2A Girls State Tournament: Lynden Advances to Third Straight Title Game

The Lynden Lions are down to one game away from their third consecutive 2A state championship.  They put a defensive straight jacket on the Clarkston Bantams, in a 50-30 win in the state semifinals, Friday evening in the Yakima SunDome.

After eight minutes, it would have been hard to believe that either team would reach 50 points.

The Bantams scored first, and it held up for over four minutes before the Lions tied the score on an inside bucket by senior forward Rian Stephan.  Junior guard Finley Parcher added a free throw at 1:48 to break the deadlock, then two more inside the last minute.  Bantams senior guard Aneysa Judy hit two free throws after being fouled at the buzzer.  Both teams managed a single field goal in the first quarter.

The Lions began to put the ball through the net in the second quarter.  A 3-pointer by senior guard Degitu Bowler got things started, but the Lions didn’t pull away quickly.  Again, it was the Lions defense limiting the Bantams to just two free throws in the quarter until sophomore forward Joslyn McCormack-Marks hit a 3-pointer with two minutes left in the half.  The Lions had a 24-9 lead at halftime, as the Bantams shot 2-25, or 8-percent in the first half.

The Lions stayed in control throughout the second half, with the lead reaching as much as 23 points. 

Lion junior Finley Parcher

Parcher was the only Lion in double-figures, but she accomplished that in two columns.  She shot 7-10 from the field for 21 points, but she had even more rebounds…22, with 16 on the defensive end.  Senior forward Payton Mills pulled down 11 rebounds to help the Lions to a 53-33 rebound advantage. 

The Bantams ended up shooting 19-percent for the game to the Lions 38-percent.

Lynden (26-0) is now one win from their third consecutive state championship.  Their opponent in Saturday’s final will be the Prosser Mustangs.  The #3 Mustangs (24-3) beat league rival, Ellensburg, 64-42, in the second semifinal.  It was the fourth time the Mustangs have beaten the Bulldogs this season. 

~ Ted House

STATS

Clarkston: Jae.McCormack-Marks 3, Dempsey 3, Judy 2, Jos.McCormack-Marks 11, McManigle 2, Augir 9

FG: 11-58, 19%

3P: 2-20, 10%

FT: 6-15, 40%

Lynden: Bowler 8, Hermanutz 4, Nyhoff 0, Newcomb 2, Slayton 0, R.Stephan 6, I.Stephan 3, Somma 0, Basart 0, Parcher 21, Mills 6, Dykstra 0.

FG: 19-50, 38%

3P: 3-19, 15.8%

FT: 9-13, 69.2%