And then there were just two. With five Whatcom County aiming for state championships at the Class 1A and 2A boys and girls state tournaments in Yakima, only two can accomplish their dream after Thursday’s quarterfinal round. It was an especially tough night for the county as two top-seeds — the Lynden Christian boys and … Read more
There are a lot of the same teams back from last year’s 2A boys state tournament and, perhaps not surprisingly, the same two teams are the favorites: Lynden and Selah. Of course, last year the big showdown never happened as Selah was upset in the quarterfinals by W.F. West, and the Lions went on to … Read more
Last year, there were grumblings around the state when the Lynden boys basketball team came into the 2A state tournament as the top-seeded team … with six losses. The Lions promptly won three straight in Yakima to claim their ninth state championship. This year, there are no grumblings about the Lions being seeded No.1. That’s … Read more
Of the four basketball tournaments taking place in the Yakima SunDome this week, three of them will have obvious favorites or at least co-favorites. Then there’s the 2A girls state tournament, where almost any team could get hot and win the whole thing. “It is literally wide open,” said Lynden coach Rob Adams, whose Lions … Read more
For the Lynden girls basketball team, the sum is greater than the parts. But that doesn’t sound cool. How about… “Tougher together!” That’s what the undersized but overly determined Lions are as they begin their quest for a second Class 2A state championship in three years starting with Thursday’s quarterfinals in the Yakima SunDome. “Tougher … Read more
Our friend and colleague Will Rice is a professional sports photographer, who has been helping out Whatcom Hoops by taking pictures of our boys and girls basketball teams. On Saturday, he was at the Class 2A regional games involving the Lynden boys and girls. Check out his great pictures from the Lions’ two big victories. He … Read more
It’s state tournament time! The Class 1B, 1A and 2A state tournaments tip off Wednesday, and Whatcom County will be represented by three boys teams and three girls teams. The Lummi Nation boys will start things off Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. in the Spokane Arena, while the other five begin play Thursday in Yakima’s SunDome. … Read more
OK, the Lynden boys basketball team didn’t play a “perfect” first quarter. They did give up a layup on a loose ball. And they did miss five free throws. And … … and when you have to nit-pic about perfection, you know it was a pretty good night as the Lions came out dominating on … Read more
You can stop calling the Lynden girls basketball team the “little” Lions because after knocking off defending state champion W.F. West, 66-45, on Saturday in the Class 1A state regionals at Mount Vernon High School, they are officially the “big bad Lions.” Lynden forced the taller Bobcats into four turnovers to start the game, took … Read more
Before the state tournaments get going and all our players, coaches and teams get all the attention they deserve, it’s a good time to recognize some of the other people who make Whatcom County high school basketball a great experience. First of all, there are all the helpful school staffs that keep everything running smoothly … Read more