Rivalry Week turned out to be an exciting week with close games played at packed gymnasiums (see below) and with only one more week left in the regular season, Week 9 went a long way to determine our Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League champions.
In the NWC, Lynden’s victories over Mount Baker and then Lynden Christian in a battle of league unbeatens give the Lions the inside track to the conference title.
It also was a good week for Meridian and Squalicum with each winning both their NWC games and solidifying their seeding for the Class 1A and 2A district tournaments, respectively, which begin on Feb. 10 and 11.
Enjoying probably the best week was Lummi Nation, which beat Providence Classical Christian and then knocked off previously undefeated Tulalip Heritage to wrap up the regular season and claim the NW1B League title and top seed going into the district tournament, which starts next week at Lummi Nation.
For a look back at Week 9 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 9.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Which do you pick — close games or games between rivals or games that will probably determine league championships? How about all three? In two games that were very similar, Lummi Nation took a big lead and then held on to knock off undefeated tribal rival Tulalip Heritage on Friday, 69-63, to claim the Northwest 1B League title, 69-63, and then on Saturday, Lynden took a big lead and held off crosstown rival Lynden Christian in a battle of Northwest Conference unbeatens, 66-56. Toss in Sehome’s exciting 54-51 victory over city rival Bellingham and you’ve got a tremendous week of boys basketball.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Junior Joe Harward had 31 points for Bellingham on Tuesday and added 22 more on Thursday against Sehome. … Senior Brant Heppner had 30 points for Lynden on Monday and 17 more on Saturday. … Junior Jerome Toby had 17 points for Lummi Nation on Monday and had another 28 points on Friday. … Senior Gannon Dykstra had 25 points, sophomore Dawson Hintz had 20 points, and senior Carter Ahlers added 17 points for Lynden Christian on Wednesday, and Dykstra and Hintz came back with 27 and 23 points, respectively, on Saturday. … Senior Talon Jenkins had 23 points for Meridian on Tuesday and 20 more on Friday with senior Jaeger Fyfe and sophomore Pierce Brzozowski adding 19 points each for the Trojans. … Junior Mantaj Singh had 20 points for Ferndale on Thursday. … Senior Marcus Nixon had 19 points and sophomore Hunter Calloway had 17 points for Squalicum on Tuesday. … Senior Dulio Kanagie had 17 points for Blaine on Tuesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LUMMI NATION (RPI Ranking: No. 11, 1B): defeated Providence Classical Christian on Monday, 71-32, and knocked off Tulalip Heritage on Friday, 69-63. On Monday, the Blackhawks started slow, only leading 10-6 after the first quarter, but then unleashed their offense with five players scoring in double figures. Toby led the balanced attack with 17 points, sophomore Dyson Edwards had 14 points with two 3-pointers, sophomores Landon LaFontaine and Deandre James had 12 points each with LaFontaine sinking a pair of 3s, senior Trevon Lee added 10 points, and sophomore Gregory Hawk had 6 points. In Friday’s big game, the Blackhawks avenged an earlier defeat to Tulalip by taking a 17-point lead and then holding on to hand Tulalip its first loss of the season and claim the NW1B championship. Toby had a game-high 28 points, hit two 3-pointers, and was a remarkable 7 for 7 from the line including four in the final 24 seconds before an SRO crowd in Lummi’s gym. LaFontaine sparked the Blackhawks’ first-half comeback from a 10-point deficit with three of his four 3-pointers and 11 of his 14 points, and James added 6 points. Lummi Nation’s Tuesday game against Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) was canceled. For the story and photos from Friday’s game, click on Lummi Nation boys.
LYNDEN (No. 1, 2A): defeated Mount Baker on Monday, 69-31, and Lynden Christian on Saturday, 66-56. On Monday, the Lions exploded for a 27-2 second quarter to put away the Mounties. Heppner had 30 points thanks to 13 of 17 shooting and making all three of his 3-pointers. He also had 13 rebounds as Lynden outboarded Mount Baker, 46-12. Senior Jack Stapleton and junior Spencer Adams had 11 points each with Adams also collecting 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Junior Malachi Bowman had 7 points and sophomore Gordy Bedlington had 6 points and 5 assists with Heppner and Stapleton each adding 3 assists. In Saturday’s huge NWC showdown, the Lions never trailed and led by as much as 18 before needing five free throws by Heppner and Stapleton in the final 37 seconds to hold off the Lyncs. Heppner 17 points and 14 rebounds; Stapleton had 13 points and 4 assists; sophomore Malachi Koenen had four of Lynden’s nine 3-pointers, 13 points, and 4 assists; Adams had 9 points and 7 rebounds as Lynden outrebounded the Lyncs, 37-26; Bedlington had 7 points; and freshman Jayden Navarre came off the bench and had 6 points on two 3s and 4 rebounds. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden boys.
