The Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League began league action last week, and already the number of unbeaten Whatcom teams has been reduced to two — Lynden and Lynden Christian.
The Lions and Lyncs, however, notched their biggest wins of the season on Saturday with non-league victories against bigger schools with state aspirations.
The defending Class 2A state champion Lions showed they can play with anybody by dominating 4A Tahoma, 57-25. The Lyncs, meanwhile, traveled to Everett and handed 2A power Archbishop Murphy its first loss, 58-54.
For a look back at Week 2 for our Whatcom boys teams, check out Whatcom Hoops boys recap.
The other team with three victories last week was Lummi Nation, which cruised through three NW1B League games by an average score of 65-16.
Here are the girls highlights from Week 2.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Meridian kept its winning streak alive and handed Sehome its first loss with a 55-51 overtime victory on Monday. Freshman Melanie Short led the Trojans with 18 points and sent the game into overtime with a bucket with 11 seconds left in regulation. In OT, senior Sofia Brooks took over, scoring all nine of Meridian’s points and finishing with 13 for the game. Sehome’s own freshman sensation, Taylor Turrell, had 19 points to lead the Mariners.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Nooksack Valley junior Grace DeHoog had 17 points on Tuesday and then had 31 on Wednesday, while junior Payton Bartl added 17 points for the Pioneers on Wednesday. … Mount Baker sophomore Rebeca Soares had 25 points on Friday. … Lummi Nation junior Ailina Rabang had 23 points and sophomore Jemma James had 20 on Monday, Rabang added 18 points and junior Kashlyn Mack had 17 points on Tuesday, and Mack had 23 points and James had 17 on Thursday. … Sophomore Finley Parcher had 23 points and junior Digitu Bowler added 17 points for Lynden on Tuesday, and Parcher came back with 18 points on Thursday and another 18 on Saturday. … Freshman Tyra Dykstra had 21 points for Lynden Christian on Thursday. … Sehome freshman Taylor Turrell had 19 points on Monday. … Freshman Melanie Short had 18 points for Meridian on Monday. … Junior Jilly Fox had 17 points for Ferndale on Tuesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LUMMI NATION opened league play by beating Providence Classical Christian on Monday, 65-17; Shoreline Christian on Tuesday, 65-3; and Lopez Island on Thursday, 64-28. On Monday, the Lady Blackhawks turned a six-point first-quarter lead into a blowout by scoring 26 points in the third quarter and holding the Highlanders to only two points in the second half. Rabang and James combined for 43 points and Mack added 16 more for Lummi Nation. On Tuesday, the Lummi defense only gave up a third-quarter bucket and a free throw after the final buzzer to shut down the Chargers. Rabang had another 18 points, Mack had 17, junior Bri Metteba had 8 points, junior Makaya Morris had 7 points, and James collected 6 points, 9 steals, and 8 assists. On Thursday, Lummi Nation had 44 points by halftime and held the Lobos to single digits in each quarter for the easy victory. Mack came out firing with 14 of her 23 points in the first quarter; James was brilliant with 17 points and three 3-pointers, 11 steals, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists; Metteba had 12 points and 6 rebounds; Morris had 8 rebounds; and freshman Celestine James had 7 rebounds. For the story and photos from Tuesday’s game, click on Lummi Nation girls.
LYNDEN overwhelmed Oak Harbor on Tuesday, 76-9; defeated Squalicum on Thursday, 64-21; and stunned Class 4A power Tahoma on Saturday, 57-25. On Tuesday, the Lions gave up only one point after the first quarter in sinking Oak Harbor. In addition to her game-high 23 points and three 3-pointers, Parcher had 6 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 assists. Bowler had five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, and junior Payton Mills had 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. On Thursday, the Lions came out fired up with a 41-point first half and then put away the Storm by holding them to two points in the second half. Parcher had 18 points and two 3-pointers, Mills had 13 points, senior Kiki York had 12 points, sophomore Lexi Hermanutz had 9 points, and junior Rilanna Newcomb had 6 points on a pair of 3s. On Saturday, the Lions pulled off a shocker by holding the Bears, who were ranked in the top 10 of 4A schools, to four points in the second half. Parcher had 18 points; Hermanutz had 12 points thanks to a 5-for-6 performance from the line; Mills had 9 points, all in the second half; and York had 8 points, all in the first half. For the story and photos from Thursday’s game, click on Lynden girls.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN thrashed Mount Vernon on Tuesday, 57-26, and Sedro-Woolley on Thursday, 80-22, and edged Archbishop Murphy on Saturday, 58-54. On Tuesday, the Lyncs only led 14-13 after one quarter but then turned up the defense, only allowing 13 points the rest of the way. Eleven different Lyncs scored with senior Allison Shumate going inside for her 15 points and senior transfer Alisa Scott coming off the bench to get her 12 points from the outside with a pair of 3-pointers. Senior Danya Dykstra added 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and junior Estela Hernandez had a pair of 3s for 6 points. On Thursday, 11 Lyncs again scored as LC collected all the points it would need with a 26-point first quarter. Tyra Dykstra had a career-high 21 points, including four 3-pointers and 5 rebounds; Shumate had 12 points and 5 rebounds; junior Ella Fritts had 11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals; junior Sara Van Loo had 10 points; and sophomore Jocelyn Eshuis had 6 points. On Saturday, the Lyncs came out with a 24-point first quarter and led by 15 going into the final period before being held to three point in the fourth quarter and holding on for the non-league win. Fritts led the balanced LC attack with 12 of her team-high 16 points in the first half and added 4 blocked shots, Shumate had all 10 of her points before intermission, Scott had 10 points on a pair of 3-pointers and 4 assists, Danya Dykstra had 9 points and 8 rebounds, and Tyra Dykstra had 5 assists.
