The Northwest Conference started league action with some big games and some familiar names sitting at the top of the standings.
Defending state champions Lynden and Lynden Christian opened with two NWC wins each as did Skagit power Mount Vernon and city rivals Bellingham and Sehome. Defending league champion Anacortes, which had its first game because of the extended football season, won its league opener.
For a look back at Week 2 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 2.
GAME OF THE WEEK
It might not have been the best display of offensive basketball, but the Sehome-Squalicum battle on Monday had to be one of the most exciting contests. The Mariners limited Squalicum to two first-half field goals and seemed in control, but the gritty Storm stormed back and took the lead with two minutes to go. Sehome’s Austin McKay and Nolan Wright combined for seven points in the last 25 seconds to give the Mariners a three-point cushion. Squalicum’s Jaxon Hofer then hit a long shot at the buzzer, but it was ruled a two-pointer allowing Sehome to escape with a 33-32 victory.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Lynden senior Anthony Canales had 33 points on Monday and 31 on Friday. … Meridian junior Talon Jenkins had 30 points on Wednesday. … Junior Caden Heutink had 26 points in Nooksack Valley’s NWC opener on Tuesday. … Senior Dawson Bouma had 24 points on Saturday and 19 points on Tuesday for Lynden Christian, junior Gannon Dykstra had 23 points on Friday, and freshman Kaden Veldman had 19 points on Tuesday for the Lyncs. … Junior Josiah Weeda had 23 points for Blaine on Saturday. … Senior Austin McKay had 22 points for Sehome on Thursday and 21 on Saturday, and sophomore teammate Nolan Wright added 17 points on Thursday. … Sophomore Jerome Toby had 21 points in Lummi Nation’s victory Wednesday. … Senior Wyatt Stephan had 19 points and junior Harmon Wienkers added 17 in Bellingham’s big win Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN easily beat Burlington-Edison on Tuesday, 71-41; Sedro-Woolley on Friday, 53-36; and Seattle Academy on Saturday, 68-38. On Tuesday, the Lyncs outscored the Tigers by 24 in the second half to pull away for the NWC victory. Veldman came off the bench for a double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds; Bouma tacked on another 19 points; Dykstra had 15 points, three 3-pointers, and 5 assists; and senior Kayden Stuit had 8 points and 9 rebounds. On Friday, the Lyncs only gave up 12 second-half points to down the Cubs. Dykstra had 23 points and a pair of 3s, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists; Stuit had 11 points and 14 rebounds; and Bouma added 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. On Saturday, in what was expected to be a showdown between two Class 1A state contenders, it was all LC as the Lyncs took command in the second quarter by holding the Cardinals to six points and then stretching the lead to 30 in the second half. Bouma had another big game with 24 points and four 3s; Dykstra had 15 points, a pair of 3s and 8 assists; Stuit tossed in 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds; and senior Treven Blair added 8 points.
SEHOME got its first win of the year on Monday beating Squalicum, 33-32, and the Mariners followed that with a 78-68 win over Meridian on Thursday, and a 69-32 thumping of Mariner on Saturday. On Monday, the Mariners limited Squalicum to two first-half field goals, but after a Storm comeback, McKay and Nolan Wright combined for seven points in the last 25 seconds to pull out the victory. Wright finished with 10 points, including going 4-for-4 from the line at the end, fellow sophomore Cole Turrell had 9 points, McKay finished with 7 points, and senior Braddock Duckworth had 9 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. On Thursday, the Mariners broke out of their cold-shooting slump with four players in double figures and a 31-point fourth quarter to pull away from the Trojans. McKay led the offensive explosion with 22 points, five 3-pointers, and 6 assists; Wright had 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists; Turrell stepped up with 14 points and 7 rebounds; and freshman Quincy Tanovan had 13 points, including two of his four 3s in the crucial fourth quarter. On Saturday, Sehome’ outscored Mariner 22-3 in the second quarter to run away with the non-league victory. McKay had 21 points, Duckworth had 16, Wright finished with 10, and sophomore Carter Duckworth had 8 points. Check out Monday’s game story at Sehome-Squalicum boys.
