The Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League swung into action last week and despite flooding that canceled six games including both of Nooksack Valley’s contests, the usual suspects moved up to the head of their respective standings.
Lynden went undefeated in three games, including a pair of NWC victories, and Lynden Christian won its only NWC game. Keeping pace was Sehome, which notched wins in both its league contests.
Lummi Nation began its usual romp through the NW1B with a 79-point win on Tuesday but might have been even more impressive in a close loss on the road to Class 1A power Lynden Christian. (See “Game of the Week Part 2” below.)
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 (Part 1)
The Mount Baker boys seemed to have Friday night’s game in hand when they took a 19-point lead at the half against Bellingham. But the Bayhawks fought back and with just over a minute left, had cut the margin to four. That’s when Mounties senior Jordan Bailey took over. In a 40-second span, he made a layup, had a steal, assisted on another Baker bucket, grabbed a loose ball, and hit two free throws as the Mounties finished on a 9-0 run to secure the 53-42 victory.
GAME OF THE WEEK (Part 2)
The much anticipated matchup between defending Class 1B state champion Lummi Nation and 1A state runner-up Lynden Christian on Saturday proved to be worth all the hype. In a packed LC gym, the two run-and-gun teams locked in a back-and-forth battle with the Lyncs scoring 10 straight points in the final two and a half minutes to win, 70-60. Among all the all-stars, LC all-state guard Dawson Hintz and Lummi’s 1B player of the year Jerome Toby Jr. shined the brightest, scoring 29 and 18 points, respectively.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Lynden Christian juniors Dawson Hintz, Gunnar Dykstra, and Kaden Veldman had 24, 20, and 17 points, respectively, on Tuesday, and Hintz had 29 points and Veldman had 15 more on Saturday. … Senior Xavier Kelley had 25 points in Sehome’s victory Monday and 29 more on Saturday. … Junior Blake Elston had 23 points for Squalicum on Thursday and junior Orion Granberg-Kiddle had 21 points for the Storm on Monday. … Senior Chayce Waite-Kellar had 20 points, senior Jerome Toby Jr. and junior Landon LaFontaine had 17 points each, and sophomore DeAndre James had 16 points in Lummi Nation’s blowout victory Tuesday, and Toby added 18 more on Saturday. … Senior Jordan Bailey had 20 points and sophomore Pepe McEvoy-Salgado finished with 16 points in Mount Baker’s victory Wednesday. … Sophomore Emmett Vanhouten had 16 points for Bellingham on Wednesday, and senior Joe Harward had 20 points for Bellingham on Friday. … Lynden senior Spencer Adams had 17 points and sophomore Markus Koenen added 15 points on Tuesday, and Adams came back with 16 points on Thursday. … Ferndale senior Mantaj Singh had 16 points on Tuesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LYNDEN overwhelmed Oak Harbor on Tuesday, 72-46; Squalicum on Thursday, 63-33; and Mountlake Terrace on Saturday, 79-52. On Tuesday, the Lions leaped out to a 24-10 lead after one quarter and never let up in winning their NWC opener. All 10 Lions scored with Adams leading the way with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Markus Koenen had a big night making all five of his field goals and his only free throw for 15 points, and adding 4 assists. Big brother junior Malachi added 12 points and 3 assists, and each of the Koenens hit four 3-pointers. Senior James Ellis also had 8 points and a team-high 3 steals, while sophomore Jayden Navarre and junior Gordy Bedlington had 3 assists each. On Thursday, the Lions’ defense was in mid-season form, limiting the Storm to single digits in each of the first three quarters to win big. Ten different Lions scored with Adams again leading the way with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and a pair of 3-pointers. Navarre had 9 points on three 3-pointers and 3 assists, Ellis and senior Brody Price had 8 points each, and Bedlington and junior Lewis Whitney had 6 points each with Whitney collecting 7 rebounds. On Saturday, the Lions jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and put the game away with a 28-point third quarter while shot 51 percent from the field for the game to notched an impressive non-league victory over the Hawks. Adams once again had the hot hand with 20 points, three 3-pointers, and a 5-for-5 performance from the free throw line. Ellis had 14 points, a pair of 3s, and 3 steals; Navarre had 13 points; Whitney had 9 points and 4 rebounds; Bedlington had 6 assists and 3 steals; Malachi Koenen had 8 points; and Price had 5 rebounds. For the story and photos from Thursday’s game, click on Lynden Boys.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN knocked off Mount Vernon on Tuesday, 72-46; had Thursday’s game with Sedro- Woolley postponed until Dec. 17 because of flooding; and then defeated Lummi Nation on Saturday, 70-60. On Tuesday, Hintz, Dykstra, and Veldman had all 25 of LC’s first-quarter points as the Lyncs jumped to a 17-point lead and never looked back. Hintz would finish with 24 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals; Dykstra had 20 points including five 3-pointers and 3 assists; Veldman had 17 points and a pair of 3s, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 blocks; senior Hayden Herwerden had 7 points; junior Harvest Howell had 7 assists; and junior Chris Kooiman had 5 rebounds. On Saturday, the Lyncs finally pulled away in the back-and-forth battle with Lummi Nation by scoring 10 straight points in the final two and a half minutes to pull out the win. Hintz was brilliant with 29 points, but especially in the final two-plus minutes when he scored eight of the Lyncs’ final 10 points. Veldman had 15 points despite battling a foot injury and foul trouble, Dykstra had 14 points and a pair of 3-pointers, and Howell added 7 points. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Christian Boys.
