After enduring a heart-breaking loss the night before, the Lummi Nation boys basketball team couldn’t come back and lost to Naselle, 70-41, in the Class 1B state tournament Saturday, March 7, in the Spokane Arena.
Despite the loss, Lummi Nation (25-5) will take home a fifth-place trophy.
“We didn’t finish the way we wanted,” said Lummi Nation coach Jerome Toby. “I’m proud of them, trying to regroup after that.”
“That,” of course, is a nice way to put what happened to the Blackhawks on Friday night, when an official’s call on a desperation heave at the buzzer resulted in Yakama Nation Tribal getting a free throw to beat Lummi Nation in the semifinals.
Having to come out the next morning proved too much as the Blackhawks had their worst game of the season, scoring just 24 points through the first three quarters, and going 2-for-22 from the 3-point line.
Check out WhatcomHoops.com for coverage of all the Whatcom County teams at state. And enjoy the great photos from Heather Leighton.
As usual, captain Caleb Revey led the team, scoring 16 points, pulling down 6 rebounds and grabbing 5 steals. For his efforts all week long, Revey was named to the all-tournament first team.
Junior post Tyran Lane had 8 points and 4 rebounds, junior forward Jaie Leighton had 6 points and 5 rebounds, and sophomore guard Duncan Toby had 7 points and 3 assists.
While disappointed in the outcome, coach Toby looked at the positives.
“This group continued our tradition of unity and playing for our community; and they bring back a trophy,” said coach Toby. “They represented our community and school in a positive way.”
The team will lose two of its best representatives — seniors Revey and Patrick Sturgeon. Coach Toby had high praise for both.
“They are two special players,” said Toby. “One’s under the radar, but Patrick was the best teammate any team could ask for. He is a special young man.
“And Caleb is my captain, a five-year player who was a ball boy on our 2015 state champion team and played when we made the championship game in 2017. He finished with over 1,000 points (in his career) and was a pleasure to coach.”
The coach announced that Revey was named the Class 1B player of the year.
So congratulations to the captain and to all the Blackhawks for a great season.
Tournament tidbits: Joining Revey on the official all-tournament first team were Ryan Moffet of Odessa (MVP), Matthew Hockett of Oakesdale, Justice Hart of Yakama Tribal, Levi Rivera of Riverside Christian and Chase Gerard of Almira-Coulee-Hartline. On the second team were Reece Isaak of Almira-Coulee-Hartline, Tyrelle Nicholson Muckleshoot Tribal, Jett Nelson of Odessa, and Ethan Windstorm, Kolby Glenn, and Corey Gregory of Naselle.
Evans Rankings, a website devoted to high school basketball, named its own Class 1B all-tournament teams. Revey was named the MVP, Leighton was a second-team pick and Lane was a third -team choice. Lummi Nation’s Alayla Solomon was an honorable-mention pick for the girls tournament. … Oakesdale, the team that knocked the Lummi Nation girls on the first day of the 1B tournament, finished second, losing to Inchelium, 46-34, in the championship game. Mount Vernon Christian placed fifth. The official girls all-tournament first team was Mia Pakootas (MVP) and Rylee Desautel of Inchelium, Maddy Dixon of Pomeroy, Korin Baker of Curlew, Lizzy Perry of Oakesdale and Josie Droog of Mount Vernon Christian. On the second team were Ashawna Anderson and Ashlynn Hill and Jada Orr of Wellpinit, Jessie Reed of Oakesdale and Allie Greene of Neah Bay.
Naselle 70, Lummi Nation 41
Naselle 17 18 18 17—70
Lummi Nation 9 9 6 17—41
Naselle: Ethan Lindstrom 3, Kolby Glenn 17, Chase Haataia 14, Jimmy Strange 6, Corey Gregory 10, Caleb Haataia 5, Jack Ruch 4, Warren Wirkkala 9, Kolten Lindstrom, Clay Bergeson, Joey Strange, Monte Schell 2.
Lummi Nation: Caleb Revey 16, William Hetland 2, Duncan Toby 7, Richard Wilson, Jaie Leighton 6, Tyran Lane 8, Moses Seymour, Patrick Sturgeon, Tobias Francis 2, Dezmond Bailey, William Kinley, Franklin Whiteman.
Class 1B Boys State Tournament
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
First round
Muckleshoot Tribal School 64, Garfield-Palouse 58 (loser out)
Almira-Coulee-Hartline 62, Rainier Christian 30 (loser out)
Riverside Christian 69, Selkirk 67 (loser out)
Oakesdale 65, Taholah 58 (loser out)
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
Quarterfinals
Naselle 57, Muckleshoot Tribal School 50
Odessa 42, Almira-Coulee-Hartline 39
Lummi Nation 64, Riverside Christian 45
Yakama Nation Tribal 45, Oakesdale 35
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Almira-Coulee-Hartline 69, Muckleshoot Tribal School 46 (loser out)
Oakesdale 51, Riverside Christian 39 (loser out)
Odessa 62, Naselle 56
Yakama Nation Tribal 51, Lummi Nation 50
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
Oakesdale 46, Almira-Coulee-Hartline 41 (winner fourth, loser sixth)
Naselle 70, Lummi Nation 41 (winner third, loser fifth)
Odessa 62, Yakama Nation Tribal 36 (winner first, loser second)
