With three weeks left in the regular season, the 11 Whatcom girls teams will be battling for playoff positions with the rest of the Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League. And after seven weeks, things are starting to clear up.
Lummi Nation’s place atop the NW1B and a top seed in the district tournament are almost guaranteed with the Lady Blackhawks still unbeaten in league play and winning by an average margin of more than 55 points.
In the NWC, Lynden and Lynden Christian continue to lead the Class 2A and 1A schools, respectively, with unbeaten league marks. But big games are ahead including LC’s clash with Nooksack Valley on Friday and, of course, the annual Lions-Lyncs battle at the end of January.
For a look back at Week 7 for our Whatcom boys teams, check out Whatcom Hoops Boys Recap.
Among the 2A squads, Sehome, Squalicum, and even Bellingham are all jockeying for a top-four district finish and the three of them will be facing off in Weeks 9 and 10 in what amounts to a round-robin tournament.
In the 1A ranks, Nooksack Valley and Mount Baker are still chasing Lynden Christian, while barring a big shakeup, Meridian and Blaine are headed for the play-in game. All five are guaranteed playoff spots.
For Ferndale, things are simple but not easy when it comes to reaching the 3A district tournament. The Golden Eagles, who have already lost their two leading scorers to injuries, must finish in the top three of the four 3A teams in the NWC. A big step can be taken this Wednesday, when Ferndale travels to Oak Harbor.
But there’s lots of games still to be played. Until then, here are the girls highlights from Week 7.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Bellingham and Ferndale were tied with three minutes to go on Friday when Bayhawks senior Mary Lockhart scored twice in the next 30 seconds. But the Golden Eagles closed to within two with 36 seconds left only to have Bellingham sophomore Elise Holland sink a free throw, block a shot that turned into a Merritt Jensen free throw, and with 11 seconds left sink a final free throw to give the Bayhawks a hard-fought 46-41 victory.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Junior Finley Parcher had 31 points for Lynden on Wednesday and 23 on Friday. … Junior Rebeca Soares had 28 points and the winning basket for Mount Baker on Saturday. … Senior Ailina Rabang had 17 points and junior Jemma James and eighth-grader Jordy Reeder had 15 points each for Lummi Nation on Tuesday; on Thursday, Reeder came back with 24 points, and Rabang had 16 points; and on Saturday, James had 25 points, Brianna Metteba had 20 points, and Reeder had 16 points. …Sophomore Taylor Turrell had 20 points and junior Elyse Panagos had 15 for Sehome on Friday. … Nooksack Valley senior Grace DeHoog had 20 points on Saturday. … Senior Ella Fritts had 19 points and sophomore Tyra Dykstra had 16 for Lynden Christian on Tuesday, and Fritts had 18 and Dykstra 16 again on Friday. … Ferndale junior Brooklyn Larrabee had 18 points on Wednesday. … Senior Mary Lockhart had 16 points for Bellingham on Friday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LUMMI NATION (No.6, 1B) thumped Grace Academy on Tuesday, 84-9; Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) on Thursday, 83-14; and Orcas Island on Saturday, 73-32. On Tuesday, the Lady Blackhawks were gracious enough to not press Grace but still went up 19-0 before the Eagles could score and shut out the Eagles in two of the quarters to win going away. Rabang led the Blackhawks with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists; James and Reeder had 15 points each with James sinking three 3-pointers and grabbing 9 steals and 8 rebounds and Reeder collecting 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals; and Metteba added 9 points, 9 steals, and 5 assists. On Thursday, the Blackhawks were up 33-4 after one quarter and finished off the Eagles in the second half by giving up only two points. Reeder had 24 points thanks to four 3-pointers; Rabang had 16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals; Metteba had 13 points and 4 steals; and James completed a triple-double with 14 points, 12 assists, 11 steals, and 7 rebounds. On Saturday, the Blackhawks took a quarter to get warmed up after the ferry ride and outscored the Vikings by 36 points over the final three periods for the non-league win. James had 25 points, including five 3-pointers, as well as 9 steals, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists; Metteba had 20 points, a pair of 3s; Reeder had 16 points, three more 3-pointers, 5 rebounds and 5 steals; senior Laveena LaJuan had 8 points; and Rabang had 12 rebounds and 6 assists.
