The Lummi Nation girls and boys claimed impressive victories in completely different fashions in a doubleheader sweep of Tulalip Heritage on Tuesday night, Feb. 3.
The Lady Blackhawks used their skill and depth to overwhelm the Hawks in the first game, 65-25, while the Lummi Nation boys showed their heart and determination in defeating their tribal rivals in the exciting nightcap, 75-62.
“The rivalry is always a good game,” said Lummi Nation senior Jerome Toby Jr. “We wanted to give the crowd something to cheer about.”
The packed Lummi Nation gym saw both Blackhawks teams finish their regular seasons with Northwest 1B League championships. The Lummi girls improved to 17-2 overall and 10-0 in league, and the Lummi boys raised their record to 17-1-1 overall and 7-0 in league.
Next up are the District 1 tournaments with both Lummi Nation teams earning the top seeds and scheduled to play at home on Thursday against the winners of Wednesday’s play-in games.
The girls will play ninth-seeded Shoreline Christian at 5:30 p.m. Lummi defeated the Chargers, 73-10, on Dec. 16. The boys will face ninth-seeded Lopez Island at 4 p.m. Lummi defeated the Lobos, 96-14, on Dec. 18.
Girls: Lady Blackhawks Have Fun In 65-25 Victory
After beating their rivals by 60 points a month ago, the Lummi Nation girls didn’t need to unleash their vaunted fullcourt press to run up the score. Instead, they worked on their plays, got lots of players into the game, and still beat Tulalip Heritage, 65-25.
“We wanted to slow it down and work on a few things,” said Lummi Nation coach David James, whose Lady Blackhawks are now sixth in the latest Class 1B RPI state rankings. “The girls played well tonight. They gave effort and hustle, from the starting five to the role players.”
Although Lummi Nation averages more than 70 points a game and has beaten its league opponents by an average of 54 points, the Blackhawks started slow and only led, 12-7, late in the first quarter.
But then they got their run-and-gun — or should we say “run-and-fun” — attack going, outscoring Tulalip, 21-2, to finish the first half and finish off the Hawks, who fell to 7-12 overall and 6-5 in the NW1B.
Lummi Nation’s starting five did most of the scoring as usual.
Junior Jemma James had 18 points and two 3-pointers to go with 7 rebounds and 6 steals; eighth-grader Jordy Reeder had 17 points and four of Lummi’s nine 3s along with 5 steals and 4 assists; senior Ailina Rabang had 14 points, a pair of 3-pointers, 8 steals, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists; sophomore Celestine James had 7 points and a team-high 11 rebounds; and senior Bri Metteba had 6 points, 6 steals and 4 assists.
But all 10 players got in the game and saw considerable playing time. In fact, one of the biggest cheers came from the starters on the bench when sophomore reserve Malaina Morris sank a 3-pointer.
“It’s been fun,” said Metteba, who was forced to leave the game twice after being knocked to the floor and who still managed to lead the team in smiles. “I love playing with these girls.”
While Lummi Nation still has to get through both the district and tri-district tournaments, the team is looking forward to qualifying for the 1B state tournament for the third straight season.
“We’re rolling right now,” said coach James. “I think we’re ready.”
And at least one Blackhawk was ready for more than just going to Spokane.
“We’ve been doing well, but we’re getting ready for the bigger games,” said Metteba. “We want to bring home that gold ball (state championship trophy).”
Is there anything else they want? “And to have fun,” she said. With a smile, of course.
Lummi Nation 65, Tulalip Heritage 25
Tulalip Heritage 7 2 4 12—25
Lummi Nation 19 14 18 14—65
Tulalip Heritage: Enick, Sheldon 9, Frazier 3, A. Lewis 2, R. Lewis 3, Jones-Charles, Fryberg-Zackuse 4, Jefferson 4.
Lummi Nation: J. James 18, Rabang 14, B. Metteba 6, Reeder 17, Morris 3, Phair, Dennis, M. Metteba, C. James 7, Williams.