BELLINGHAM opened NWC play with a 74-43 thumping of Blaine on Tuesday and followed that with an impressive 64-50 victory over Nooksack Valley on Saturday. On Tuesday, the host Bayhawks outscored Blaine, 40-13, over the middle two quarters to put the game away. Senior Elias Togagae had a career-high 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Stephan added another 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead a balanced Bellingham attack. Junior Kincade VanHouten had 14 points and 9 rebounds, and seniors Satchel Craig and Jesse Harward added 10 points each. On Saturday, the Bayhawks built a 10-point halftime lead and then weathered multiple Nooksack comeback attempts to stay unbeaten. Wienkers had all four of his 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 17 points, Stephan had seven of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and the two of them both went 5 of 6 from the line to help hold off the Pioneers. VanHouten added 13 points and a pair of 3s, and Harward had 8 points.Check out Saturday’s game story at Bellingham-Nooksack Valley boys.
LYNDEN overpowered Oak Harbor on Monday, 76-39, and Lakewood on Thursday, 57-43, in NWC contests but lost to Jackson on Friday, 60-59. On Monday, Canales led the barrage with 33 points; junior Brant Heppner had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 of the team’s 20 assists; senior guard Charlie Ayres had 10 points on three 3-pointers; and senior Ty Holleman had 6 points and 7 rebounds. On Thursday, the Lions jumped all over the Cougars for an 18-1 lead and coasted to victory. Canales and Heppner had 16 points each with Canales adding 4 assists and Heppner adding 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Junior Jack Stapleton contributed 11 points and a team-high 9 rebounds as the Lions outboarded Lakewood, 32-16. On Friday, Jackson rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to make three free throws in the final three seconds and hand the Lions their first loss in the non-league contest. Canales had a game-high 31 points and a team-high 6 rebounds. Heppner finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds, senior Brady Elsner had 7 points and 7 assists, and Stapleton added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks.
LUMMI NATION easily dispatched Providence Classical Christian on Wednesday, 68-31, and then had its home game against Fellowship Christian originally scheduled for Thursday moved to Jan. 11. On Wednesday, the Blackhawks began defense of their Northwest 1B League title with a win in their league opener. Toby led Lummi with 21 points and 4 assists, junior Tony Abrams had 15 points and 7 rebounds, freshman Dyson Edwards collected 10 points, junior Carson Revey pulled down 7 rebounds, and senior Mathias Johnson handed out 4 assists.
NOOKSACK VALLEY may have started late because of football but the Pioneers still got off to a fast start in basketball with a 60-37 victory over Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) on Tuesday and a 54-46 win over Sedro-Woolley in their Northwest Conference opener before losing to Bellingham on Saturday, 64-50. On Tuesday, Caden Heutink helped his dad, Jason, get his first win as head coach by leading a balanced Nooksack attack. Caden had 14 points, including 11 in the first quarter when the Pioneers jumped to a 26-6 lead; junior Brady Ackerman had 12 points; juniors Cory Olney and Colton Lentz had 9 points each; and senior Joey Brown added 8 points and 6 rebounds. On Tuesday, Heutink had 26 points, three 3-pointers, and sank five free throws down the stretch as the Pioneers held off the Cubs with a 21-point fourth quarter. Junior Tristan Kamphouse and Ackerman added 9 points each for Nooksack with Ackerman collecting 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Lentz also chipped in with 11 rebounds. On Saturday, the Pioneers fell into a double-digit hole in the first half and couldn’t close the gap against the Bayhawks. Kamphouse had 14 points and four 3-pointers, Heutink added 12 points, and Lentz had 10 points. Check out Saturday’s game story at Bellingham-Nooksack Valley boys.
BLAINE fell in its NWC opener to Bellingham on Tuesday, 74-43, but rebounding to overwhelm visiting Oak Harbor on Saturday, 70-53. On Tuesday, the visiting Borderites’ only managed 24 points through the first three quarters against the Bayhawks and by then the deficit was too much to overcome. Senior Noah Tavis was the only Borderite in double figures with 12 points and 7 rebounds, senior Justin Minjarez added 9 points, and senior Jesse Deming had 5 assists and 5 steals. On Saturday, the Borderites were down by four at the half but used a 23-9 third quarter to take the victory. Weeda had three of his five 3-pointers in the big third period and finished with 23 points. Tavis added a pair of 3s and 16 points, Minjarez also had two 3-pointers and 14 points, and junior Jacob Dohner tossed in 8 points.
