Lynden and Lynden Christian undefeated last week to stay atop the Northwest Conference standings and remain our only Whatcom teams without a loss going into the Christmas break.
Joining them with a perfect week was Meridian, which won a pair of NWC contests.
For a look back at Week 3 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap.
For a look at the upcoming holiday tournaments, check out Holiday Tournaments.
Lummi Nation continues to dominate the Northwest 1B League and had three wins last week, but the Blackhawks suffered their first loss of the season to a tough Class 1A Nooksack Valley squad in non-league action on Saturday.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 3.
GAME OF THE WEEK
There were many closer games — obviously — but none as impressive and historic as Lummi Nation’s 100-35 victory over Darrington on Wednesday. Even with two starters out with injuries and sickness, all seven Blackhawks scored, six of them in double figures, as they flew out to a 35-point first-quarter lead and easily chopped down the visiting Loggers. “It was a first for our program,” Lummi Nation coach Jerome Toby Sr. said of the 100-point milestone. “We’ve had chances with other teams, but tonight the boys played great.”
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Deandre James had 33 points for Lummi Nation on Monday, and junior Jerome Toby Jr. had 24 points on Wednesday and 19 on Thursday. … Senior Gannon Dykstra had 30 points and sophomore Gunnar Dykstra had 16 points for Lynden Christian on Monday. Gannon added 22 on Friday and senior Luke Van Kooten had 21. … Junior Joe Harward had 27 points in Bellingham’s comeback win Thursday and 25 more on Saturday. … Lynden senior Brant Heppner had 17 points on Monday, 25 points on Friday, and 17 on Saturday, and junior Spencer Adams had 18 on Saturday for the Lions. … Meridian’s Talon Jenkins had 23 points on Tuesday and 18 points on Friday, and fellow senior Jaeger Fyfe had 17 points on Friday. … Senior Darius Gilstrap had 23 points for Mount Baker on Friday. … Junior Nolan Wright had 20 points for Sehome on Tuesday. … Senior Cody Heutink had 19 points for Nooksack Valley on Tuesday. … Blaine senior Josiah Weeda had 19 points on Friday. … Senior Marcus Nixon had 18 points to lead Squalicum on Tuesday, and sophomore Hunter Calloway had 18 for the Storm on Saturday. … Senior Jonah Brillowsky had 18 points for Ferndale on Wednesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LYNDEN edged Lakewood on Monday, 66-55; Ferndale on Friday, 56-44; and Stanwood on Saturday, 57-51. On Monday, the Lions used their size to build a safe 15-point lead after three quarters and iced the game by going 15 of 17 from the line for the game as they dealt Lakewood its first loss of the season. Heppner helped the Lions dominate inside with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots and was 6 for 6 on free throws; sophomore Gordy Bedlington hit a trio of 3s for 15 points; Adams had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and made all four of his free throws;sophomore Malachi Koenen hit three 3-pointers for 9 points; junior Ty Jorgenson had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; and senior Jack Stapleton had 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 assists. On Friday, the Lions built up a 17-point halftime lead and then held the Golden Eagles at bay the rest of the way. Heppner had 17 of his 25 points and all three of his 3-pointers in Lynden’s big first half. He also had 6 rebounds and was 6 for 6 from the line. Jorgenson and Adams had 8 points each with Jorgenson pulling down 12 rebounds as the Lions outrebounded Ferndale, 35-18, and Adams dished out 4 assists. Bedlington added a team-high 5 assists. On Saturday, the Lions found themselves in an unfamiliar position against the winless Spartans — being behind at the half. But Lynden only allowed 17 second-half points to pull out the non-league win against the Class 3A team. Adams led the way with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists; Heppner had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists; and Jorgenson had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN beat Bellingham on Monday, 80-40, and Sehome on Thursday, 69-58. On Monday, the Lyncs raced out to an 18-point first-quarter lead and never let up. Gannon Dykstra nearly had a triple-double with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Younger brother Gunnar had 16 points and a pair of 3-pointers; sophomore forward Kaden Veldman had 13 points, 11 rebounds, 7 steals and 7 assists; Van Kooten had 10 points despite taking a hard fall in the first quarter and only playing 17 minutes; and sophomore guard Harvest Howell came off the bench and had 7 points. On Friday used a 23-point first quarter to race out to another big lead, but needed a 22-point fourth period to hold off the feisty Mariners. Gannon Dykstra had 22 points, nine in the final period, and five 3-pointers; Van Kooten tossed in another five 3-pointers and had 21 points; and Veldman and Gunnar Dykstra had 12 points each. For the story and photos from Monday’s game, click on Lynden Christian boys.
