With only a few games left in the regular season, the Whatcom teams found the going tough last week in the Northwest Conference as only Lynden Christian escaped Week 9 without a loss and remains unbeaten in league play.
The Lyncs guaranteed themselves at least a share of the NWC crown by winning both their games, including a decisive victory over Lynden in Saturday’s big rivalry game. Their Class 1A rivals are bunched near the bottom of the standings as the five teams prepare for the district playoffs that start on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
For a look back at Week 9 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops Girls Recap.
The Lions, meanwhile, sit with Sehome near the top of the Class 2A field that is crowded with Skagit teams. Their district tournament opens with a play-in game on Monday, Feb. 9, and the first round continues on Feb. 11.
In the 1B ranks, Lummi Nation had the week off and is preparing for Tuesday’s showdown with rival Tulalip Heritage with the Northwest 1B League championship on the line. The defending state champion Blackhawks have already secured the top seed in the district tournament and will open play on Thursday, Feb. 5.
(NOTE: Standings are from the official WIAA website.)
Here are the boys highlights from Week 9.
GAME OF THE WEEK
There might have been a few closer games, but none were more spirited than the city rivalry between Sehome and Bellingham known as the BellingHome Battle. Thursday’s game lived up to the cheers of the SRO crowd in the Sehome gym as the two teams took turns holding the lead only to have it tied on Bellingham junior Calvin Van Hofwegen’s sixth 3-pointer with three minutes remaining. From there, however, it was all Sehome as senior Nolan Wright nailed a 3-pointer and the Mariners sank seven free throws to down the Bayhawks, 65-55.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Meridian senior Daniel Larsen had 33 points and junior Trey Alexander had 15 points on Tuesday. … Lynden Christian’s Dawson Hintz had 32 points and fellow junior Kaden Veldman had 16 in the Lyncs’ big win Saturday. … Senior Joe Harward joined Bellingham’s 1,000-point club with a 26-point performance against Squalicum on Tuesday. Junior Calvin Van Hofwegen added 15 points for the Bayhawks on Tuesday and had 25 in Thursday’s rivalry battle with Sehome. … Ferndale senior Mantaj Singh had 23 points on Tuesday and added 17 more on Thursday. … Lynden senior Spencer Adams had 21 points on Monday and senior Ty Jorgenson had 16 points on Saturday. … Sehome seniors Cole Turrell and Xavier Kelley had 16 and 15 points, respectively, on Monday, and senior Nolan Wright had 20 points in Thursday’s big win over Bellingham. … Senior Jayden Anderson had 19 points for Nooksack Valley on Monday and 15 more on Tuesday. … Mount Baker junior Kell Reardon had 18 points and freshman Trey Galbraith had 17 points on Wednesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No.2, 1A) beat Oak Harbor on Wednesday, 66-47, and Lynden on Saturday, 72-54. On Wednesday, the Lyncs held the Wildcats to 15 first-half points and unleashed a 24-point second quarter of their own to coast to victory. Hintz and junior Gunnar Dykstra led the balanced scoring with 13 points each, and Hintz added 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Veldman had 12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 steals, and 4 blocks; and seniors Boyce Robertson and Eli Maberry added 10 and 7 points, respectively, with Robertson also collecting 6 rebounds and 5 assists. On Saturday, the Lyncs snapped a two-game losing streak to their city rivals by rallying from a 13-point first-half deficit and blowing the game open with a 25-point third quarter. Hintz had 32 points, 22 of them in the second half, and 5 rebounds. Veldman muscled inside for 16 points on 8 of 10 shooting and had 7 rebounds, Dykstra had 8 points and dished out 9 assists, and Robertson had 6 points and 7 rebounds. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Christian Boys.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (No.30, 1A) lost to Anacortes on Monday, 65-59, but then beat Granite Falls on Tuesday, 59-39, and stunned Squalicum on Friday, 51-36. On Monday, the Pioneers almost brought down the favored Seahawks, rallying for 23 points in the fourth quarter before coming up short. Anderson had 19 points and four 3-pointers, senior Crew Bauman had 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists; senior Owen Wichers and sophomore Tyler Martin had 9 points each with Wichers adding 8 rebounds; and junior Dane Ackerman pulled down 9 rebounds. On Tuesday, the Pioneers got back on the winning track by shutting out the Tigers in the first quarter and using the 16-point margin to coast to the non-conference victory. Anderson led the way with 15 points and three 3-pointers; Bauman, Wichers, and senior Cole Coppinger had 11 points each with Bauman adding 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. On Friday, the Pioneers’ defense shut down the Storm, holding Squalicum to single digits in three of the four quarters to pull away in the second half. Ackerman and Anderson had 13 points each with Ackerman nabbing 11 rebounds and Anderson hitting a trio of 3s. Wichers added 12 points and 4 steals, and Coppinger had 6 points.