NOOKSACK VALLEY lost to Archbishop Murphy in a non-league contest on Tuesday, 81-41, but got back on the winning track by besting Lakewood on Wednesday, 74-64, and Ferndale on Saturday, 44-26. On Tuesday, the Pioneers found themselves down by 10 in the first quarter and never recovered. DeHoog had 17 points and 9 rebounds, and senior Kate Shintaffer had 12 points, but only three other Pioneers managed to score. On Wednesday, DeHoog had another monster game with 31 points, 14 in the crucial fourth quarter, and 18 rebounds; Bartl had 17 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals; Shintaffer had 10 points, a pair of 3-pointers, and 8 rebounds; junior Chayleigh Davis had 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists; and sophomore Peyton Duque had 6 rebounds. On Saturday, the Pioneers fell behind 12-4 after the first quarter but shut out Ferndale in the second quarter and used a 20-point third period to pull away. Bartl and DeHoog led the way with 13 points each, with the two combining for 20 points after halftime. DeHoog also had 23 rebounds; Bartl had 6 assists; Shintaffer added 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals; and Duque had 7 rebounds.
MERIDIAN stunned Sehome in overtime on Monday, 55-51, and lost to Burlington-Edison on Thursday, 56-38. In Monday’s thriller, Short had a game-high 18 points, all in the second half, and 10 rebounds as Meridian rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Brooks had 13 points, nine coming in the extra period; senior Brooklyn Fuller had 10 points, going 6-for-6 from the line; and sophomore Eden Bernardy added 6 points. On Thursday, Meridian fell behind early and despite outscoring the Tigers in the second half, couldn’t make up the difference. Fuller had 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Short had 7 points, Bernardy had 6 points and 6 rebounds, and junior Kinsley Neal hit two 3s for 6 points.
BELLINGHAM beat Blaine on Wednesday, 35-24, but lost its first game of the season to Mount Baker on Friday, 51-37. In Wednesday’s defensive battle, the Bayhawks’ limited the Borderites to three points in the final period to pull away for the win. Eight Bayhawks scored with sophomore Merritt Jensen and junior Mary Lockhart leading the way with 8 and 6 points, respectively. Jensen also had 8 rebounds, and Lockhart had 6 rebounds and 3 steals. On Friday, the Bayhawks only managed nine points before halftime and despite playing the Mounties even the second half, couldn’t dig out of the hole. Junior Abigail Morell came off the bench to spark Bellingham with 11 points, senior Malia Hanks had 8 points, and junior Lily Jude had 7 points. For the story and photos from Friday’s game, click on Bellingham girls.
MOUNT BAKER lost for the first time this season, falling at Sedro-Woolley on Monday, 60-31, but bounced back to beat Bellingham on Friday, 51-37. On Monday, the Mounties went cold in the middle two quarters, only scoring 10 points, while the high-powered Cubs used a 17-point third quarter to pull away. Soares managed 10 points, senior Faith Wilson had 8 points, and junior Reace Brown added 6 points. On Friday, the Mounties held the Bayhawks to nine first-half points and then held off Bellingham the rest of the way. Soares had 25 points, 18 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks; Brown had 9 points and 9 rebounds; and Wilson added 8 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. For the story and photos from Friday’s game, click on Mount Baker girls.