MERIDIAN defeated Squalicum on Tuesday, 52-45, and Blaine on Friday, 75-44. On Tuesday, the Trojans used a 21-point fourth quarter to overcome the Storm’s six-point lead. Jenkins led the way with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals; Fyfe had 10 points and 7 rebounds; and senior James Hedahl had 10 points. On Friday, Meridian used a 15-2 run to build a double-digit first-quarter lead and then shut out the Borderites in the fourth quarter to sew up the victory. Jenkins led the way with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and 7 rebounds; Fyfe had 17 points, 10 coming in the first-quarter explosion, three 3s, 10 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 assists; Hedahl had 10 points and 5 rebounds; senior Brock Haugen had 8 points; and sophomores Pierce Brzozowski and Nate Payne had 6 points each with Brzozowski hitting two 3s. For the story and photos from Friday’s game, click on Meridian boys.
LUMMI NATION dominated Friday Harbor on Monday, 93-49; Darrington on Wednesday, 100-35; and Grace Academy on Thursday, 73-26; but dropped its first game of the season to Nooksack Valley on Saturday, 56-50. On Monday, the Blackhawks enjoyed their trip to Friday Harbor scoring a season-high 93 points, which would last exactly one game. James dominated inside with team-highs of 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks; sophomore Dyson Edwards had 13 points, 8 assists, and 7 steals; sophomore Landon LaFontaine had 11 points and three 3-pointers; Toby had 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists; senior Trevon Lee and junior Tracy Powell had 10 points each; and senior Karson Revey had 6 points. In Wednesday’s historic win, the Blackhawks scored 35 points in the first quarter and barely slowed down. Six of the seven Blackhawks scored 10 or more points with Toby’s 24 leading the way. James had another big game with 15 points, Powell had 12, Edwards had 11, and Lee added 10. On Thursday, the Blackhawks held the Eagles to 13 points in each half and almost had enough points to win after putting together a 25-point first quarter. Toby had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals; Edwards had 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists; Lee finished with 12 points; and Powell and LaFontaine had 10 points each. On Saturday with both teams missing key starters, the Blackhawks jumped out to a 26-17 halftime lead but couldn’t hold off the Pioneers in the non-league contest. Toby and James had 13 points each, Powell had 10 points, and Edwards had 9 points.
FERNDALE beat Marysville-Pilchuck on Monday, 64-31, and Oak Harbor on Wednesday, 63-49, but lost to Lynden on Friday, 56-44. On Monday, the host Golden Eagles only allowed 20 points through three quarters and used balanced scoring to notch the non-league win. Brillowsky had 14 points and 12 rebounds, senior Hunter Wills had 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals; junior Cooper Vincent had 10 points and 7 rebounds; junior Mantaj Singh had 9 points and 9 rebounds; senior Tommy Mack had 13 rebounds and 4 assists; and senior Tushraj Grewal had 6 points. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles notched a big Class 3A victory by sinking half their shots and outrebounding the Wildcats. Brillowsky led the team with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks; Wills had 13 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals; and Singh had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists; and Mack had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. On Friday, the Golden Eagles outscored Lynden in the second half but couldn’t make up a 17-point halftime deficit. Brillowsky and Singh had 15 and 12 points, respectively, but no other Golden Eagle had more than five points. Singh added 7 rebounds and Brillowsky 5, and Vincent had 3 assists and 3 steals.