BELLINGHAM (No.36, 2A) beat Squalicum on Tuesday, 62-53, but lost to Sehome on Thursday, 65-55. On Tuesday, the Bayhawks were down by three entering the fourth quarter but erupted for 22 points in the final period to pull away from the Storm. Harward had 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and in addition to reaching the career milestone, he also had 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. Van Hofwegen had five 3-pointers for 15 points, sophomore Emmett Vanhouten had three 3s for 9 points, senior Myllo Wright had 5 assists, and senior Barrett Johnson had 4 blocks. On Thursday, the Bayhawks rallied from seven points down in the first quarter to eventually take the lead and be tied in the final minutes before falling to the Mariners. Van Hofwegen upped his game with six 3-pointers and 25 points, Harward had 13 points, and Vanhouten had 9 points on three 3-pointers. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Bellingham Boys.
FERNDALE (No.51, 3A) lost to Meridian on Tuesday, 72-61, but came back to beat Blaine on Thursday, 74-53. On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles let a seven-point halftime lead slip away in the third quarter and could only come up with eight points in the fourth period of their loss. Singh had 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists; sophomore Trey Munson had 10 points; sophomore Tracen Pazaski had 9 points; senior Kaveer Dhillon had 8 points; and senior Cooper Vincent added 6 points. On Thursday, the Golden Eagles used a 25-point third quarter to blow open a close game and down the Borderites. Singh had another big game with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists; Pazaski added 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals; and sophomore Houston Wills collected 10 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
LYNDEN (No.17, 2A) defeated Mount Baker on Monday, 75-39, but lost to Lynden Christian on Saturday, 72-54. On Monday, the Lions only allowed 15 first-half points and with 10 different players scoring, cruised to the big victory. Adams led the way with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists; Jorgenson had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists; senior James Ellis had 9 points; junior Malachi Koenen had 7 points and 4 rebounds; sophomore Markus Koenen and senior Charlie Broersma had 6 points each; and junior Gordy Bedlington had 4 assists. On Saturday, the Lions had their seven-game winning streak snapped when they couldn’t slow down the Lyncs in the second half and were outscored, 45-25. Jorgenson had 16 points and 4 rebounds; Malachi Koenen had 13 points, a pair of 3s, and 4 rebounds; Adams had 9 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and a team-high 6 assists; Bedlington had 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists; senior Brody Price had 6 points; and sophomore Jayden Navarre had 3 assists. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Boys.
MERIDIAN (No.33, 1A) beat Ferndale on Tuesday, 72-61, but lost to Mount Vernon on Friday, 62-38. On Tuesday, the Trojans outscored the Golden Eagles 42-22 in the second half to not only rally for the victory but score a season-high 72 points. Larsen led the way with 33 points and 9 rebounds, Alexander had 15 points and 4 assists, sophomore Emmett Ashmore had 7 points, junior Gabe Galbraith had 6 points on two 3-pointers, and junior Pierce Brzozowski had 6 assists and 5 rebounds. On Friday, the Trojans were only down by seven at the half but managed just 19 points after intermission and couldn’t catch the 3A Bulldogs. Ashmore led Meridian with 9 points, Larsen had 7 points and 4 rebounds, and Alexander and junior Josiah Harris had 6 points each.
SEHOME (No.10, 2A) lost to Sedro-Woolley on Monday, 76-60, but came back to beat Bellingham on Thursday, 65-55. On Monday, the Mariners had trouble stopping the Cubs’ offense and had their three-game winning streak snapped. Turrell had 16 points and 8 rebounds to lead Sehome, Kelley added 15 points and 6 rebounds, senior Carter Duckworth had 13 points and 4 rebounds, junior Quincy Tanovan had three 3s for 9 points, and Wright had 6 rebounds and 5 assists. On Thursday, the Mariners held Bellingham scoreless in the final three minutes and made seven free throws to go with Wright’s 3-pointer for the big victory. Wright led the way with 20 points, Kelley had 13 points, Turrell had 10 points, Duckworth had 9 points, and Tanovan added a pair of 3s for 6 points. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Sehome Boys.
