2A Girls State Tournament: Lynden Advances to Semifinals

Lion senior Rian Stephan

The Lynden Lions cleared their first hurdle in the race for a third straight 2A Girls state championship by dismantling the Deer Park Stags, 58-33, Thursday, in a state quarterfinal game in the Yakima Valley SunDome. 

It was pitted as the “early state championship” as it was the #2 seeded Stags against the #1 seeded Lions, but the Lions ended the suspense with a 20-3 run in the third quarter.

Before that, it was a defensive chess match at the start. 

The Stags lost to #7 Ellensburg in the regional round, putting them in a game on Wednesday’s elimination round.  They took care of #10 Mark Morris, 67-32, with three Stags accounting for 64 of those points.

The Lions plan was to take away one of those three players, which was senior guard, Emma Bryant, who netted 23 points against the Monarchs.

Assigned to Bryant at the outset was Lions senior guard, Rilanna Newcomb, who face guarded Bryant, essentially making the Stags offense a game of four-on-four.

With help from senior guard Degitu Bowler, the Lions held Bryant scoreless through three quarters, with only one field goal attempt in the first half.

Meanwhile, the Stags defense centered on junior guard Finley Parcher and forward Payton Mills.  With focus there, it opened the outside for other shooters, but they need to come through.  And that, they did.

After a 12-11 first quarter lead for the Lions, senior forward Rian Stephan stepped out and netted two 2-point shots early in the second quarter to give the Lions some breathing room.  The Lions held the Stags to just two second quarter points and had a 24-13 lead at halftime. 

After a quick 3-pointer by the Stags and a Lion turnover to start the second half, the Lions responded with a 20-3 run to end all doubt about the outcome.  Parcher, Bowler, Lexi Hermanutz, and Izzie Stephan all hit 3-point shots in the third quarter at the same time the Stags could not get an uncontested lay-in to fall. 

Through three quarters, the trio of Jacey Boesel, Ashlan Bryant, and Emma Bryant combined for 19 of the Stags 22 points. 

Thanks mostly to the Lions defense, but the Stags had trouble getting anything to fall through the net, shooting a shivering cold 19.6% for the game, which includes 3-29 on 2-point shots. 

The Lions, on the other hand, calmly hit 53.5% from the field, including 70%, in the second half.

Parcher led the Lions with 14 points, and Rian Stephan added 11.  Mills collected 14 rebounds. 

The Stags will play #11 Nathan Hale in an elimination game, Friday at 900am.

The Lions are now 25-0 on the season, and with their 73 straight win have a spot in the semifinals.  They will take on #4 Clarkston, at 345pm, on Friday.

~ Ted House

STATS

Lynden: Bowler 8, Hermanutz 5, Nyhoff 0, Newcomb 0, Slayton 0, R.Stephan 11, I.Stephan 8, Somma 0, Basart 0, Parcher 14, Mills 6, Dykstra 5

FG: 23-43, 53.5%

3P: 7-22, 31.8%

FT: 5-12, 41.7%

Deer Park: Boesel 11, Zimmerer 1, A.Bryant 10, Mitchell 0, Gannon 3, E.Bryant 8, Reiter 0,

FG: 11-56, 19.6%

3P: 8-27, 29.6%

FT: 3-4, 75%