MOUNT BAKER beat Sehome on Tuesday, 71-53, but fell to Burlington-Edison on Friday, 77-56. On Tuesday, the Mounties equaled last year’s win total by beating short-handed Sehome. Sophomore Kell Reardon dominated inside, scoring a game-high 24 points, pulling down 11 rebounds, blocking 3 shots, and even dishing out 3 assists. Junior Carter Hill had 11 points in addition to 5 assists and 4 rebounds; senior Luke Smith had 10 points and 7 rebounds; junior Jordan Bailey and Gilstrap had 9 points each; and junior Payton Abitia was a spark off the bench with 8 points, including two 3-pointers. On Friday, the Mounties were within two at the half but a cold nine-point third quarter put them in a double-digit hole they couldn’t escape. Gilstrap had a career game with 23 points, three 3-pointers, and 10 rebounds; Smith had all 15 of his points in the first half and finished with 9 rebounds; Hill had 7 points; and Reardon had 6 points. For the story and photos from Tuesday’s game, click on Mount Baker boys.
BELLINGHAM lost to Lynden Christian on Monday, 80-40; came back to shock Anacortes on Thursday, 73-64; and lost to Marysville-Getchell on Saturday, 69-57. On Monday, the Bayhawks never got their offense going against the quick-handed Lyncs and lost their first NWC game of the season. Senior Kincade VanHouten had 8 points and 7 rebounds, but most of the Bayhawks’ scoring came from the reserves who saw a lot of action especially in the second half. Sophomore Calvin Van Hofwegen had 11 points, and senior Fabian Singh had 7 points. On Tuesday, the Bayhawks bounced back by scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter in the comeback victory over the Seahawks. Harward had 12 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth as Bellingham rallied from three points down. VanHouten had 20 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, Van Hofwegen had 11 points and two 3s, and senior Harmon Wienkers had a trio of 3s for 9 points. On Saturday, the Bayhawks were within striking distance going into the final period but gave up 21 points in the fourth to a tough Chargers team and fell in the non-league contest. Harward did his best with a game-high 25 points and 16 rebounds, VanHouten had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Wienkers had a pair of 3s for 6 points. For the story and photos from Monday’s game, click on Bellingham boys.
NOOKSACK VALLEY lost to Mount Vernon on Tuesday, 63-58, and to Sedro-Woolley on Thursday, 78-70, but got back in the win column by rallying to beat Lummi Nation on Saturday, 56-50. On Tuesday, the Pioneers played the Bulldogs even through three quarters but couldn’t get past the defending league champions. Heutink had 17 of his 19 points in the first half to keep Nooksack close, and senior Tristan Kamphouse had 12 of his 14 after halftime. Junior Cole Coppinger had all nine of his points in the second half and seniors Cory Olney and Lance VanBerkum added 6 points each. On Thursday, even after seeing the Cubs’ 25-point fourth quarter wipe out Nooksack’s lead, the Pioneers were only down by three with 23 seconds to go only to uncharacteristically miss five of six free throws. Heutink led a balanced offense with 17 points and 7 assists, Coppinger had 13 points, junior Weston Silves had 11, Kamphouse had 10, sophomore Dane Ackerman had 8, and junior Owen Wichers had 6. On Saturday, the Pioneers trailed by nine at the half and still by three going into the final period. But with Heutink, Kamphouse, and VanBerkum scoring all but two of Nooksack’s 20 fourth-quarter points, the Pioneers completed the comeback and handed the Blackhawks their first loss. Heutink would finish with 15 points, VanBerkum had 14 points and 8 rebounds, Coppinger had 11 points including nine in the third period to spark the rally, and Kamphouse had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
BLAINE lost to Burlington-Edison on Tuesday, 79-47, and to Meridian on Friday, 75-44. On Tuesday, a chilly, four-point second quarter left the Borderites in a 19-point hole at the half from which they never recovered. Senior Abdul Kanagie had 10 points, 8 rebounds, and a pair of blocks; junior Landon Melton had 8 points; and senior Beckum Bleazard had 7 rebounds. On Friday, the Borderites fell behind early but were still within 10 points until going scoreless in the frigid fourth quarter. Weeda had a game-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers; Kanagie had 14 points and 5 rebounds; and junior Kai Kerwin had 6 points on two 3-pointers. For the story and photos from Friday’s game, click on Blaine boys.
