You can’t defend your state title unless you qualify for state and the Lynden boys basketball team made sure it will return to Yakima after defeating Archbishop Murphy, 73-40, in the Class 2A District 1 consolation final on Saturday night, Feb. 22, at Mount Vernon High School.
With the victory and the runner-up district finish, the three-time defending state champion Lions clinched a spot in the state regionals, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 28, and next Saturday, March 1. Opponents, times, and locations are expected to be announced by the WIAA seeding committee Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Lummi Nation boys and girls faced off Saturday night with Neah Bay in their Class 1B District 1/2/3 championship games at the Muckleshoot Community Center in Auburn.
The Lummi Nation boys used an incredible fourth quarter to defeat the Red Devils, 61-46, and claim another tri-district title. The Lady Blackhawks battled with the two-time defending state champs but came up short, 48-37, and had to settle for second place.
Both Lummi teams had already qualified on Tuesday for the state regionals, and like the Lions, will wait to hear who, when, and where they will be playing next weekend.
Depending on their seeding, the Lynden boys, Lummi Nation boys and girls, and the other Whatcom teams that earned state regional berths — the Lynden Christian boys and girls, Nooksack Valley girls, Meridian boys, and Lynden girls — may have to win next weekend before qualifying for their state tournaments in Spokane (Class 1B), and Yakima (1A and 2A).
Senior Brant Heppner (right) stood tall for the Lions on Saturday.
CLASS 2A BOYS
Lynden Tames Wildcats For State Berth, 73-40
It was all about rebounding — both physically and mentally — and the Lions had to do both against Archbishop Murphy in the pressure-packed, loser-out contest before a packed Mount Vernon gym.
Lynden was coming off Wednesday’s shocking, last-second district final loss to Lakewood — the Lions’ first of the season — and standing in their way were the Wildcats, taller and more physical than even the tall and physical Lions.
“It was a long 72 hours,” said Lynden coach Brian Roper, whose team improved to 24-1 and despite the one loss is expected to remain No. 1 in the state rankings. “I was confident in our guys. But Archbishop Murphy is a very physical and athletic team.”
And the Wildcats definitely didn’t have any pressure. They came in with a deceptive 11-13 record because almost all of their Western Conference games were against Class 3A teams. Lynden, meanwhile, carried the burden of being the heavy favorites, having already beaten the Wildcats by 22 points back in December.
But the Lions weren’t going to be part of any Cinderella story.
“We didn’t get down,” sophomore point guard Gordy Bedlington said of the aftermath of Wednesday’s loss. “You have to learn from it. We weren’t overwhelmed (Saturday). We were confident. You have to play like it’s just another game.”
It also helps to have someone who has been there before — a lot. Senior Brant Heppner, a veteran of all three Lynden state championship teams, came out hot and never cooled off. He had eight points in the first quarter, five in the second, nine in the third, and 10 in the fourth.
That’s 32 points for the 6-foot-6 forward to go along with two 3-pointers, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Most impressive was his 8-for-8 performance at the line, including four when he was all alone after the Wildcats were called for two technicals.
“I don’t think he wanted his senior season to end tonight,” said Roper. “Besides his points and rebounds, he’s been a really good big brother to this team. I was confident of our leadership with Brant and Jack (Stapleton).”
Stapleton, the 6-foot-7 jumping jack who had been plagued with foot problems all year, was not only an inspiration to his teammates, but the team’s only other senior had 4 rebounds in limited action.
Ah yes, rebounds. It turns out the Lions would win the rebounding battle, 34-32, with junior Spencer Adams grabbing a team-high 5, and junior Ty Jorgenson joining Heppner and Stapleton with 4 each. But it was a team effort as 11 of the 12 Lions had at least one.
“We talked about owning the paint,” said Heppner. “We knew they were physical and it would be a battle. We had to dominate.”
By taking away Archbishop Murphy’s strength, Lynden could play to its own, which is defense. The Lions held the Wildcats to 29 percent shooting and only one 3-pointer. Meanwhile, Lynden’s shooters hit half of their 54 shots, including seven 3-pointers.
Bedlington had one of his biggest offensive nights with 11 points and an equally important 11 assists as the Lions finished with 23 assists as a team. And Jorgenson came off the bench to spark the offense with 9 points and the defense with 3 steals.
If there was a crucial stretch in the game it was to start the second half. Until then, the Wildcats had stayed close thanks to their physical play. But Heppner hit a turnaround jumper, Bedlington drove for a basket, and Adams sank a 3-pointer, all in a minute and a half, and Lynden’s 12-point halftime lead was 19 and the Wildcats would never be close again.
“The way we came out in the second half … it was a different game,” said Roper.
Now the Lions can relax, knowing they are all but guaranteed a “home” regional game next weekend and, win or lose, would still be playing in Yakima the first week of March.
“It’s special,” said Heppner about going to his fourth state tournament. “We don’t take it for granted. We just wanted to punch our ticket.”
According to his young teammate, the Lions are ready to do more.
“We’re not finished,” said Bedlington. “We have to go even harder.”
