Non-leaguers were the name of the games for the first week of the season, but already there were some important happenings for our Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League teams.
While defending state champions Lynden (Class 2A) and Nooksack Valley (1A) started off where they left off last March with victories in their only games of the week and perennial 1A power Lynden Christian shocked a 4A team in their only game, there were some surprises among the rest of the teams.
For a look back at Week 1 for our Whatcom boys teams, check out Whatcom Hoops boys recap.
Mount Baker won all three of its games giving the Mounties as many victories as they had all of last season. Bellingham, which also only won three games last season, already collected two wins for first-year coach Ken McLendon.
And Sehome, which had to rebuild almost its entire varsity lineup, had exciting victories over Ferndale and Squalicum. Unfortunately for the Mariners, both were considered non-league games and they will have to take on the Golden Eagles and Storm again later in the season.
Here are the girls highlights from Week 1.
GAME OF THE WEEK
In a back-and-forth defensive battle among city rivals, Sehome defeated Squalicum in overtime, 44-39, on Thursday night in a game that was technically a non-league contest. In the Mariners’ home opener, freshman Taylor Turrell had six points, including four big free throws, as Sehome outscored the Storm, 8-3 in the extra period. Turrell would finish with 19 points and sophomore Kaitlyn Schroeder added 16 points for the Mariners, while sophomore Lexi Robbins led Squalicum with 11 points.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Rebeca Soares had an incredible first week with Mount Baker scoring 27 points on Monday, 24 on Wednesday, and 32 on Saturday. … Junior Payton Mills had 30 points and sophomore Finley Parcher added 17 points in Lynden’s victory Monday. … Ferndale’s Abbey White had 25 points and fellow junior Kaylee Washington added 19 points on Saturday, Nov. 30. … Freshman Taylor Turrell had 15 points in her Sehome debut on Tuesday and followed that up with 19 points on Thursday. Sophomore Kaitlyn Schroeder added 16 points in Sehome’s win Thursday. … Junior Grace DeHoog had 18 points and 18 rebounds in Nooksack Valley’s victory Wednesday. … Bellingham junior Lily Jude had 18 points on Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
MOUNT BAKER opened its season with a 53-34 victory over Coupeville on Monday; a 43-29 win over Orcas Island on Wednesday; and a 63-34 victory over Friday Harbor on Saturday. On Monday, eight of nine Mounties scored as Mount Baker coasted to the non-league. Soares had a big first game with 27 points and 7 rebounds; senior Faith Wilson added 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals; and junior Reace Brown had 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. On Wednesday, the Mounties held the Vikings to single digits in three of the four quarters to pull away. Soares again dominated inside with 24 points and 17 rebounds, but got outside help from junior Samiya Powell, who made three 3-pointers for 11 points. Wilson added 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, and Brown had 8 rebounds. On Saturday, the Mounties only led by three points after one period but then cruised to the easy win. Soares outscored the entire Wolverines team with 36 points in just three quarters thanks to an outstanding 11 of 12 from the free throw line. The 6-foot-2 transfer from Brazil also had 20 rebounds, 6 steals, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Brown and freshman Kailyn Abitia added 9 points each with Brown collecting 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, and Abitia also having 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists.
BELLINGHAM gave new coach Ken McLendon a successful debut by sweeping the Marysville schools. The Bayhawks beat Marysville-Getchell, 34-26, on Wednesday and clobbered Marysville-Pilchuck on Saturday, 63-15. In their opener, the Bayhawks pulled away by holding the Chargers to 17 points over the final three quarters. Senior Malia Hanks had a team-high 11 points and 6 rebounds; sophomore Merritt Jensen had 6 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 steals; juniors Mary Lockhart and Jude had 5 points each; and senior Jenny Ruano had 5 steals. On Saturday, the Bayhawks flew out to an 18-2 lead and were never threatened as eight different players got in the scoring column. Jude led the onslaught with 18 points, 7 steals, and 3 assists; Jensen had 13 points and 5 rebounds; Lockhart had 10 and 2 blocked shots; and Hanks added 8 points, six of them in the first-period charge.