SEHOME started off its NWC schedule with a pair of wins, defeating Meridian on Monday, 76-42, and Blaine on the road on Saturday, 58-42. On Monday, the Mariners exploded for 25 points in the second quarter to extend a one-point lead and to 18 at the half and eventually to 25 after three quarters. Ten different Mariners scored with Kelley’s 25 points leading the barrage. Junior Quincy Tanovan added 12 points; senior Nolan Wright had 8 points, a dozen assists, and 5 steals; and senior Cole Turrell had 6 points. On Saturday, the Mariners broke away from a four-point halftime lead to put up 38 second-half points in the NWC win. Kelley led the way with 29 points, 24 of them coming in the second half, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and four of Sehome’s five 3-pointers. Turrell added 8 points and 6 rebounds, and Wright and Tanovan had 6 points each.
MOUNT BAKER lost at Sedro-Woolley on Monday, 81-42, but bounced back to top Friday Harbor on Wednesday, 63-38, and Bellingham on Friday, 53-42. On Monday, the Mounties found themselves down by 18 in the first quarter and could never catch the high-powered Cubs. Junior Kell Reardon had 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Bailey had 9 points, including a pair of 3s, and 3 assists. On Wednesday, the Mounties jumped out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter and never let the margin slip under 10 in the non-league victory. Bailey had a game-high 20 points, 11 coming in the deciding first period; McEvoy-Salgado had 16 points and 10 rebounds; senior Jet Ross had 9 points; senior Payten Abitia added 6 points and 8 rebounds; and freshman Trey Galbraith pulled down 8 rebounds. On Friday, the Mounties came out hot and led by 19 points at the half before having to score the final nine points to hold off the Bayhawks in the final period. Reardon led the balanced Mounties attack with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks; Bailey had 11 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals; Abitia had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists; and Ross and McEvoy-Salgado had 7 points each and 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Mount Baker Boys.
LUMMI NATION cut down Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) on Tuesday, 93-14; had Friday’s game at Providence Classical postponed because of flooding; and came up just short against Lynden Christian on Saturday, 70-60. On Tuesday, the Blackhawks scored the first nine points and, after giving up a 3-pointer, scored the next 21 points to end any doubt in their league opener. Waite-Kellar enjoyed his home debut, making 10 of 11 shots and a trio of dunks, not to mention 9 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Toby had his usual 17 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals; LaFontaine had three 3-pointers among his 15 points as well as 6 assists and 4 steals; James added 16 points; and junior Dyson Edwards had 10 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals. On Saturday, the Blackhawks played the Lyncs evenly most of the game, even leading by 10 early, but could only come up with two points in the final two and a half minutes and lost to the 1A state contender. Toby had 18 points and two 3-pointers, LaFontaine had 12 points and a pair of 3s, Waite-Kellar had 11 points, and Edwards and James had 6 points each. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lummi Nation Boys.
BLAINE beat Bellingham on Wednesday, 67-62, but lost to Sehome on Saturday, 58-42. On Wednesday, the Borderites stunned Bellingham on the road to snap a 21-game NWC losing streak. Melton helped Blaine outscore Bellingham, 25-13, in the critical third quarter and finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Junior Gus Dickson had 13 points and 6 rebounds, senior Daniel Banks had 12 points, junior Dawson Dohner had 10 points, and senior Kai Kerwin 9 points and 7 assists. On Saturday, the Borderites only trailed by four at the half but couldn’t keep up with the Mariners after intermission. Dohner and Melton had 12 points each with Dohner hitting a pair of 3-pointers; Dickson had 8 points and 12 rebounds; and Banks had 7 points.