Leave it to the guy who has coached seven state championship teams, including five of the past six, to have the final word.
“We don’t think of that,” Roper said of the past trophies and victories. “We believe it’s about these 14 guys and six coaches. They are writing their own story. We’re just glad to get two more weeks together.”
Lynden 73, Archbishop Murphy 40
Archbishop Murphy 11 7 12 10—40
Lynden 14 16 25 18—73
Archbishop Murphy: Belleza, Hagen 2, J. Sievers 12, C. Sievers 1, Esguorra, Rife 7, Love 5, Sears, Wilson, Cribbs, Usui 12, Burns 1.
Lynden: Navarre 4, Bedlington 11, Price, Bowman 5, Ellis, Mar. Koenen, Mal. Koenen 3, Broersma, Stapleton 4, Jorgenson 9, Heppner 32, Adams 5.
CLASS 2A BOYS DISTRICT 1 TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Play-in game
#8 Sehome 69, #9 Marysville-Pilchuck 53 (loser out)
Thursday, Feb. 13
Quarterfinals
#1 Lynden 67, #8 Sehome 25
#2 Lakewood 80, #7 Archbishop Murphy 40
#3 Burlington-Edison 76, #6 Bellingham 57
#4 Anacortes 61, #5 Squalicum 56
Saturday, Feb. 15
Consolation games
Squalicum 59, Sehome 31 (loser out)
Archbishop Murphy 55, Bellingham 54 (loser out)
Semifinals
At Mount Vernon
Lakewood 60, Burlington-Edison 47
Lynden 51, Anacortes 39
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Consolation games
At Mount Vernon
Archbishop Murphy 61, Anacortes 55 (loser out)
Burlington-Edison 60, Squalicum 43 (loser out)
Wednesday, Feb. 19
At Mount Vernon
Championship game
Lakewood 50, Lynden 49 (winner first, to state regionals)
Thursday, Feb. 20
At Mount Vernon
Consolation game
Archbishop Murphy 80, Burlington-Edison 79, 3 OT (loser out)
Saturday, Feb. 22
At Mount Vernon
Consolation final
Lynden 73, Archbishop Murphy 40 (winner second, to state regionals, loser out)
The 2025 Class 1B District 1/2/3 champion Lummi Nation boys (file photo)
CLASS 1B BOYS
Lummi Nation Topples Neah Bay In Final, 61-46
The Blackhawks aren’t used to being underdogs against Class 1B opponents, but despite being the top seed in the District 1/2/3 tournament, it sure felt like they weren’t the favorites when they played rival Neah Bay in the tri-district championship game.
That’s because the Red Devils came into the game ranked No.3 in the state with an 18-3 record, and even with a better 21-3 mark, the Blackhawks were barely ranked in the top 10. Well, after Saturday night, all that will change.
The Blackhawks outscored Neah Bay, 20-3, in the fourth quarter to win their third tri-district championship in a row and the fourth in the past five years. It’s also the second year in a row Lummi Nation has bested Neah Bay for the title, winning last year, 53-48.
“It was a great game tonight with two teams battling for 32 minutes,” said Lummi Nation coach Jerome Toby Sr., whose team is now 22-3. “It was a defensive battle in the first half and in the second half, it was our fourth-quarter defense that I was most proud of.”
Junior point guard Jerome Toby Jr. once again led the Blackhawks with 27 points and, most impressively considering the pressure, was an outstanding 10 for 10 from the free throw line. Nineteen of his points came in the second half when Lummi broke open the tight game. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
Sophomore guard Dyson Edwards had 18 points and made three 3-pointers, and he also had 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Senior Karson Revey sank half of his six 3-point shots to finish with 11 points in addition to 4 rebounds and a pair of steals. Eight of his points came in Lummi’s 20-point fourth quarter.
But it was the Lummi defense that was most impressive as the Blackhawks held Neah Bay to its second lowest point total of the season. This was a Red Devils squad that scored more than 70 points nine times and more than 80 twice, including in an 83-57 victory over Tulalip Heritage two nights before.
The biggest difference in the game was at the line where the Blackhawks made 11 of 13 attempts and the Red Devils only hit one of four.
Joining champion Lummi Nation and runner-up Neah Bay in advancing to state regionals from the District 1/2/3 tournament were Tulalip Heritage (third), Summit Classical Christian (fourth), Muckleshoot Tribal (fifth), and Sound Christian Academy (sixth).
Lummi Nation 61, Neah Bay 46
Neah Bay 9 15 19 3—46
Lummi Nation 9 14 18 20—61
Neah Bay: Wimberly 5, Sawyer, Chambers 11, Cumming 3, Woodruff 6, Jimmicum 2, Swan 19, M. Greene.
Lummi Nation: Toby 27, LaFontaine, Edwards 18, Abrams 3, Lee, Revey 11, James 2.