CLASS 1B DISTRICT 1 GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Play-in game
#9 Shoreline Christian 33, #8 Darrington 17 (loser out)
First round
Thursday, Feb. 5
Shoreline Christian at #1 Lummi Nation
#7 Providence Classical Christian at #2 Concrete
#6 Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) at #3 Grace Academy
#5 Tulalip Heritage at #4 Lopez Island
Boys: Blackhawks Finish Strong In 75-62 Win
As expected with two of the best 1B teams in the state — not to mention two longtime rivals — the game was close through three quarters and the boisterous crowd was expecting another thriller like Lummi Nation’s three-point win over the Hawks a month ago.
But while it was thrilling — at least for Lummi fans — the Blackhawks pulled away in the last six minutes to pull out the 75-62 victory.
“It was another classic Lummi-Tulalip battle,” said Lummi Nation coach Jerome Toby Sr., whose defending 1B state champions are fourth in the state’s RPI rankings.
And through the first 26 minutes, the battle was pretty even. Tulalip, which fell to 15-4 overall and is ranked 10th in the state, led after one quarter, the game was tied at the half, and the Blackhawks led by two after three quarters thanks to Jerome Toby Jr.’s jumper with one second to go.
Lummi still led, 57-54, with six minutes left but coach Toby’s halftime “talk” finally began to take effect. His son turned a left-handed layup into a three-point play, junior Deandre James put in an offensive rebound, and Toby turned a steal into a dunk by senior Chayce Waite-Kellar. And in less than a minute the lead had exploded to 10 points.
Toby would later hit a 3-pointer and a turnaround jumper at the shot clock buzzer to keep the Hawks at bay and when the fireworks were over, the Blackhawks had outscored Tulalip, 21-10, in the fourth period.
“I think I got into him (at halftime) and lit a little fire,” said coach Toby about point guard Toby, who only had one field goal in the first half but had 21 points in the second half. “He had a great second half. The basket got bigger and he found a good rhythm.”
Toby showed why he was the 1B state player of the year last season by finishing with a game-high 27 points, a pair of 3-pointers, and 5 rebounds. But on Tuesday, the Blackhawks were also fortunate that their big man — 6-foot-8 Chayce Waite-Kellar — had a big game.
The Central Washington University commit, who only had 6 points in the first meeting with Tulalip, dominated the paint with 25 points and 24 rebounds. His 10 first-quarter points kept Lummi Nation in the game when everyone else was struggling, and he had 14 points in the second half and hit 7 of 8 clutch free throws for the contest.
Junior Dyson Edwards added 12 points and a pair of 3s for the Blackhawks despite playing most of the game with three fouls, junior Landon LaFontaine had 6 points before being forced to the bench with cramping in the fourth quarter, and James had 5 points.
Even though the Blackhawks have now won four straight against their talented rivals, the two teams probably haven’t seen the last of each other. Expect another showdown for the district championship next Tuesday and then there’s the tri-district tournament and possibly even the state tournament.
But one player knows Lummi Nation won’t be looking too far ahead, despite having the gold ball in their trophy case.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Toby Jr. said of the season so far. “We’re all really close and even if we aren’t related, we’re one big family. We want to show everyone we’re for real. But my dad won’t let us get a big head.”
As usual, Toby Sr. wasn’t making any predictions. “We lost some really special players (from last year’s championship team), but we’ve got other guys ready to step up,” he said. “They all know what our end goal is.”
Lummi Nation 75, Tulalip Heritage 62
Tulalip Heritage 20 12 20 10—62
Lummi Nation 17 15 22 21—75
Tulalip Heritage: Gray 21, Parks 20, Bachand 3, Black Tomahawk 8, Archibald 6, Myles-Gilford 2, Hatch 2
Lummi Nation: Toby Jr. 27, LaFontaine 6, Edwards 12, Yrizarris, Hawk, Waite-Kellar 25, D. James 5.
CLASS 1B DISTRICT 1 BOYS TOURNAMENT
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Play-in game
#9 Lopez Island 65, #8 Concrete 50 (loser out)
First round
Thursday, Feb. 5
Lopez Island at #1 Lummi Nation
#7 Grace Academy at #2 Tulalip Heritage
#6 Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) at #3 Darrington
#5 Shoreline Christian at #4 Providence Classical Christian