LYNDEN (No.1, 2A) stunned Sehome on Wednesday, 70-19, and blasted Burlington-Edison on Friday, 75-24. On Wednesday, the Lions scored the first 20 points of the game and held the Mariners almost 30 points below their average. Parcher had 31 points, a pair of 3-pointers, and a game-high 8 rebounds and 8 steals. Senior Payton Mills had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, and senior Rian Stephan and junior Lexi Hermanutz had 8 points each. On Friday, the Lions used a 21-2 run in the first quarter to go up by 25 after one quarter and a 13-2 run in the second quarter to go up by 36 at the half. Ten Lions scored with Parcher leading the way with 23 points, 7 steals, and 5 assists. Mills had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Rian Stephan had 12 points and 7 rebounds, sophomore Izzie Stephan had 7 points, and senior Reese Nyhoff had 6 points. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Lynden Girls.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (No.16, 1A) beat Meridian on Monday, 39-22, and Cascade (Leavenworth) in a non-league game on Saturday, 53-43. On Monday, the Pioneers’ defense limited Meridian to five first-half points but after scoring only 13 points of their own, the Pioneers’ offense doubled that in the second half to pull away in the Class 1A clash. Senior Chayleigh Davis returned to lead the team with 12 points, while fellow seniors Payton Bartl, Natalie Van Liew, and DeHoog had 8 points each. Van Liew sank a pair of 3-pointers, DeHoog had 15 rebounds, Bartl and Davis had 5 rebounds each, and Davis added 3 steals. On Saturday, the Pioneers scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to take a 10-point lead but after the Bruins closed to within five, Nooksack needed a bucket and two free throws from DeHoog, a Davis free throw, and a Bartl 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to secure the victory. DeHoog would finish with 20 points and 17 rebounds, Bartl had 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers, and Davis and sophomore Lisette Flores had 7 points each with Davis dishing out 5 assists and Flores making two 3s.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No.2, 1A) topped Mount Baker on Tuesday, 68-31; lost to Lake Stevens on Friday, 48-43; but came back to defeat Squalicum on Saturday, 44-40. On Tuesday, the Lyncs went on a 15-0 first-quarter run, were up by 30 at halftime, and rolled over their 1A rivals. Nine different Lyncs scored with Fritts leading the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Dykstra finishing with 16 points and four 3-pointers, senior Estela Hernandez collecting 12 points on four more 3s, and junior Ellie Pierce collecting 6 steals and 5 assists. On Friday, the Lyncs led most of the way but couldn’t hold off the 14th-ranked Class 4A Vikings, giving up 17 points in the final period of the non-league game. Fritts had 18 points and Dykstra had 16 points thanks to three more 3-pointers, but no other Lync had more than five points. On Saturday, the Lyncs held the Storm scoreless for more than four minutes to end the game and escape Squalicum’s upset bid. In a game dominated by defenses, Dykstra was the only player in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Fritts had 9 points and also amassed 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocked shots; junior Jocelyn Eshuis had 8 points and 6 rebounds; and Hernandez had 6 points. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Christian Girls.
BELLINGHAM (No.29, 2A) lost to Lakewood on Monday, 78-38, then defeated Ferndale on Friday, 46-41. On Monday, the Bayhawks couldn’t corral the Cougars. Lockhart had 10 points and 5 rebounds, sophomore Lucy Holland had 8 points, junior Merritt Jensen had 12 rebounds, and senior Isabelle Rogers had 6 rebounds. On Friday, the Bayhawks held Ferndale scoreless over the final 1:46 to pull out the road victory. Lockhart led the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Jensen had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Lucy Holland had 10 points and 4 assists, sophomore Elise Holland had 13 rebounds and 4 blocks, and senior Avery Manning had 5 rebounds.
MOUNT BAKER (No.13, 1A) lost to Lynden Christian on Tuesday, 68-31, but beat Anacortes in a thriller on Saturday, 50-48. On Tuesday, the Mounties only managed 14 first-half points and weren’t able to recover from a 30-point deficit against the Lyncs. Soares led Mount Baker with 11 points and 10 rebounds but because of the LC defense and foul trouble was held to only three points in the first half. While six other Mounties scored, none had more than five points. On Tuesday, the Mounties rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter and won it on Soares’s three-point play with 11 seconds left in the game. Soares finished with 28 points, including 16 of Mount Baker’s 19 points in the fourth-quarter comeback, as well as 22 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Senior Reace Brown had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and sophomore Aurora George had 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
SEHOME (No.10, 2A) lost at Lynden on Wednesday, 70-19, but rebounded with a big win over Lakewood on Friday, 61-54. On Wednesday, the Mariners had by far their lowest point total of the season and surrendered the most points to an opponent. Junior Kate Schroeder and Turrell led the team in scoring but only managed 4 points each. On Friday, the Mariners led by 15 at the half and then hit six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds — two by senior Aspen Barge and four by Turrell — to hold off the Cougars. Turrell finished with 20 points and 4 steals; Panagos had 15 points and 13 rebounds; Schroeder and Barge had 7 points each with the latter also pulling down 8 rebounds and blocking 6 shots; and senior Keira Reeves nabbed 4 steals. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Sehome Girls.