CLASS 1B BOYS DISTRICT 1/2/3 TOURNAMENT
Saturday, Feb. 15
Play-in games
#5 Summit Classical Christian 69, #12 Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) 33 (loser out)
#6 Muckleshoot Tribal 88, #11 Crescent 46 (loser out)
#7 Evergreen Lutheran 58, #10 Lopez Island 52 (loser out)
#8 Providence Classical Christian 59, #9 Northwest Yeshiva 50 (loser out)
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Quarterfinals
#1 Lummi Nation 94, Providence Classical Christian 25
#2 Neah Bay 71, Evergreen Lutheran 40
#3 Tulalip Heritage 69, Muckleshoot Tribal 61
Summit Classical Christian 61, #4 Sound Christian Academy 47
Thursday, Feb. 20
Consolation round
Sound Christian Academy 56, Providence Classical Christian 45 (loser out)
Semifinals
Neah Bay 83, Tulalip Heritage 57
Lummi Nation 68, Summit Classical Christian 42
Friday, Feb. 21
Consolation round
Muckleshoot Tribal 63, Evergreen Lutheran 42 (loser out)
Saturday, Feb. 22
At Muckleshoot Community Center
Consolation games
Muckleshoot Tribal 50, Sound Christian Academy 43 (winner fifth, loser sixth, both to state regionals)
Tulalip Heritage 66, Summit Classical Christian 53 (winner third, loser fourth, both to state regionals)
Championship game
Lummi Nation 61, Neah Bay 46 (winner first, loser second, both to state regionals)
Jemma James led the Lady Blackhawks’ comeback. (File photo)
CLASS 1B GIRLS
Lummi Nation Falls In Final To Neah Bay, 48-37
It took until the fourth quarter for the Lady Blackhawks to find their shooting touch and by then it was too late against the No.1-ranked and defending state champion Red Devils. The loss ended a 14-game winning streak for Lummi Nation and dropped them to 22-4 on the season.
Despite the loss, the second-place finish was Lummi Nation’s highest since the tri-district started keeping track in 2013.
“We knew coming into this game, it wasn’t going to be easy facing off with the two-time defending state champs,” said Lummi Nation coach David James. “But the girls battled until the end. I’m very proud of the Lady Blackhawks. They left it all on the court.”
Sophomore Jemma James had 13 of her team-high 16 points and three of her four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, when Lummi Nation tried to rally, outscoring Neah Bay, 18-9. Juniors Ailina Rabang and Bri Metteba finished with 10 and 6 points, respectively, and each hit a 3-pointer.
While the Neah Bay defense held the Lady Blackhawks to 18 points through the first three quarters, the Lummi defense did itself proud, holding the Red Devils to their second-lowest point total of the season. What Lummi couldn’t stop was Neah Bay’s outside shooting as the Red Devils made 10 3-pointers.
The good news is that even with the loss, Lummi Nation is headed back to the state regionals, which marks its first back-to-back trips to state since going four straight times from 2007 to 2010. That was before some of the current Lady Blackhawks were even born.
Lummi did not place last year and will be looking to improve on 2009’s fourth-place finish, its highest and the last time the Lady Blackhawks earned a trophy at state.
Joining champion Neah Bay (20-1) and runner-up Lummi Nation in advancing to state regionals from the District 1/2/3 tournament were Crosspoint Christian (third), Muckleshoot Tribal (fourth), Evergreen Lutheran (fifth), and Summit Classical Christian (sixth).
Neah Bay 48, Lummi Nation 37
Lummi Nation 5 5 9 18—37
Neah Bay 12 9 18 9—48
Lummi Nation: J. James 16, Rabang 10, B. Metteba 6, Mack 3, Dennis, C. James 2.
Neah Bay:
CLASS 1B GIRLS TRI-DISTRICT 1/2/3 TOURNAMENT
Saturday, Feb. 15
Play-in games
#5 Muckleshoot Tribal School 72, #12 Crescent 36 (loser out)
#6 Sound Christian Academy 38, #11 Providence Classical Christian 23 (loser out)
#7 Summit Classical Christian 35, #10 Grace Academy 18 (loser out)
#9 Evergreen Lutheran 33, #8 Lopez Island 31 (loser out)
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Quarterfinals
#1 Neah Bay 57, Evergreen Lutheran 22
#2 Lummi Nation 58, Summit Classical Christian 15
#3 Crosspoint Christian 82, Sound Christian Academy 25
Muckleshoot Tribal School 51, #4 Concrete 43
Thursday, Feb. 20
Consolation round
Evergreen Lutheran 39, Concrete 29 (loser out)
Semifinals
Lummi Nation 58, Crosspoint Christian 47
Neah Bay 66, Muckleshoot Tribal 36
Friday, Feb. 21
Consolation round
Summit Classical Christian 33, Sound Christian Academy 31 (loser out)
Saturday, Feb. 22
At Muckleshoot Community Center
Consolation games
Evergreen Lutheran 29, Summit Classical Christian11 (winner fifth, loser sixth, both to state regionals)
Crosspoint Christian 64, Muckleshoot Tribal 50 (winner third, loser fourth, both to state regionals)
Championship game
Neah Bay 48, Lummi Nation 37 (winner first, loser second, both to state regionals)