SEHOME lost to Mount Baker on Tuesday, 71-53, and to Lynden Christian on Thursday, 69-58. Still without their two injured big men, the Mariners were no match for the taller Mounties on Tuesday. Wright finished with 20 points and 6 assists with 14 points and both his 3-pointers coming in the second half as the Mariners tried to come back. Sophomore Quincy Tanovan finished with 11 points and a pair of 3s, and junior Xavier Kelley had 7 points and 11 rebounds. On Thursday, the Mariners fell behind by 11 after one quarter but fought back and played the undefeated Lyncs even the rest of the way. Sehome did it with a balanced scoring attack — Wright and Tanovan had 14 points each with Tanovan sinking four of the Mariners’ 10 3-pointers, Kelley collected 11 points; senior Cooper McAtee had 10 points and a pair of 2s; and junior Klay Jackson had 9 points on three 3s. For the story and photos from Tuesday’s game, click on Sehome boys.
SQUALICUM lost to Meridian on Tuesday, 52-45, and to Lakewood on Saturday, 61-56. On Tuesday, the Storm took an early lead and were still up by six going into the fourth quarter, but a cold shooting spell resulted in only eight points in the final period and they couldn’t hold off the Trojans. Nixon finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals; sophomore Hunter Calloway had 8 points; senior Zach Watt had 7 points; and junior Laki Fagaautau returned from an injury to score 6 points in his first action of the season. On Saturday, the Storm rallied in the second half but couldn’t quite make up a 10-point halftime deficit. Calloway led the charge with 12 of his team-high 18 points and both his 3-pointers coming in the second half. Senior Jaxon Hofer added 13 points and three 3-pointers, junior Rhys Knowlton had 8 points and a pair of 3s, and Nixon and Fagaautau added 6 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 4
TOP GAMES
Six of our teams are participating in holiday tournaments against some quality opponents, but only two are staying in Whatcom County. Bellingham and host Meridian will be in the Trojan Storm Classic on Thursday through Saturday, while Squalicum and Lynden Christian head to Mountlake Terrace, Sehome is in Ellensburg, and Lynden is in Yakima.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 23: Granite Falls at Mount Baker, Lynden Christian at Arlington
Wednesday, Dec. 25: Merry Christmas
Thursday, Dec. 26: Overlake vs. Bellingham and Seattle Christian vs. Meridian at the Trojan Storm Classic at Meridian
Friday, Dec. 27: Bellingham and Meridian at the Trojan Storm Classic at Meridian, Squalicum vs. Jackson and Lynden Christian vs. Mountlake Terrace at Mountlake Terrace tourney, Sehome vs. Ellensburg at CWU tournament, Lynden vs. Grandview at Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout
Saturday, Dec. 28: Bellingham and Meridian at the Trojan Storm Classic at Meridian, Annie Wright vs. Lynden at Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout, Sehome vs. Eastmont at CWU tournament, Lynden Christian vs. Woodinville and Squalicum vs. Inglemoor at Mountlake Terrace tournament
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Belllingham | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Burlington-Edison | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Lakewood | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Meridian | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Ferndale | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Mount Vernon | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Sehome | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Blaine | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Nooksack Valley | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Squalicum | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Lopez Island | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Grace Academy | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
