'Twas The Week Before Christmas

For the second time in three days, the Sedro-Woolley Cubs lost a heartbreaker on overtime.  Coming off an emotional 65-63 OT loss to Anacortes at home on Monday, the Cubs were nipped again, 91-90, Wednesday night, at Lynden Christian.

The Cubs, who played the last 4:04 without leading scorer, Ethan DeJong, who fouled out in the last seconds of regulation, had a 90-85 lead with 58 seconds left in overtime. 

They took the five-point lead with 1:15 left in OT, thanks to a nifty drive by senior guard, Cliff Tadema, where he went in the air between defenders and put it in off the glass.

At the other end, Lyncs junior guard, Gunnar Dykstra, worked his way into the key, but missed a ten-foot jumper.  The Cubs rebounded Dykstra’s rare miss, and called timeout, leading 90-85 with :58 seconds to play.

On the Cubs inbounds against full court pressure, Tadema received the pass but lost the ball out of bounds, giving the ball right back to the Lyncs.

On the Lyncs inbounds play, Eli Maberry patiently waited for Chris Kooiman to finish his screens, and cut to the basket for a wide open lay-in, his only two points of the game.  That got the Lyncs to within three, 90-87, with 55 seconds left.

At the other end, Dawson Hintz tipped a Cubs pass toward his offensive end, and was able to race after it and take it for a short bank shot, to cut the Cubs lead to just a point with 28 seconds left.

Tadema was fouled in back court at the 25 second mark but could not get either of his two free throws to fall.

The Lyncs worked the ball down the floor and went for the win but the Cubs defended well.  A drive by Hintz from the wing was closed off, and a potential shot by Dykstra was defended a few seconds later.  Ultimately, the ball was in Dykstra’s hands again, way out on the left wing with 12 seconds left.  He drove toward the left baseline, stopped and popped a fade-away 17-footer that hit nothing by twine.

After a Cubs timeout with 4.7 seconds to use, Tadema raced the dribble down the floor and got a decent look, but his 22-footer hit the back rim and bounced away.

The Cubs played this game without senior starting guard, Jae Thompson, who had a prior commitment concerning his post-high school plans.  This game was rescheduled from the prior week due to the region’s flooding situation.

By the numbers, Dykstra led everyone with 32 points, while running mate, Dawson Hintz hit for 29 for the Lyncs.  DeJong tossed in 29 for the Cubs, and senior forward Isaac Johnson added 23 points which included six 3-pointers.  Tadema scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Cubs connected on 14 3-point shots to 11 for the Lyncs.  The teams were even at 78-78 at the end of regulation.

Behind the numbers, the high scoring battle was more about good offenses than bad defenses.  The Lyncs used the back door to their advantage against the Cubs man-to-man pressure, scoring several times on back door cuts with timely passes from the high post, courtesy of 6-4 junior forward, Kaden Veldman. 

The Lyncs also got four 3-pointers from senior forward, Eli Maberry.  Maberry hit one 3-point shot in each quarter, switching corners each time.  He changed things up by nailing the most difficult shot in basketball:  a ten-footer from the baseline, which tied the game with 7.7 seconds left in regulation.

Also on the LC side, a little more about Gunnar Dykstra.

It may be an oxymoron, but it’s true:  Dykstra STOPS very FAST!

He has the ability to burst with the dribble toward any area of the floor, and be able to stop on a dime, and give you three cents change.  That allows him an open jumper at any time, and against any defender.  The balance and quick hop got him open on the left baseline for the game winner.

The Cubs stayed close through will and determination, and some deadly outside shooting.  They played a 6-man rotation for most of the game.  In the third quarter, five players combined to hit six 3-point shots, as they overcame a 3-point halftime deficit, to lead by one with eight (actually 12) minutes left.

You would have thought that losing DeJong to fouls with three seconds left in regulation would have been their demise, but they engineered 12 points in the overtime period, but the Lyncs managed one more that that. 

The Cubs returned to North Whatcom County the very next day and got a 72-54 win at Nooksack Valley.  The Lyncs kept the offense rolling with a 78-50 home win over Sehome on Friday.

Back to Monday at Lakewood, the Cougars used a big surge late in the third quarter to get past Lynden, 72-65.

In a very tight game, Lions led throughout most of the first half, and for nearly all of the third quarter.  Nearly.

Sophomore forward Jayden Navarre gave the Lions a 45-43 lead on an inside score with :55 seconds left in the third quarter.  But that would be their last lead of the game.

Seconds later, junior guard, Drew Egger, tossed in a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 46-45 Cougar lead.

After a Lions miss, Cougar senior forward Caleb Greenland hit the first of his two 3-point shots in the final 27 seconds of the quarter.  After a bucket by Lion senior guard, Brody Price, Greenland finished the quarter with a step-back 3-point shot at the buzzer, to put the Cougars up 52-47, heading into the final period.

The Cougars continued the momentum into the fourth quarter.  Leading by seven points, Greenland set up sophomore guard Carter Langum for a 3-pointer from the right corner, and the Cougars built a 10-point lead with 5:45 left.

But the Lions weren’t done.  When junior guard Gordy Bedlington scored on a lay-in after a Cougar turnover, the Lions were within three points with 4:30 left.

However, Langum turned the tide with another 3-point shot to push the lead back so six.

While the Lions stayed close, the Cougars went 6-6 at the free throw line in the final 27 seconds to secure the win.

Greenland and Langum split eight threes on the night, with Greenland totaling 24 points and 16 for Langum.  Senior forward Spencer Adams led the Lions with 28.

The Cougars graduated ten players form last year’s state tournament team and have only three this season.  The Cougars have certainly reloaded around Greenland with quick players who can run and shoot.  Their trademark.