MERIDIAN (No. 12, 1A): defeated Ferndale on Tuesday, 52-39, and Mount Vernon on Friday, 72-55. On Tuesday, the Trojans’ trapping zone defense held the Golden Eagles to their second lowest point total of the season. Jenkins had 23 points, two 3-pointers and 13 rebounds; Fyfe had three 3s and 11 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds; and Brzozowski and sophomore Trey Alexander had 6 points each. On Friday, the Trojans came out hot with 27 points in the first quarter, and after the Bulldogs closed the gap at halftime, Meridian used a 20-point third period to put the game away. Jenkins had 20 points including three 3s and 13 points in the first-quarter explosion, Fyfe and Brzozowski had 19 points and four 3-pointers each, and Hedahl added 6 points.
SQUALICUM (No. 23, 2A): beat Bellingham on Tuesday, 65-56, and Nooksack Valley on Friday, 62-45. On Tuesday, the Storm roared out to a 33-23 lead at the half and then put together a 22-point fourth quarter to hold the Bayhawks at bay. Nixon had seven of his 19 points in the critical fourth period; Calloway had 17 points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and all five of his free throws; senior Jaxon Hofer had 10 points, three 3s, and 10 rebounds; sophomore Blake Elston had 10 points and a pair of 3s; and senior Ezra Nichols had 7 points and 7 rebounds. On Friday, the Storm only led by one at intermission but put together a 36-point second half to pull away from the Pioneers. Nixon led the charge with 12 of his game-high 20 points coming in the second half, and Elson hit three of Squalicum’s four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. Nichols had 10 points, Calloway had 9 points, and the two of them accounted for all the Storm’s free throws by combining to go 6 for 6 from the line.
FERNDALE (No. 41, 3A): lost to Meridian on Tuesday, 52-39, but came back to beat Blaine on Thursday, 58-55. On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles were only able to come up with 18 points in the second half and four points in the last six and a half minutes, and never got closer than eight points in the final period. Senior Hunter Wills, senior Tommy Mack, and Singh had 9 points each with senior Jonah Brillowsky adding 7 rebounds and Singh collecting 4 blocks. In Thursday’s tight contest, the Golden Eagles closed the game on a 7-2 run to pull out the win. Singh had 20 points, Wills had 16 points and 5 rebounds, Brillowsky had 12 points, and senior Lincoln Thomas had 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No. 3, 1A): blasted Oak Harbor on Wednesday, 93-52, but lost to Lynden on Saturday, 66-56. On Wednesday, the Lyncs started slow but midway through the first quarter began a 69-32 run that left Oak Harbor in their wake. Dykstra led the way with 25 points, Hintz had 20 points, Ahlers had 17 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals; sophomore Kaden Veldman had 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals; and junior Eli Maberry also had 11 points thanks to three 3s and 5 assists. On Saturday, the Lyncs were held to their lowest point total of the season by Lynden’s defense and sickness to a pair of starters, and couldn’t make up an 18-point deficit in the big rivalry game. Dykstra had 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, and Hintz had 23 points and 5 assists, but only one other Lync scored with Veldman accounting for 6 points and 11 rebounds. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Christian boys.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (No. 21, 1A): defeated Anacortes on Monday, 61-55, but lost to Squalicum on Friday, 62-45. On Monday, the Pioneers only managed eight points in the first quarter to fall behind by nine, but held the Seahawks to only 15 second-half points to tie the game in regulation and then outscored Anacortes in overtime, 15-9, for the huge victory. Heutink had nine of his 22 points and a pair of clutch 3-pointers in overtime as well as 10 rebounds for the game. Senior Tristan Kamphouse had 11 points and 10 rebounds, senior Cory Olney had 10 points, senior Brady Ackerman had 10 rebounds, and senior Lance Van Berkum had 6 points. On Friday, the Pioneers’ offense stalled in the second half with only 20 points and they couldn’t slow down the Storm, which closed with 36 points. Olney had all of his team-high 14 points and three 3-pointers in the first half, Ackerman had 12 points, and Heutink had 11 points.
SEHOME (No. 43, 2A): lost to Sedro-Woolley on Monday, 77-56, but bounced back to beat Bellingham on Thursday, 54-51. On Monday, the Mariners fell behind by 15 at the half and couldn’t keep up with the Cubs. Junior Xavier Kelley had 12 points, and three 3-pointers, senior Cooper McAtee had 10 points and a pair of 3s, junior Cole Turrell had 9 points, junior Nolan Wright had 8 points, and sophomore Quincy Tanovan had 7 points. On Thursday in the city rivals’ BellingHome Battle, the Mariners were down by 10 at the half but fought back, using a 16-2 run to take an eight-point lead with just over two minutes left, and then withstood a barrage of Bayhawk 3-pointers to pull out the victory and end an eight-game losing streak. Wright scored nine of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and was 4 of 4 from the line. Joining Wright in double figures were Turrell with 15 points and Tanovan, who had six of his 10 points in the crucial fourth period. Kelley also added 8 points and 13 rebounds. For the story and photos from Thursday’s game, click on Sehome boys.