SEHOME opened the season in exciting fashion, beating Ferndale on Tuesday, 49-39, on Tuesday and Squalicum, 44-39, in overtime on Thursday. Although both opponents were NWC teams, the games were technically listed as non-league and don’t count in the conference standings. On Tuesday, the Mariners withstood a Ferndale rally and closed the game on a 15-4 run for the victory. Turrell had four of her team-high 15 points in the fourth period and would finish with 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Sophomore Schroeder and junior Aspen Barge had 8 points each with Barge adding 7 rebounds. Schroeder and junior Keira Reeves had 7 points each for the Mariners. On Thursday, Turrell and Schroeder led Sehome on both ends of the court, combining for 35 points and helping hold the Storm to only nine points in the fourth period and overtime. Schroeder also had 7 steals and 5 rebounds, Barge had 6 rebounds and 6 blocks, and Turrell and sophomore Elyse Panagos had 5 boards each. For the story and photos from Tuesday’s game, click on Sehome girls.
LYNDEN opened its season with a 66-50 victory over Riverside Secondary of Port Coquitlam, B.C. Wednesday’s scheduled game against Argyle Secondary, however, was canceled. On Monday, the Lions used a 25-6 third quarter to pull away from a halftime tie and defeat the Rapids, who had reached the Class 4A provincial finals the past two years. Mills dominated inside with 11 of her game-high 30 points in the crucial third period. In addition to Parcher’s 17 points, junior Rian Stephan added 7 points.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN opened its season on Saturday with a 55-48 victory over Lake Stevens. In the non-league contest, the Lyncs rallied from seven points down just with five minutes left in the game to shock the perennial Class 4A state contenders. Juniors Ella Fritts and Isabella Hernandez had 16 points each with Hernandez hitting four 3-pointers, and senior Danya Dykstra had a pair of 3s in the fourth-quarter comeback and 8 points for the game. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on LC girls.
MERIDIAN had only one game on opening week, easily beating Friday Harbor, 57-35, on Monday. The Trojans unleashed their long-distance shooting, making 13 3-pointers to down the Wolverines. Freshman Melanie Short led the way with 11 points in addition to 5 rebounds and three of Meridian’s 18 steals. Senior Sofia Brooks had three 3s for 9 points; sophomore Eden Bernardy had 7 points, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds; senior Brooklyn Fuller had 5 assists; and junior Taya Benson pulled down 6 rebounds.
NOOKSACK VALLEY opened its season with a 40-33 win over Sultan on Wednesday. The 6-foot DeHoog dominated inside for the defending 1A champions with 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 steals. Veterans Kate Shintaffer and Payton Bartl added 8 points each with senior Shintaffer collecting 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and junior Bartl adding 4 assists and 3 steals.
SQUALICUM started its season with a 52-31 win over Everett on Monday; fell in overtime to Sehome, 43-39, on Thursday; and bounced back to down Sultan, 50-28, on Friday. On Monday, the Storm held the Seagulls without a field goal in the middle two quarters and used a 20-3 third quarter to blow open the contest. Freshman Kia Perez had 10 of her team-high 14 points in the big third period, and sophomore Carli Kiesau added 8 points for the Storm. In Thursday’s thriller, the Storm’s defense kept them in the game, but a six-point fourth quarter and three-point overtime period weren’t enough offense. Robbins led Squalicum with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, 4 assists, and 3 steals; sophomore Tiana Thompson had 9 points and 7 rebounds; Kiesau added 7 points, a team-high 9 rebounds, and 3 steals; and senior Loretta Murphy-Kangas had 6 rebounds. On Friday, the Storm were down, 14-9, after one quarter but gave up only 14 points the rest of the way in taking down the Turks. Thompson had 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals; Kiesau had 11 points and 7 rebounds; Perez had 10 points and 4 steals; and sophomore Colee Harper had 9 rebounds.