LUMMI NATION (No.4, 1B) had the week off except for the school’s alumni game on Saturday.
BLAINE (No.42, 1A) lost to Lakewood on Tuesday, 72-39, and to Ferndale on Thursday, 74-53. On Tuesday, the Borderites only managed one field goal in the first period and couldn’t make up the 15-point difference against the Cougars. Junior Dawson Dohner had 10 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers and 4 rebounds, junior Gus Dickson had 7 points, sophomore Holden Briner had 6 points, and junior Peyton Bouma had 6 rebounds. On Thursday, the Borderites were within eight at the half but couldn’t contain the Golden Eagles, who scored 43 points after intermission. Dohner had three 3s for 13 points, seniors Kai Kerwin and Landon Melton had 10 points each, and Bouma added 8 points.
MOUNT BAKER (No.44, 1A) lost to Lynden on Monday, 75-39, and to Lakewood on Thursday, 71-65. On Monday, the Mounties couldn’t get their offense going in the first two periods and fell behind by 23 at the half. Senior Payten Abitia and Galbraith had 9 points each, and Reardon had 8 points. Reardon and sophomore Pepe McEvoy-Salgado led Baker with 4 rebounds each. On Thursday, the Mounties again were down by 18 at the half but then put a scare in the favored Cougars by scoring 21 third-period points and closing to within two in the fourth period before coming up short. Reardon had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals; Galbraith had 17 points and 8 rebounds; Abitia and senior Jordan Bailey had 10 points each with Bailey hitting a pair of 3s; and senior Jet Ross added 7 points.
SQUALICUM (No.31, 2A) lost to Bellingham on Tuesday, 62-53, and to Nooksack Valley on Friday, 51-36. On Tuesday, the Storm rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to take a three-point fourth-quarter lead, only to go cold and only make three field goals in the final period and lose to their city rivals. Junior Blake Elston led a balanced attack with three 3s and 15 points, senior Rhys Knowlton had 12 points, senior Ansen Asbjornsen had 8 points, and juniors Orion Granberg-Kiddle and Hunter Calloway had 7 points each with Granberg-Kiddle grabbing 14 rebounds. On Friday, the Storm struggled on offense with nobody reaching double figures. Calloway had 9 points and 12 rebounds, Elston had 7 points and 4 assists, and Granberg-Kiddle grabbed 8 rebounds.
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 10
TOP GAME
While several games will affect playoff seeding or city rivalries (see Squalicum at Sehome on Wednesday), only one game will determine a league crown … or at least part of one. Lummi Nation hosts rival Tulalip Heritage on Tuesday as part of a girls-boys doubleheader with the winner claiming the Northwest 1B League title either outright (if the Blackhawks win) or a co-championship (if the Hawks win).
SCHEDULE
Monday, February. 1: Blaine at Mount Vernon, Nooksack Valley at Oak Harbor, Mount Baker at Ferndale
Tuesday, Feb. 3: Anacortes at Lynden, Meridian at Sedro-Woolley, Lynden Christian at Lakewood, Tulalip Heritage at Lummi Nation
Wednesday, Feb. 4: Burlington-Edison at Bellingham, Ferndale at Mariner, Squalicum at Sehome
Thursday, Feb. 5: Blaine at Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon at Mount Baker, Lynden Christian at Ferndale
Friday, Feb. 6: Squalicum at Oak Harbor, Lynden at Nooksack Valley, Burlington-Edison at Sehome, Meridian at Bellingham
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden Christian | 13 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 11 | 2 | 16 | 3 |
| Lakewood* | 10 | 3 | 13 | 4 |
| Lynden | 10 | 3 | 13 | 6 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 10 | 3 | 14 | 4 |
| Burlington-Edison | 9 | 4 | 13 | 5 |
| Sehome | 9 | 4 | 12 | 6 |
| Ferndale | 5 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| Mount Vernon | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Squalicum | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Meridian | 4 | 9 | 6 | 12 |
| Oak Harbor | 4 | 9 | 6 | 13 |
| Bellingham | 3 | 10 | 7 | 11 |
| Nooksack Valley | 3 | 10 | 8 | 11 |
| Blaine | 1 | 11 | 4 | 15 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 12 | 3 | 13 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation* | 6 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 6 | 1 | 16 | 3 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Shoreline Christian | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Grace Academy | 3 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
| Lopez Island | 3 | 7 | 6 | 10 |
* Does not include non-league tie.
