Only two of our 11 boys teams played more than one game last week as winter weather forced the postponement of nine contests and forced the Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League schedule-makers into extra work for the final two weeks of the regular season.
Nooksack Valley was the biggest winner last week with victories over Meridian and Mount Baker to solidify the Pioneers’ place as the second seed among the NWC’s Class 1A teams.
Lummi Nation remained atop the NW1B with an easy win and Lynden stayed unbeaten in league play atop the NWC standings after collecting a non-league victory last week.
For a look back at Week 8 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 8.
GAME OF THE WEEK
City rivals Bellingham and Squalicum battled back and forth before the Bayhawks held on for a 72-67 road victory on Saturday. Bellingham led after one quarter, trailed by three at the half, and led by three going into the final period. Kincaide VanHouten hit a big 3-pointer to put the Bayhawks up by six in the final minutes and Bellingham sank 5 of 6 free throws to hold off Squalicum. Marcus Nixon’s 32 points and Squalicum making 10 of 11 from the line in the second half kept the Storm in the game until the end.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Junior Marcus Nixon had 32 points for Squalicum on Saturday and freshman Hunter Calloway had 20 points on Tuesday for the Storm. … Junior Gannon Dykstra had 23 points and senior Jeremiah Wright had 21 points for Lynden Christian on Monday. … Senior Anthony Canales had 22 points for Lynden on Monday. … Junior Kincaide VanHouten had 21 points on Saturday, and sophomore Joe Harward had 17 points on Monday and 18 on Saturday. … Junior Jaeger Fyfe had 20 points for Meridian on Tuesday, and junior Talon Jenkins had 15 points on Saturday. … Nooksack Valley junior Tristan Kamphouse had 18 points on Tuesday and juniors Caden Heutink and Brady Ackerman had 16 and 15, respectively, on Saturday. … Senior Noah Tavis had 15 points for Blaine on Monday. … Junior Tony Abram had 15 points for Lummi Nation on Tuesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
NOOKSACK VALLEY (RPI ranking: 22, Class 1A) defeated Meridian on Tuesday, 67-55, and beat Mount Baker in a rescheduled game on Saturday, 66-44. Against the Trojans, Nooksack Valley took command with a 21-12 third quarter and didn’t let Meridian get within 10 points after that. Kamphouse had 10 of his 18 points and two of his four 3-pointers in the critical third period. Heutink had 11 points and was 5 of 6 from the line as the Pioneers sank 15 of their 17 free throws for the game. Sophomore Cole Coppinger had 9 points and senior Wayne Silves added 9 more, all in the fourth period, to keep the Trojans at bay. On Saturday, the Nooksack defense held the Mounties to single-digits in three of the four quarters. Heutink and Ackerman combined for 18 of their 31 points in the first half as Nooksack Valley built a 24-point halftime lead. Heutink added 5 assists, Ackerman had 9 rebounds, and Kamphouse and Coppinger added 7 and 6 points, respectively. For the story on Tuesday’s game, click on Nooksack Valley-Meridian boys.
BLAINE (No.46, 1A) defeated Mount Baker on Monday, 62-44, and had Friday’s game with Burlington-Edison postponed. On Monday, the Borderites snapped a five-game losing streak with one of their best defensive games of the season. Seniors led the way on offensive with Tavis collecting 15 points, Conner Dalry netting 14 points, and Jesse Deming chipping in 10 points. Junior Jacob Dohner added 13 points for the Borderites.
LUMMI NATION (No.2, 1B) had little trouble in beating Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) on Tuesday, 68-20, and then had Thursday’s game with Lopez Island and Friday’s game with Orcas Island postponed. On Tuesday, the Blackhawks jumped out to an 18-point lead after one quarter and held the Eagles to 11 points through three periods in recording the easy victory. Lummi Nation spread the offense around as Abram had 15 points and a pair of 3s, sophomore Jerome Toby and freshman Dyson Edwards had 13 points each, senior Desmond Bailey had 10 points and two more 3-pointers, and senior Raymond Perkins had another two 3s for 6 points.
LYNDEN (No.4, 2A) knocked off King’s on Monday, 64-39; had Wednesday’s game with Burlington-Edison rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 29; and had Friday’s game with Mount Vernon rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 1. In the prestigious King Showcase at the Showare Center in Kent on Monday afternoon, the Lions jumped to a 22-6 lead and never let the Knights get in the game after that. Canales had 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals; senior Ty Holleman had 12 points and 7 rebounds; junior Brant Heppner had 10 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds; sophomore Dani Bowler had 8 points; seniors Weston Van Dalen and Charlie Ayres each hit a pair of 3-pointers for 6 points and combined for 9 rebounds; and senior Brady Elsner had 5 assists.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No.2, 1A) overwhelmed Oak Harbor on Monday, 91-44; had Thursday’s game with Sehome rescheduled for Jan. 25; and had Friday’s rescheduled game with Meridian postponed again. On Monday, the Lyncs had the running clock going as they outscored the Wildcats by 45 points over the final three quarters. Dykstra had 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in addition to his 23 points; Wright had 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 assists in addition to his 21 points; and seniors Dawson Bouma and Kayden Stuit added 11 points each for LC.