On Tuesday, Nooksack Valley and Mount Vernon got together in The Palace.  It was the first game in two weeks for the Pioneers, while the Bulldogs had been idle for one week.  Neither team seemed rusty, despite the unusual situations recently.

Behind a strong second quarter, the Pioneers took a 34-29 lead at halftime.  Five Pioneers each hit one 3-point shot in the second quarter, as they totaled seven threes in the first half.

The Bulldogs used their muscle inside in the third quarter, as 6-5 senior forward, Taran Hanjrah, scored seven of his team-high 16 points in the period, as the Bulldogs forged a 49-46 lead.

The Bulldogs built some breathing room in the fourth quarter, taking a 63-53 lead with 1:20 to play on a 3-point shot by senior guard, Kaden Sokol. 

The Pioneers weren’t done, as they went the foul route the rest of the way, and it almost worked.  The Bulldogs 9-19 performance at the free throw line in the fourth quarter was far from spectacular but was just enough to hang on for a 71-66 win. 

The Pioneers trimmed the Bulldogs lead to three points with three seconds to play on a 3-pointer by senior Owen Wichers, but junior guard Evan Vinal finished the scoring with two free throws for the Bulldogs.  Vinal was 6-6 at the line in the fourth quarter.

The Pioneers got 14 points each from senior guards Crew Bauman and Cole Coppinger.  Bauman’s 14 came off the bench, as did 13 points from sophomore forward Treven Scheenstra.

After Hanjrah’s 16 points, the Bulldogs got 14 from Vinal, and ten points from junior guard Reece Roberts.

On Friday, the Bulldogs were upended by Oak Harbor, 51-43.  That was the first head-to-head game between 3A teams from the NWC.  I would give the edge to Sedro-Woolley in that group of four, but it will be a battle for the next two spots to the 3A district tournament.

There is something similar in the group of five teams in the 1A classification.  Consider the competitiveness of this group.  Lynden Christian still has the advantage in the 1A race, but Mount Baker and Blaine have closed the gap on Meridian and Nooksack Valley.  The race for that second spot is too close to call. 

At Blaine on Friday night, the Borderites hosted the Trojans.  But they weren’t very hospitable early on, as the Borderites took a 14-2 lead, but it was the Trojans earning a 43-40 victory. 

A 10-2 run by the Trojans late in the second quarter, closed the gap to 23-21 at halftime.

With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the teams were tied at 35-35.

From there it was a offensive struggle to the finish line.  A steal by Blaine junior Angus Dickson resulted in a Trojan foul, with 1:59 to play.  Dickson sank both free throws to give the Borderites a 40-39 lead, but they would not move the scoreboard again.

Trailing 41-40 with possession, the Borderites turned the ball over with 16 seconds left.  Two free throws by Trojans junior guard Trey Alexander gave the Trojans a 3-point cushion.

Knowing the Borderites needed a 3-point score, the Trojans walled off the arc and the Borderites could only muster a desperation shot from the volleyball line. 

The win was the Trojans first of the season against five losses.  They are 1-2 in the conference.  The Borderites are 1-3 in the NWC and 3-4 on the season.

Lynden junior guard, Malachi Koenen, is very familiar with points scored in threes.  He is an outstanding kicker of field goals for the Lions football team, and he carries the same instincts to the basketball floor.  Especially on Friday night when the Lions beat Ferndale, 76-50.

Koenen burned the Golden Eagles in the first quarter by hitting his first four 3-point shots.  He added a fifth in the second quarter, then three points the old-fashioned way in the third quarter followed by a simple 2-pointer, for a 20-point night.

The Lions broke away from a 24-17 lead early in the second quarter by outscoring the Golden Eagles 23-2 for a 47-19 lead at halftime.

All ten players scored for the Lions with junior forward Lewis Whitney finishing with 13, and senior forward Spencer Adams with 10.

For Ferndale, sophomore guard Houston Wills led with 13, including 3-5 from 3-point land.  Senior guard Mantaj Singh added 12.

On Saturday, the Anacortes Seahawks got to play their first non-league game of the season, as they hosted Archbishop Murphy.  The Seahawks got all they could handle from the Wildcats, but got the win, 64-59.

When Wildcat freshman guard Vlad Bondarchuk banked in a 3-point shot in the first minute of the third quarter, the Wildcats enjoyed a 31-21 lead.  But by the time the quarter was 32 seconds from expiring, the Seahawks had flipped the script and had gone on top, 46-38. 

The Seahawks led by five points starting the fourth quarter and never let the Wildcats closer than four thanks to a huge second half by senior forward Micah Dickison.

He drove more on this day than an Indy driver.  Seeing gaps from the wings to the rim or maneuvering in the low post.  He scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in the second half.

The Seahawks length on defense can be lethal to teams, especially in the first minutes.  This was the case in this game, as the young Wildcats had trouble in their backcourt at the outset.  Once they got into their offense, they were able to hit some shots and even lead by seven points at halftime.

The Wildcats start one senior, one junior, two sophomores, and a freshman.  A game like this is good for us, as we can see what the competition is like prior to district tournament time.

The Wildcats are tough, and will be a team to be reconned with, come February, as those young guards begin to age.  However, their problem may be lack of depth, as they only played six players for most of the game.  They rotated one reserve until foul trouble cost them two starters in the fourth quarter. 

Lakewood defeated Squalicum on Saturday night 74-34, to stay undefeated in league play, along with Lynden Christian, Burlington-Edison, and Anacortes.  Lynden and Sehome have one league loss.

Other than Lakewood at Nooksack Valley on Monday, conference games go on hiatus for a while. 

There are several tournaments or holiday classics during the week after Christmas, hosted by several local gyms.  Check your local listings.  I hope to get to the SunDome Shootout in Yakima, but always weather permitting.

I will report in again during that week. 

~ Ted House