Defense, they say, wins championship, but the Meridian boys and Mount Baker girls proved that you still need a little offense to win games as they defeated their counterparts in a Northwest Conference doubleheader at Meridian on Saturday, Jan. 3.
In what were expected to be defensive battles, the Meridian boys scored 18 points in a second-quarter run to take a lead they’d never relinquish in beating the Mounties, 68-54, and the Mount Baker girls held the Trojans scoreless for the first six minutes of the fourth period to pull away for a 45-34 victory.
Meridian boys coach Shane Stacy summed up both games: “It was a big win against an opponent we have a lot of respect for. You’ve got to show up every night in this league. (Today) we were able to make some shots and make some stops when we needed to.”
The victory raised the Meridian boys’ record to 4-6 overall and 2-2 in NWC play, while the Mounties fell to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in league. The Mount Baker girls improved to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the NWC, while the Trojans dropped to 3-5 and 1-3.
Boys: Trojans Use Big Second Quarter To Beat Baker, 68-54
A four-minute stretch to end the second quarter was the difference as Meridian hit a pair of 3-pointers to help outscore the Mounties, 18-5 and turn a six-point deficit into a seven-point halftime lead that would hold up the rest of the game.
The scoring outburst plus their relentless pressure defense would prove enough to give the Trojans their fourth win in their last five games — all after starting the season with five straight losses.
“We pride ourselves on defense,” said Meridian senior Daniel Larsen, who had 14 points. “Last year, we had a lot of great skill players. Now we pride ourselves on hustling, giving full effort, and defense.”
The two teams basically played even in the second half until the final minutes when the Mounties were unable to connect on any desperation 3-pointers and the Trojans used their four-guard offense to stretch the lead to double figures. But it was the second-quarter stretch that was what everyone was talking about.
“We knew they would go on a run,” said Mount Baker coach Tony Clark. “Meridian’s goal is to play frantic and get us to play their game. It was a good effort (by the Mounties), but there were just a couple of stretches.”
Senior Payten Abitia agreed: “We worked hard and brought the intensity in the first half, but then it slipped away from us. We have some stretches where we’re unbeatable and have some stretches where we fall apart.”
While the Trojans got their usual offensive output from starters Larsen and junior Gabe Galbraith, who also had 14 points, an unexpected scoring surprise came from junior LD Webster, who came off the bench to spark Meridian with his hustle on defense and add 16 important points.
Juniors Pierce Brzozowski and Trey Alexander contributed 8 and 7 points, respectively to the Meridian attack, and Brzozowski and Galbraith each made a pair of 3-pointers including one each in the decisive second period. Brzozowski also had 6 assists, and Alexander finished with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.
For the Mounties, junior Kell Reardon was able to muscle inside for 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; Abitia battled for 12 points; senior Jet Ross had 9 points; sophomore Pepe McEvoy-Salgado nabbed 10 rebounds, and senior Jordan Bailey dished out 8 assists.
But both teams realize this was just one step in a longer journey, especially since both of them and the other three Class 1A schools in the Northwest Conference will all automatically qualify for their own district tournament.
“Our season is far from over,” said Abitia. “We’ll see them again (in the playoffs), and it’ll be a different outcome.”
Larsen, too, was looking to the future. “It’s another conference win,” he said of the significance of the victory for the inexperienced Trojans. “We’re on a roll right now. We’re still growing and learning. We’ll continue to get better. I think we have what it takes to get to state.”
Meridian will be tested in its next game when the Trojans travel to Lynden Christian on Monday. Mount Baker hosts South Whidbey in a non-league contest on Monday before returning to the NWC wars on Wednesday, when the Mounties visit Blaine.
Meridian 68, Mount Baker 54
Mount Baker 9 15 17 13—54
Meridian 12 19 18 19—68
Mount Baker: Ross 9, Smith 5, Bailey 5, Nicol-Mills, Abitia 12, Galbraith 6, McEvoy-Salgado 2, Reardon 15.
Meridian: Harris 3, Hayes, Webster 16, Alexander 7, Blankenburg 1, Galbraith 14, Ashmore 3, Brzozowski 8, Larsen 14, Burgess 2.
Girls: Mounties End Losing Streak To Meridian, 45-34
While Mount Baker’s victory was somewhat historic — it was the first time the Mounties had beaten the Trojans in at least five years — it wasn’t the past that interested Mount Baker coach Tiffany Ramirez as much as the future.
“I’ve never beaten Meridian,” said Ramirez, who took over the program in the 2021-22 season. “They get after it every possession. But we showed a lot of grit today. We’re taking steps in the right direction. I told them (the Mounties), this is a team that stands in your way. You’ll have to play them again.”
While both teams showed the grit and hustle that made it a defensive slugfest Saturday, it was the Mounties who found enough offense to pull out the win. And most of it came from the usual source — junior post Rebeca Soares.
Despite playing with a sore ankle and crashing to the floor at least a half-dozen times in the physical battle, Soares had 21 points and made the Trojans pay by hitting nine of 10 free throws.
“Soares is so good,” said Meridian coach Kayla Bernsen, who should know, having been an all-star post at Western Washington University. “We knew she’d get her points, so we had to shut down everyone else. But they had other people step up.”
Sophomore Kayln Abitia stepped up for the Mounties by hitting three 3-pointers for 9 points, but the biggest addition to Mount Baker this season has been the return of junior Violet Fox.
After spending last season at another school, she transferred back to Baker and has solidified the Mounties’ young backcourt with her play making and dribbling. On Saturday, she also had 8 points.
“It’s been really exciting,” she said of her homecoming. “We have a lot of diverse players who come together to make us stronger. We’re getting there; this is the first step.”
For Meridian, the defense, as always, was there. But the Trojans’ inside game was stymied by the 6-foot-2 Soares, which left mostly outside shots, few of which went in. Junior Eden Bernardy managed 14 points, including a halfcourt 3-pointer at the final buzzer, and senior Kinsley Neal had three 3s and 10 points.
“Our shots weren’t falling, but we have to keep shooting,” said Bernardy. “We were battling the whole time. It didn’t go as we wanted it to, but we’ll probably see them again (in the playoffs).”
That is what Bernsen is counting on, too.
“Nobody can say they (the Trojans) don’t have a lot of grit,” she said. “At this point, we’re just trying to get better every game. Hopefully, we’ll play our best basketball at the end (of the season).”
Meridian won’t get much of a break before facing Lynden Christian on the road on Monday. Mount Baker hosts South Whidbey in a non-league game on Monday and hosts Blaine in another NWC battle on Wednesday.
Mount Baker 45, Meridian 34
Mount Baker 10 12 11 12—45
Meridian 7 7 12 8—34
Mount Baker: Kammenga 3, Brown 2, Soares 21, Fox 8, Abitia 9, Harkness 2, George.
Meridian: Krumdiak 2, Neal 10, Koning 2, Bernardy 14, Storgaard, Swanson 5, James, Cline-Malarz, Benson 1.