BLAINE lost to La Conner on Monday, 48-27, but got in the win column by downing Friday Harbor on Wednesday, 40-24. On Monday, the new-look Borderites were within four points at halftime but only managed 10 points after that and fell to the Class 2B power. Despite only one player having high school basketball experience, six different Borderites scored led by junior Beatrice Dickson’s 8 points and junior Ailiyah Bowman’s 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. On Wednesday, the Borderites shut out the Wolverines in the first quarter and never looked back in collecting the non-league victory. Sophomore Kate Koreski led Blaine with 12 points, including eight in the third quarter when the Borderites used a 19-4 run to blow open the game. Senior Brie Smith added 10 points and a team-high 8 rebounds, and sophomore Marcella Bring, the team’s only returning player, had 8 points on a pair of 3-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Blaine girls.
LUMMI NATION started its season with a 52-31 win over Concrete on Tuesday but lost to La Conner on Saturday, 44-36. In their opener, the Blackhawks jumped to a nine-point first-quarter lead and never let up. Junior Ailina Rabang led Lummi Nation with 13 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 steals; and sophomore Jemma James and juniors Kashlyn Mack and Brianna Metteba had 11 points each, with Metteba scoring nine of her points in the first-period run. James also had 9 rebounds and 6 steals, and Mack had 6 rebounds and 3 steals. On Saturday, a slow, 15-point first half and foul trouble proved too much to overcome against the Class 2B power. Rabang had 14 points, including 10 in the second half when the Blackhawks rallied to within three points, and also had 7 steals and 5 rebounds; Mack had 9 points; James had 8 points, including a pair of 3-pointers; and freshman LaRaya Dennis had 6 rebounds.
FERNDALE opened its season with a 60-42 non-league victory over La Conner on Saturday, Nov. 30; lost to Sehome on Tuesday, 49-39, in what was considered a non-league game; and fell to Jackson on Friday, 58-32. In their opener, the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 21-4 lead against the Braves and never looked back. White hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 25 points, Washington added three more 3s and 19 points, fellow junior Jilly Fox had 8 points and 5 rebounds, and sophomore guard Brooklyn Larrabbee had 11 of Ferndale’s 25 steals. After trailing Sehome the entire first three quarters on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles rallied to take a one-point lead a minute into the final period but only scored four points the rest of the way. Fox led Ferndale with 11 points and 9 rebounds; White hit three 3-pointers and had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals; and Washington added 7 points. On Friday, the Golden Eagles couldn’t get their offense going until the fourth quarter, when they scored 19 points. But by then it was too late against the Class 4A Timberwolves. Fox led Ferndale with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals; White had 9 points; and Larrabbee had 5 rebounds and 4 steals. For the story and photos from Tuesday’s game, click on Ferndale girls.
NOTE: A big thank you to the coaches and Tyler Anderson of WhatcomPreps.com for providing statistics.
Week 2
TOP GAMES
After an opening week of non-league competition, Whatcom teams head into Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League action in week 2. While only a handful of games will be pitting local teams, there are a couple of key contests, including Squalicum at Lynden on Thursday in a 2A showdown and Ferndale at defending Class 1A state champion Nooksack Valley on Saturday.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 6: Blaine at Orcas Island, Squalicum at Burlington-Edison, Mount Baker at Sedro-Woolley, Meridian at Sehome
Tuesday, Dec. 10: Archbishop Murphy at Nooksack Valley, Oak Harbor at Lynden, Anacortes at Ferndale, Lynden Christian at Mount Vernon, Sehome at Stanwood, Shoreline Christian at Lummi Nation
Wednesday, Dec. 11: Blaine at Bellingham, Lakewood at Nooksack Valley
Thursday, Dec. 12: Squalicum at Lynden, Meridian at Burlington-Edison, Sedro-Woolley at Lynden Christian, Lummi Nation at Lopez Island
Friday, Dec. 13: Bellingham at Mount Baker, Ferndale at Stanwood
Saturday, Dec. 14: Tahoma at Lynden, Sehome at Blaine, Ferndale at Nooksack Valley, Lynden Christian at Archbishop Murphy
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Anacortes | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Bellingham | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Blaine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Burlington-Edison | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ferndale | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Lakewood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lynden | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Meridian | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mount Baker | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Mount Vernon | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Nooksack Valley | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Sehome | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Squalicum | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lopez Island | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Grace Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lummi Nation | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