NOOKSACK VALLEY had both its home games with Lakewood on Wednesday and Ferndale on Saturday postponed because of flooding.
FERNDALE lost to Anacortes on Tuesday, 74-56, and then had Wednesday’s game at Mariner and Saturday’s game at Nooksack Valley postponed because of flooding. In Tuesday’s NWC loss, the Golden Eagles led by eight at the half only to suffer through a disastrous third quarter that saw the Seahawks score 23 points in a row and a bizarre fourth quarter that was played in the auxiliary gym because of a leaking roof. Singh led Ferndale with 16 points and 3 steals; sophomore guards Tracen Pazaski had 13 points, three 3-pointers, and 8 rebounds; sophomore Houston Wills had 12 points, a pair of 3s, and 5 assists; and senior guard Kaveer Dhillon added 8 points. For the story and photos from Tuesday’s game, click on Ferndale Boys.
MERIDIAN dropped its first NWC contest, falling at Sehome on Monday, 76-42, and had its game at Burlington-Edison on Thursday postponed due to flooding. On Monday, the Trojans trailed by just one after one quarter but only managed 15 points over the next two periods and were swamped by the Mariners. Senior Daniel Larsen led Meridian with 14 points and 7 rebounds, and sophomore Emmett Ashmore had 9 points and a pair of 3-pointers.
BELLINGHAM lost to Blaine on Wednesday, 67-62, and to Mount Baker on Friday, 53-42. On Wednesday, the Bayhawks outscored the visiting Borderites in three of the quarters but gave up 25 points in the third period and couldn’t make up the difference. Vanhouten led Bellingham with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists; Harward and junior Calvin Van Hofwegen had 14 points each; senior Cyrus Campos had 8 points; and senior Barrett Johnson added 6 points. On Friday, the Bayhawks came out cold at Mount Baker, only scoring nine points in the first half. But after cutting a 19-point halftime deficit to four in the final period, they came up just short. Harward led the comeback with 20 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks; Campos had 9 points; and Van Hofwegen had 8 points.
SQUALICUM jumped into the deep end of the NWC pool right off the bat, falling at Burlington-Edison on Monday, 64-48, and losing to Lynden on Thursday, 63-33. On Monday, the Storm only trailed by two at the half but a chilly eight-point third quarter put them in a double-digit hole from which they couldn’t recover. Granberg-Kiddle led the way with 21 points and 7 rebounds, Elston had 13 points and 5 rebounds, and senior Rhys Knowlton had 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. On Thursday, the Storm never got their offense going and after giving up the last 13 points of the second quarter found themselves down by 21, a deficit they couldn’t overcome. Elston had 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals but was the only Storm player to score more than four points. For the story and photos from Thursday’s game, click on Squalicum Boys.
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.https://www.nwcbasketballreport.com/
WEEK 3
TOP GAMES
There are several Whatcom County matchups and Lynden Christian has a pair of challenging ones when the Lyncs host Bellingham on Monday and visit Sehome on Thursday. Lummi Nation has the busiest schedule with games Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but Coach Jerome Toby has only Athletic Director Jerome Toby to blame. (Just kidding, Jerome.)
SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 15: Ferndale at Marysville-Pilchuck, Lynden Christian at Bellingham, Lynden at Lakewood, Friday Harbor at Lummi Nation
Tuesday, Dec. 16: Meridian at Squalicum, Nooksack Valley at Mount Vernon, Mount Baker at Sehome, Burlington-Edison at Blaine, Shoreline Christian at Lummi Nation
Wednesday, Dec. 17: Oak Harbor at Ferndale, Squalicum at Meridian
Thursday, Dec. 18: Sehome at Lynden Christian, Bellingham at Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley at Nooksack Valley, Lopez Island at Lummi Nation
Friday, Dec. 19: Ferndale at Lynden, Meridian at Blaine, Burlington-Edison at Mount Baker, Lummi Nation at La Conner
Saturday, Dec. 20: Bellingham at Marysville-Getchell, Lynden at Stanwood, Squalicum at Lakewood, Lummi Nation at Tulalip Heritage
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Sehome | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Anacortes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Burlington-Edison | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Lakewood | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Blaine | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Nooksack Valley | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ferndale | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Meridian | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Mount Vernon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bellingham | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Squalicum | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Tulalip Heritage | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Lummi Nation* | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Grace Academy | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Shoreline Christian | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Lopez Island | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
* Does not include tie.
