ANACORTES – Lynden boys basketball erased a 12-point halftime deficit to beat Anacortes 78-73 on the road Wednesday night, fueled by 22 second-half points from senior Anthony Canales.
Canales scored a team-high 27 points and added six rebounds, helping Lynden gain sole possession of first place in the Northwest Conference. Anacortes sophomore guard Davis Fogle scored a game-high 42 points in the loss on 14-for-22 shooting.
“No one’s ever scored 42 against us,” Lynden coach Brian Roper said. “Not since I’ve been in Lynden; for 18 years.”
Lynden trailed by as much as 14 points in the first half and never held a lead until midway through the third quarter. The Lions knew containing Fogle would be critical to a comeback attempt.
“We just tried to put our best defenders on him, rough him up a little bit,” Canales said. “He’s a great player, so he’s going to hit shots. We knew it was going to come.”
Lynden struggled to string together buckets in the first half, and a five-point deficit after one period grew to nine after the Lions went scoreless the first three minutes of the second quarter.
Anacortes inflated its lead late in the second quarter, streaking to a 37-23 advantage behind a rapid eight-point stretch from Fogle. Lynden’s attempts to attack the rim continued to be stymied or result in a trip to the free throw line — there were no easy looks.
Lynden brought it back to within 10 near the halftime break, but a Fogle buzzer-beater made it 39-27 at the break in favor of the Seahawks. The 6-foot-5 guard finished with 21 first-half points for Anacortes.
“The mood in the locker room [at halftime] was business-like,” Roper said. “Anthony [Canales] struggled early, and [Parcher] had a hard time getting going. But they just kept saying the right things and, as a team, we stayed upbeat.”
The Lions came out swinging in the third quarter, scoring the half’s first six points, eventually trimming Anacortes’ lead to three.
Canales came to life for the Lions, adding 11 points in the period to aid their comeback as senior guard Coston “Bubba” Parcher continued pushing into the paint.
Senior guard Cameron Peterson gave Lynden its first lead of the game — and his first points of the game — at 48-47, and the game went to the fourth quarter tied at 50-50.
“Peterson was huge,” Roper said. “He made all five of his shots, he got some hustle plays for us, and that’s what a team’s about. Brant [Heppner] was in foul trouble, and he just brought a lot of energy and a lot of value tonight.”
Peterson saved his best for last, shooting 5-for-5 from the field en route to tallying 10 points, all in the second half. Parcher and Canales shot a combined 22-for-26 from the free throw line, as the game featured more than 40 total fouls.
Lynden poured its momentum over into the fourth quarter, leading by as much as nine with four minutes left to play.
Anacortes opted for intentional fouls late, shrinking the Lions’ advantage to 75-73 with under 30 seconds remaining. Lynden continued to sink game-sealing free throw attempts, and time ran out on the Seahawks.
Parcher finished with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals — one of which was a critical late-game pickpocket of a stumbling Fogle to keep the momentum on the Lions’ side.
Sophomore forward Brant Heppner added 10 points and four rebounds for Lynden. Senior forward Jacob Hayes was Anacortes’ second-leading scorer with 13 points, seven rebounds and a block.
Lynden moved to 15-1 overall, 11-0 in NWC games, and will host Sehome (10-2, 13-3 NWC) at 7:15 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27, in another critical league contest.
Anacortes, which dropped to 14-2 overall and 10-1 in NWC contests, will head on the road to Blaine (12-3, 9-2 NWC) at 7:15 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28.
Score by quarter
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
| Lynden | 11 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 78 |
| Anacortes | 16 | 23 | 11 | 23 | 73 |