SQUALICUM dropped a close one to crosstown rival Sehome on Monday, 33-32, but came back to beat Ferndale on Thursday, 57-49. On Monday, Jaxon Hofer’s shot at the buzzer was ruled a two-pointer and the Storm’s comeback from a disastrous five-point first half came up one point short against Sehome. Junior Marcus Nixon led Squalicum with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. Freshman Hunter Calloway added a pair of 3-pointers for the Storm. On Thursday, the Storm rallied from 16 down in the third quarter to notch their first win of the season. Calloway led Squalicum with 16 points; Nixon had 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals; and junior Fabian Singh sparked the Storm rally with three 3-pointers. Check out the story on Monday’s game at Squalicum-Sehome boys.
MERIDIAN lost to Sehome, 78-68, on Thursday. The visiting Trojans battled even through three quarters but couldn’t withstand the Mariners’ 31-point blitz in the fourth period. Jenkins led Meridian with 30 points including four 3-pointers to go along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Junior Jaeger Fyfe had 13 points with a trio of 3s, 3 steals, and 3 assists; senior Taran Burks had a pair of 3-pointers for 8 points and 3 assists; and senior Christian Clawson collected 10 rebounds and 3 assists in his first action of the season.
FERNDALE lost to Lakewood on Tuesday, 63-41, and to Squalicum on Thursday, 57-49. On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles played the Cougars even after halftime but by then had fallen too far behind. Senior Bhavnoor Grewal led Ferndale with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals, and junior Jonah Brillowsky collected 10 points and 5 rebounds. On Thursday, the Golden Eagles let a 16-point third-quarter lead slip away as they fell in the final minutes to the Storm. Grewal led Ferndale with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists; Brillowsky had 11 points and 9 rebounds; and sophomore Mantaj Singh added 10 points.
MOUNT BAKER fell to the Skagit County powers, losing to Class 3A Mount Vernon on Wednesday, 88-43, and to Class 2A Anacortes on Saturday, 77-47. On Wednesday, Mount Baker had trouble stopping the high-powered Bulldog offense. Junior Christopher Armbright was a bright spot for the Mounties with three 3-pointers for a team-high 9 points, and junior Braedon Scott and sophomore Carter Hill had 7 points each. Hill added a team-high 7 rebounds. On Thursday, Seahawks guard Davis Fogle was unstoppable scoring 47 points. Hill led Mount Baker with 20 points, including six 3-pointers, and junior Luke Smith and sophomore Peyton Abitia added 7 points each.
NOTE: A big thank you to the coaches and Tyler Anderson of WhatcomPreps.com for providing statistics. For a look at NWC boys highlights, check out Ted House’s Northwest Conference Basketball Report.
WEEK 3
TOP GAMES
In two early-season Northwest Conference showdowns, undefeated Lynden Christian will get tested when the Lyncs host undefeated Mount Vernon on Monday and travel to undefeated Bellingham on Friday.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 11: Ferndale at Meridian, Mount Vernon at Lynden Christian
Tuesday, Dec. 12: Bellingham at Sedro-Woolley, Lynden at Squalicum, Sehome at Mount Baker, Friday Harbor at Nooksack Valley, Lummi Nation at Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood)
Wednesday, Dec. 13: Blaine at Lakewood, Nooksack Valley at Oak Harbor, Elgin Park (B.C.) at Meridian
Thursday, Dec. 14: Burlington-Edison at Sehome, Lummi Nation at Lopez Island
Friday, Dec. 15: Lynden Christian at Bellingham, Squalicum at Blaine, Glacier Peak at Ferndale, Meridian at Lynden, Nooksack Valley at Seattle Academy
Saturday, Dec. 16: Mount Baker at Ferndale, Lynden at Mountlake Terrace, Lynden Christian at Kentridge, Nooksack Valley at Lakewood
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Bellingham | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Lynden | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Lynden Christian | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mount Vernon | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Sehome | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Blaine | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Lakewood | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Nooksack Valley | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Squalicum | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Meridian | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Burlington-Edison | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Ferndale | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Mount Baker | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Grace Academy | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Lummi Nation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Shoreline Christian | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Fellowship Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Lopez Island | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