BELLINGHAM (No. 28, 2A): lost to Squalicum on Tuesday, 65-56, and lost to Sehome on Thursday, 54-51. On Tuesday, the Bayhawks came out cold and fell behind by 10 in the first half and despite battling back in the second half, couldn’t make up the difference. Harward only had three points after the first quarter but then got hot and finished with a game-high 31 points. Senior Harmon Wienkers and sophomore Calvin VanHofwegen had 9 points each, all on 3-pointers. On Thursday in the city rivals’ BellingHome Battle, the Bayhawks used a 27-9 run to take a 10-point halftime lead but gave up 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Mariners rallied for the victory. Harward led the Bayhawks with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists; Wienkers had 13 points and made three of Bellingham’s nine 3-pointers; and senior Kincade VanHouten added 6 points on two 3s but was the only other Bayhawk with more than three points. For the story and photos from Thursday’s game, click on Bellingham boys.
BLAINE (No. 46, 1A): lost to Lakewood on Tuesday, 75-39, and to Ferndale on Thursday, 58-55. On Tuesday, the Borderites found themselves down by 14 after one quarter and couldn’t make up any ground on the Cougars. Kanagie lead Blaine with 17 points and 8 rebounds, senior Beckum Bleazard had 7 points and 5 rebounds, senior Josiah Weeda had 7 rebounds and 4 assists, and junior Landon Melton had 7 rebounds. On Thursday, the Borderites were down by six at halftime, rallied to take a two-point lead with two and a half minutes left, but only managed two more points as they fell to the Golden Eagles. Kanagie led Blaine’s second-half rally with 12 of his team-high 14 points coming after halftime, Weeda and Melton had 13 points each with Melton adding 6 rebounds, and Bleazard had 7 points.
MOUNT BAKER (No. 28, 1A): lost to Lynden on Monday, 69-31, and to Lakewood on Thursday, 79-40. On Monday, the Mounties found themselves in a 28-point hole at intermission and were held to their lowest point total of the season. Senior Cole Lukes had 12 points, senior Darius Gilstrap had 6 points on a pair of 3-pointers and 4 rebounds, and junior Payten Abitia also added 6 points. On Thursday, the Mounties led 20-15 after one quarter but then only scored 20 points the rest of the way as the Cougars exploded for 64 points. Senior Luke Smith had 11 points, Gilstrap had 7 points, and junior Carter Hill and sophomore Kell Reardon 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 10
TOP GAMES
With all the seeding for the district tournaments pretty much decided, the best games to watch may be Tuesday night when four of the Northwest Conference’s top teams square off. Lynden Christian is hosting Lakewood, and Lynden will travel to Anacortes. Meanwhile, top-seeded Lummi Nation will begin district play at home on Thursday against the winner of Tuesday’s Shoreline Christian-Concrete play-in game.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Feb. 3: Mount Vernon at Blaine, Oak Harbor at Nooksack Valley, Ferndale at Mount Baker
Tuesday, Feb. 4: Sedro-Woolley at Meridian, Lakewood at Lynden Christian, Lynden at Anacortes, Shoreline Christian or Concrete at Lummi Nation in district tournament
Wednesday, Feb. 5: Bellingham at Burlington-Edison, Sehome at Squalicum
Thursday, Feb. 6: Mount Baker at Mount Vernon, Ferndale at Lynden Christian
Friday, Feb. 7: Bellingham at Meridian, Nooksack Valley at Lynden, Oak Harbor at Squalicum
Saturday, Feb. 8: Sehome at Burlington-Edison, Sedro-Woolley at Blaine, Lummi Nation at home in district tournament
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 13 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 12 | 1 | 17 | 2 |
| Lakewood | 10 | 3 | 14 | 5 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 9 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| Anacortes | 8 | 5 | 12 | 6 |
| Meridian | 8 | 5 | 12 | 6 |
| Burlington-Edison | 7 | 6 | 12 | 6 |
| Ferndale | 7 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| Bellingham | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Mount Vernon | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Nooksack Valley | 5 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Squalicum | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Mount Baker | 3 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Oak Harbor | 3 | 10 | 4 | 13 |
| Sehome | 3 | 10 | 5 | 13 |
| Blaine | 0 | 13 | 3 | 15 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE (final standings)
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation | 5 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 5 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 3 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
| Lopez Island | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Grace Academy | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 |