SQUALICUM (No.11, 2A) beat Mount Vernon on Monday, 38-31, but lost to Lynden Christian on Saturday, 44-40. On Monday, the Storm came from behind in the fourth quarter by holding the Bulldogs to three points in the final period. Sophomore Kai Perez had 14 points and junior Lexi Robbins had 11 points thanks to three 3-pointers, but the rest of the team only managed 13 points in the defensive struggle. Perez and freshman Avery Kettman had 5 rebounds each, and junior Addison Kettman had 4 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. On Saturday, the Storm twice battled back from double-digit deficits to close within one midway through the fourth period but could only come up with a free throw in the final second in losing to the first-place Lyncs. Addison Kettman had 8 points and 9 rebounds, Perez had 7 points, juniors Tiana Thompson and Colee Harper had 6 points each with Thompson adding 4 rebounds, and Avery Kettman had 5 rebounds. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Squalicum Girls.
MERIDIAN (No.36, 1A) lost to Nooksack Valley on Monday, 39-22; bounced back to beat Oak Harbor on Thursday, 47-14; but lost to Cedarcrest on Saturday, 45-37. On Monday, despite only having one field goal in the first half, the Trojans were still within five points in the third quarter but couldn’t get any closer and finished with their second lowest point total of the season. Junior Eden Bernardy had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals, and senior Kinsley Neal had 6 points, but no other Trojan managed more than two points. On Thursday, the Trojans unleashed their defense, shutting out the Wildcats in the first quarter and giving up only three field goals for the game. Senior Taya Benson had 9 points to lead Meridian, junior Amelia Koning had 8 points and a pair of 3-pointers, Bernardy had 7 points, and junior Sierra James had 6 points. On Saturday, despite missing two starters, the Trojans were only down by two going into the fourth quarter but only came up with five points in the final period of the non-league loss. Koning had the hot hand with three 3-pointers and 13 points, Benson had 10 points, but no other Trojan had more than five points. Benson, juniors Maddy Swanson and Kaitlyn Storgaard, and sophomore Madyn Cline-Malarz had 8 rebounds each, Storgaard had 4 blocks, and Swanson and Cline-Malarz had 3 assists each.
BLAINE (No.42, 1A) fell to Anacortes on Tuesday, 61-32. The Borderites were within eight at halftime and outscored the Seahawks in the fourth quarter, but, unfortunately, were overwhelmed in the third quarter, 27-1. Junior Kate Koreski and senior Aaliyah Bowman led Blaine with 11 points each with Koreski nabbing 4 steals and Bowman pulling down 9 rebounds.
FERNDALE (No.50, 3A) lost to Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday, 61-51, and to Bellingham on Friday, 46-41. On Wednesday, a cold-shooting third quarter in which they were outscored 19-8 did in the short-handed Golden Eagles, who are without injured starters Jilly Fox and Abbey White. Larrabee continued her stellar play sinking four 3-pointers and six of seven free throws for 18 points, and senior Kayla Washington and freshman Mia Collins had 8 points each. On Friday, despite missing a third starter, Larrabee, the Golden Eagles led by one after three quarters but could only come up with one field goal in the final period. Collins had a team-high 13 points and three 3-pointers, and Washington had 12 points and a pair of 3s.
NOTE: A big thank you to the coaches and Tyler Anderson of WhatcomPreps.com for providing statistics.
WEEK 8
TOP GAME
While it may not have as much glamor as the past couple of years when the two would battle for the Class 1A state championship, Lynden Christian and Nooksack Valley will renew their rivalry on the Pioneers’ home court on Friday with both looking to stay atop the Northwest Conference standings.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan. 19: Mount Vernon at Bellingham, Blaine at Oak Harbor
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Sehome at Ferndale, Lynden at Meridian, Squalicum at Sedro-Woolley, Nooksack Valley at Lakewood, Providence Classical Christian at Lummi Nation
Wednesday, Jan. 21: Nooksack Valley at Mount Baker, Anacortes at Lynden Christian, Ferndale at Oak Harbor
Thursday, Jan. 22: Sehome at Mount Vernon, Burlington-Edison at Meridian, Bellingham at Sedro-Woolley
Friday, Jan. 23: Anacortes at Squalicum, Lynden Christian at Nooksack Valley, Oak Harbor at Mount Baker
Saturday, Jan. 24: Ferndale at Burlington-Edison, Lakewood at Meridian
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 8 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Nooksack Valley | 5 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
| Sehome | 7 | 2 | 11 | 4 |
| Squalicum | 7 | 2 | 11 | 3 |
| Mount Baker | 6 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| Lakewood | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Bellingham | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 |
| Mount Vernon | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Anacortes | 3 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 3 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Burlington-Edison | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Meridian | 2 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| Ferndale | 1 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Blaine | 0 | 7 | 3 | 12 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation | 7 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| Lopez Island | 6 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 5 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| Grace Academy | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 1 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