BELLINGHAM (No.24, 2A) lost to Lakewood on Monday, 65-55, but bounced back to beat Squalicum on Saturday, 72-67. On Monday, the Bayhawks were in the game throughout but couldn’t withstand the Cougars’ hot shooting as Lakewood made seven 3-pointers (to Bellingham’s zero) and an impressive 20 of 21 free throws (to Bellingham’s respectable 13 of 17). Harward continued to shine since being brought up to varsity with 17 points; seniors Wyatt Stephan, Craig Satchel, and Jesse Harward had 8 points each; and sophomore Myllo Wright had 6 points. On Saturday, VanHouten led the Bayhawks with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists; Joe Harward had 6 rebounds to go with his 18 points; and Stephan had 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
SQUALICUM (No.38, 2A) beat Sedro-Woolley on Tuesday, 56-45, and lost to Bellingham on Saturday, 72-67. On Tuesday, the Storm held the Cubs to 24 points through the first three quarters and its 22-point lead was enough to hold off Sedro-Woolley. Calloway had eight of his 20 points and both his 3-pointers in the third quarter when Squalicum built its big lead. Nixon added 14 points as eight members of the Storm got into the scoring column. On Saturday, the Storm hit 8 of 9 free throws in the final period but couldn’t catch the Bayhawks. Nixon had 32 points and a pair of 3s as well as 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocked shots; Calloway added 14 points and 4 assists; and junior Ezra Nichols had 6 points.
FERNDALE (No.60, 3A) had Wednesday’s game with Mount Vernon rescheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 24, and Friday’s game with Anacortes was postponed.
SEHOME (No.32, 2A) lost to Anacortes on Tuesday, 100-45, and had Thursday’s game with Lynden Christian rescheduled for Jan. 25. On Tuesday, the Mariners had trouble scoring against the Seahawks’ pressure defense and couldn’t stop Anacortes star Davis Fogle, who had 47 points. Senior Austin McKay had 9 points and a pair of 3-pointers to lead Sehome, senior Mason McLin and sophomore Nolan Wright added 7 points each, and sophomore Cole Turrell had 6 points.
MERIDIAN (No.30, 1A) lost to Nooksack Valley on Tuesday, 67-55; had Friday’s rescheduled game with Lynden Christian postponed again; and lost to Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, 63-62. On Tuesday, the Trojans tried to rally after falling behind by 18, but foul trouble and Nooksack Valley’s defense kept Meridian from mounting a successful comeback. Fyfe managed 20 points, senior Christian Clawson had 12 points, and senior Taran Burks had 8, but no other Trojan had more than four points. On Saturday, Meridian rallied from seven down in the final two and a half minutes to tie the back-and-forth contest only to have a foul called with 1.8 seconds left and watch as the Cubs hitting the winning free throw. Junior Talon Jenkins had 15 points, three 3s and 3 steals; Fyfe had 13 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals before fouling out; senior Jacob Amundson had 11 points and 5 assists; Burks had 9 points, and junior James Hedahl added 6 points. For the story on Tuesday’s game, click on Meridian-Nooksack Valley boys.
MOUNT BAKER (No.50, 1A) lost to Blaine on Monday, 62-44, and lost to Nooksack Valley on Saturday in a rescheduled game, 66-44. On Monday, the Mounties fell behind by 10 in the second quarter and couldn’t keep up with the Borderites. Freshman Kell Reardon led Mount Baker with 14 points, and sophomore Jordan Bailey added 10 points. On Saturday, Mount Baker struggled on the offensive end early, scoring only 16 points in the first half. Sophomore Peyton Abitia and junior Darius Gilstrap were in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Reardon added 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots, and Braeden Scott had 6 points.
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 9
TOP GAMES
Lynden continues its late-season gauntlet as the Lions host Anacortes on Wednesday and then travel to Sehome on Saturday in a pair of games involving Class 2A contenders. But the toughest week belongs to Ferndale, which hosts Sehome on Monday and then travels to 3A power Mount Vernon on Wednesday and 1A power Lynden Christian on Saturday afternoon.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan. 22: Mount Vernon at Blaine, Sehome at Ferndale, Burlington-Edison at Nooksack Valley
Tuesday, Jan. 23: Lynden Christian at Lakewood, Mount Baker at Sedro-Woolley, Squalicum at Oak Harbor, Shoreline Christian at Lummi Nation
Wednesday, Jan. 24: Meridian at Bellingham, Anacortes at Lynden, Ferndale at Mount Vernon
Thursday, Jan. 25: Nooksack Valley at Mount Vernon, Lakewood at Squalicum. Lummi Nation at Grace Academy
Friday, Jan. 26: Bellingham at Mount Baker, Oak Harbor at Meridian, Nooksack Valley at King’s, Blaine at Burlington-Edison
Saturday, Jan. 27: Blaine at Anacortes, Ferndale at Lynden Christian, Lynden at Sehome
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 9 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| Lynden Christian | 8 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Mount Vernon | 8 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
| Anacortes | 8 | 2 | 12 | 3 |
| Bellingham | 7 | 4 | 9 | 7 |
| Lakewood | 6 | 4 | 9 | 6 |
| Nooksack Valley | 6 | 5 | 10 | 6 |
| Sehome | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Squalicum | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Ferndale | 4 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| Burlington-Edison | 3 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Meridian | 3 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Blaine | 2 | 8 | 4 | 11 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 10 | 2 | 13 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation | 8 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 6 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Grace Academy | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Shoreline Christian | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Fellowship Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 2 | 7 | 4 | 10 |
| Lopez Island | 0 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
