Vikings defeated Ridgefield, 60-45, in Tuesday’s other semifinal.
Meridian Holds Off Burlington, 27-23
In a defensive slugfest, the Meridian girls outlasted Burlington-Edison, 27-23, in a Bracket 2 consolation game Tuesday. Meridian (3-4) will play Port Angeles at noon Wednesday in another consolation contest.
While the Trojans didn’t produce much scoring Tuesday, their defense held the Tigers (2-5) to three points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Sophomore Madyn Cline-Malarz had two 3-pointers to lead all scorers with 6 points
Burlington-Edison Holiday Tournament
Sehome Boys Hand Burlington First Loss, 73-57
The Sehome boys put it all together Tuesday by shocking undefeated Burlington-Edison, 73-57, to claim the Tigers’ holiday tournament.
Sehome (6-3) held Burlington (7-1) to its lowest point total of the season and 20 below its average. The Mariners took command early with a double-digit lead after one quarter and stretched it out to a 20-point margin in the fourth period.
Junior Quincy Tanovan led the Mariners’ attack with 25 points, including four of their eight 3-pointers, on 10 of 14 shooting. He also had 3 steals and 3 assists.
Senior Xavier Kelley had 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists; senior Klay Jackson had 15 points, three 3s, and 4 steals; seniors Cole Turrell and Carter Duckworth had 6 points each and combined for 8 rebounds; and senior Nolan Wright had 11 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals.
While the victory is a confidence-booster for the Mariners, it was a non-conference game, and the two teams will square off again at Sehome in the regular-season finale on Feb. 7.
Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament
LC Boys Use Defense To Stop Sumner, 59-53
The Lynden Christian boys didn’t need their high-scoring offense, just good old-fashion defense to beat Sumner, 59-53, to claim the unofficial championship of the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament.
The Lyncs (9-1) won both their games in the two-day tournament and they did it by shutting down the Class 4A team. Trailing by one at the half, LC used an 18-point fourth quarter to pull away from the stubborn Spartans (6-4).
The one player who wasn’t bothered by the defense was LC junior Dawson Hintz who had a game-high 30 points. He had three of the Lyncs’ four 3-pointers, and in the critical final period had nine points and made five of his six free throws.
Junior guards Gunnar Dykstra and Harvest Howell added 10 and 8 points, respectively, for the Lyncs.
Squalicum Boys Wear Down Juanita, 61-45
The Squalicum boys owned the second half on Tuesday and wrapped up the two-day tournament with a dominating 61-45 victory over winless Juanita.
The Storm (4-4) broke away from a one-point halftime lead to outscore the Class 4A Ravens, 37-22, after intermission.
Junior Blake Elston led the second-half charge, scoring all 21 of his points and both 3-pointers in the final two quarters. Junior Hunter Calloway, who saw his first action of the season Monday after returning from an injury, had 11 points.
Senior Rhys Knowlton had 9 points, junior Orion Granberg-Kiddle had 8 points, and sophomore Lincoln Shimkus added 6 points for the Storm.
T-Town Throwdown
Nooksack Girls Can’t Stop Bethel, 67-37
The Nooksack Valley girls couldn’t pull off their second upset of a Class 4A team in two days, losing to Bethel on Tuesday, 67-37, in the semifinals of the T-Town Throwdown in Tacoma.
It was the Pioneers’ first loss in five games and came a day after they had knocked off Puyallup in the opening round. But right from the opening quarter — in which Nooksack fell behind 24-3 — it was obviously going to be a different story against the Bison (6-3).
Senior Grace DeHoog had 12 points, and senior Natalie VanLiew had 10 points, but no other Pioneer managed more than five points. DeHoog also had 6 rebounds as did junior Kaitlyn Biondolillo.
The Pioneers will finish off the three-day tournament against Inglemoor on Wednesday at 3:45 p.m.
Nooksack Boys Knock Off Newport (Bellevue), 81-37
The Nooksack Valley boys bounced back from Monday’s loss to take it out on Newport of Bellevue, 81-37, in the consolation round of the T-Town Throwdown in Tacoma.
The Pioneers (3-4) jumped on the Class 4A Knights (3-8) for 25 points in the first quarter and another 23 points in the second quarter to take a 25-point halftime lead. Then the Pioneers unleashed their defense, only allowing 14 second-half points to rout the Knights.
Senior Jayden Anderson led the balanced Nooksack attack with 20 points and four 3-pointers, senior Owen Wichers had 14 points and two more 3s, seniors Cole Coppinger and Crew Bauman had 12 points each, and sophomore Treven Scheenstra had 6 points.
Nooksack Valley takes on Franklin Pierce on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the final day of the tournament.
Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout
Lynden Boys Can’t Snap Selah Streak, Lose, 68-62
Playing short-handed, the Lynden boys didn’t have enough to upset undefeated Selah on Tuesday, losing in the second and final day of the Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout in Yakima, 68-62.
With four players missing, including two starters and their leading scorer, the Lions made a game of it, leading by six in the first quarter before running out of steam against the 8-0 Vikings.
Senior James Ellis led the Lions, who fell to 6-4 on the year, with 14 points, hitting 6 of his 8 field goal attempts and sinking a pair of 3-pointers. He also had 4 rebounds.
Sophomore Jayden Navarre had 13 points, three 3s, and 3 assists; junior Malachi Koenen had 12 points on four 3-pointers, and 3 assists; senior Charlie Broersma had a team-high 5 rebounds; and junior Gordy Bedlington had 5 assists.
