Holiday tournaments presented unique scheduling for local prep basketball teams, with most playing hefty slates throughout the past week.
One local boys team played a state championship rematch, while Whatcom County’s top girls team suffered its first loss of the season.
Western Washington University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs remained idle before returning to play on Thursday, Jan. 4.
Here’s an overview of what you may have missed from the last week of winter sports.
Prep
Boys basketball
With holiday tournaments happening all around the county and state, very few league games were played while multiple boys teams wrapped up their final non-league contests of the regular season.
Lynden (8-3, 6-0 NWC) and Nooksack Valley (7-3, 4-3 NWC) were in Yakima for the annual Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout tournament at the Yakima Valley SunDome, and both teams split their two games.
NV handily defeated Toppenish 59-37 on Thursday, Dec. 28 before falling to Quincy, 62-48, the following day — snapping a two-game win streak for the Pioneers.
Lynden’s first game on Dec. 28 was a narrow 70-65 loss to Zillah. The Lions and Mark Morris then faced off in a rematch of last year’s 2A state championship game, and Lynden once again prevailed, 68-48, on Friday, Dec. 29.
Senior guard Anthony Canales led the Lions with 23 points and four assists, while junior forward Brant Heppner tallied 14 points and four assists. Senior guard Brady Elsner stuffed the stat sheet with five points, 10 assists and five steals.
Lynden Christian (11-0, 5-0 NWC), the last team undefeated overall in the league, played in two holiday tournaments Dec. 28–30, at Mountlake Terrace and then at Meridian.
In the Mountlake Terrace tourney, the Lyncs pulled off two wins over larger schools. The first was a 62-51 win over Class 4A North Creek on Dec. 28, followed by a narrow 66-64 victory over 3A Mountlake Terrace on Dec. 29.
LC then went to Meridian on Saturday, Dec. 30, and beat Bellevue Christian 81-40.
Sehome (6-4, 3-2 NWC) also attended the Mountlake Terrace tourney and split its two games. The Mariners edged Prairie, 74-73, on Dec. 28 before falling to Class 4A Inglemoor, 59-49, on Dec. 29.
Meridian (7-4, 3-3 NWC) went 1-1 at its own tournament, falling to Nathan Hale 78-47 on Dec. 28 before beating Steilacoom, 59-34, on Dec. 29. The Trojans returned to league play on Tuesday, Jan. 2 and beat Burlington-Edison 63-61.
Bellingham (7-3, 5-1 NWC) didn’t attend a holiday tournament, but the Bayhawks played two games last week. They traveled to Marysville-Getchell on Dec. 29 and lost, 73-51, before beating Sequim 69-57 on Dec. 30.
Girls basketball
Whatcom County’s girls teams played a similar holiday schedule to the boys, though no teams went east of the mountains.
Nooksack Valley (10-1, 6-0 NWC) played three games from Dec. 27–29, but its quest for an undefeated season came to an end. The Pioneers’ 32-game win streak, dating back to Dec. 27, 2022, was snapped by Lake City High School — a school located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Despite the 55-48 loss, the Pioneers remain at the top of the NWC standings with their undefeated league record.
Ferndale (7-4, 5-0 NWC), the conference’s current third-place team, played just one game since Dec. 27. The Golden Eagles lost to Holy Names Academy, 48-37, on Dec. 28.
Lynden (11-1, 5-1 NWC) currently has the most wins of any team in the league after picking up three victories in the Lynden Christmas Classic tournament at Lynden Christian High School from Dec. 28–30. The Lions won the tourney championship with victories over White River, Prosser and Class 3A Snohomish.
Falling short in its own tournament, Lynden Christian (7-4, 4-1 NWC) captured third after falling to Snohomish, but bounced back to beat Prosser, 48-42, on Dec. 30.
Blaine (5-5, 1-4 NWC) picked up two wins at Meridian’s holiday tournament. The Borderites beat Overlake, 47-42, on Dec. 28 before losing to Squalicum (6-5, 1-4 NWC) by 22 points the next day. Blaine then rebounded to defeat Friday Harbor, 50-26, Dec. 30.
GNAC men’s basketball standings — Jan. 3
| Men’s basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Montana State Billings | 2-0 | 8-4 |
| Northwest Nazarene | 2-0 | 5-4 |
| Western Washington | 1-0 | 9-3 |
| Saint Martin’s | 1-1 | 11-1 |
| Central Washington | 1-1 | 8-3 |
| Seattle Pacific | 1-1 | 8-7 |
| Alaska Fairbanks | 1-1 | 3-7 |
| Simon Fraser | 0-1 | 2-10 |
| Alaska Anchorage | 0-2 | 10-3 |
| Western Oregon | 0-2 | 3-7 |
GNAC women’s basketball standings — Jan. 3
| Women’s basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Montana State Billings | 2-0 | 11-3 |
| Central Washington | 2-0 | 10-3 |
| Seattle Pacific | 2-0 | 4-7 |
| Western Washington | 1-0 | 9-2 |
| Western Oregon | 1-1 | 6-5 |
| Northwest Nazarene | 1-1 | 4-5 |
| Simon Fraser | 0-1 | 8-6 |
| Alaska Anchorage | 0-2 | 6-5 |
| Saint Martin’s | 0-2 | 2-7 |
| Alaska Fairbanks | 0-2 | 2-10 |
Boys basketball, Northwest Conference — Jan. 3
| Boys basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Lynden Christian | 6-0 | 12-0 |
| Lynden | 6-0 | 8-3 |
| Mount Vernon | 5-1 | 9-2 |
| Bellingham | 5-1 | 7-3 |
| Nooksack Valley | 5-3 | 8-3 |
| Sehome | 4-2 | 7-4 |
| Anacortes | 3-2 | 7-3 |
| Meridian | 3-3 | 7-4 |
| Lakewood | 3-3 | 5-5 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 3-4 | 4-6 |
| Squalicum | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Ferndale | 2-4 | 3-8 |
| Burlington-Edison | 1-5 | 5-7 |
| Mount Baker | 1-5 | 3-8 |
| Blaine | 1-5 | 3-8 |
| Oak Harbor | 0-6 | 2-9 |
Girls basketball, Northwest Conference — Jan. 3
| Girls basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Nooksack Valley | 6-0 | 10-1 |
| Burlington-Edison | 6-0 | 9-2 |
| Ferndale | 5-0 | 7-4 |
| Lynden | 5-1 | 11-1 |
| Lynden Christian | 5-1 | 8-4 |
| Sehome | 5-1 | 6-2 |
| Anacortes | 4-2 | 8-3 |
| Oak Harbor | 3-3 | 6-5 |
| Lakewood | 2-4 | 4-4 |
| Squalicum | 1-4 | 6-5 |
| Blaine | 1-4 | 5-5 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 1-5 | 5-5 |
| Meridian | 1-5 | 3-7 |
| Mount Baker | 0-4 | 3-8 |
| Mount Vernon | 0-5 | 2-6 |
| Bellingham | 0-6 | 2-8 |
Standings were updated at 10:47 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4 to reflect the outcomes of games played on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