FERNDALE defeated Anacortes on Tuesday, 47-39, but lost at Stanwood on Friday, 47-22; and at Nooksack Valley on Saturday, 44-26. On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles used a 19-point second quarter to take a six-point lead into halftime and then held off the Seahawks the rest of the way. Fox had a game-high 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals; junior Abbey White had eight of her 13 points in the big second period and finished a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line; junior Kayla Washington added 7 points; and sophomore Brooklyn Larrabee had 4 steals. On Friday, Ferndale never got its offense going in dropping the non-league contest to the Spartans. Fox had 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 steals to lead the Golden Eagles. Washington added 7 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the foul line, and 4 steals; and Larrabbee had 5 rebounds and 3 steals. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles came out strong, leading the defending state champs, 12-4, after one period. But Ferndale’s offense was shut out in the second quarter and only managed 14 points after halftime. Fox had 15 points and Washington had 7 points, but no one else had more than two points.
SEHOME lost to Meridian on Monday in overtime, 55-51, and to Stanwood on Tuesday, 44-19, but bounced back to beat Blaine on Saturday, 44-11. On Monday, the Mariners built a nine-point lead through three quarters but couldn’t hold off the Trojans. Turrell had 19 points to lead the Mariners, and sophomores Kate Schroeder and Elyse Panagos had 9 and 7 points, respectively. On Tuesday, the Mariners’ offense struggled against the Spartans’ defense, only managing eight points through three quarters of the non-league game. Junior Aspen Barge and Turrell had 6 points each with Barge notching 5 blocks and Turrell collecting 5 rebounds. On Saturday, it was the Sehome defense that shined as the Mariners took a 25-1 halftime lead. Schroeder had 10 points, Panagos had 9 points, and Turrell and Barge added 8 points each. Turrell also had 6 steals and 5 assists, and Barge had 5 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
SQUALICUM faced two of the Class 2A state favorites on the road and came away with a pair of losses, falling to Burlington-Edison on Monday, 66-46, and to Lynden on Thursday, 64-21. On Monday, the Storm fell into a 12-point first-quarter hole and despite playing the Tigers even the next two quarters, couldn’t make up the difference. Sophomore Tiana Thompson had great all-around game with 12 points 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks; freshman Kia Perez had 9 points and 8 rebounds; sophomore Carli Kiesau had 8 points and sophomore Lexi Robbins had 7 points and 8 assists. On Thursday, the Storm couldn’t solve the Lions’ defense with only senior Loretta Murphy-Kangas (6 points) and Robbins (5 points) able to score more than four points.For the story and photos from Thursday’s game, click on Squalicum girls.
BLAINE lost at Orcas Island on Monday 36-20; to Bellingham on Wednesday, 35-24; and to Sehome on Saturday, 44-11. On Monday, the Borderites jumped out to an early lead but only managed 10 points after the first quarter in dropping the non-league contest to the Vikings. Marcella Bring led Blaine with a pair of 3-pointers and 8 points, and fellow sophomore Kate Koreski added 5 points. On Wednesday, Blaine was only down by three points going into the final period but could only score three points in losing its first NWC game of the season. Junior Aaliyah Bowman had 9 points, senior Brie Smith had 9 rebounds, and junior Brietta Sandell had 6 steals to lead the Borderites. On Saturday, points were hard to come by against the Mariners’ defense as Sandell led the Borderites with 3 points and 5 rebounds, and Bowman added 8 steals.
NOTE: A big thank you to the coaches and Tyler Anderson of WhatcomPreps.com for providing statistics.
WEEK 3
TOP GAME
Tuesday will be a big night for our Northwest Conference teams as Meridian travels to Squalicum and Mount Baker is at Sehome. In the battle for the Class 3A district contenders, Oak Harbor is at Ferndale on Wednesday.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 16: Oak Harbor at Bellingham, Lynden at Lakewood, Lummi Nation at Friday Harbor
Tuesday, Dec. 17: Meridian at Squalicum, Nooksack Valley at Mount Vernon, Mount Baker at Sehome
Wednesday, Dec. 18: Oak Harbor at Ferndale, Darrington at Lummi Nation
Thursday, Dec. 19: Sehome at Lynden Christian, Bellingham at Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley at Nooksack Valley, Burlington-Edison at Mount Baker, Lummi Nation at Grace Academy
Friday, Dec. 20: Blaine at Meridian, Ferndale at Lynden
Saturday, Dec. 21: Blaine at Cascade (Everett), Bellingham at Edmonds-Woodway, Stanwood at Lynden, Squalicum at Lakewood, Meridian at Cedarcrest
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Burlington-Edison | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Lynden | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Nooksack Valley | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Bellingham | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Ferndale | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Lakewood | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Meridian | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Mount Vernon | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Sehome | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Anacortes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Blaine | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Squalicum | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Grace Academy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lopez Island | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
