Whatcom County prep basketball teams returned to their standard scheduling this past week, and the powerhouses just kept on winning. All other sports returned as well, and local girls wrestlers picked up top finishes at big tournaments.
Western Washington University’s basketball teams returned from an 18-day slumber, each splitting their pair of games last week.
Here’s an overview of what you may have missed from the last week of winter sports.
Prep
Boys basketball
Not much has changed at the top end of the Northwest Conference basketball standings, other than the powerhouses picking up more wins.
With Lynden (10-3, 8-0 NWC) outpacing undefeated Lynden Christian (13-0, 7-0 NWC) by one league game, the Lions have maintained their first-place hold on the league. Lynden has won three games in a row following its loss to Zillah on Dec. 28, most recently rolling Mount Baker, 72-29, on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
LC’s win streak is now 25 games, dating back to Jan. 24, 2023. The Lyncs’ last game was a win over Nooksack Valley, 72-42, on Friday, Jan. 5. Having played many of the bottom-end NWC teams to this point, LC has a big upcoming game on Saturday, Jan. 13 against Anacortes (9-3, 5-2 NWC).
In-city rivals Bellingham (8-5, 6-2 NWC) and Sehome (8-4, 5-2 NWC) are neck and neck. Bellingham snapped a two-game skid with a 56-45 win over Oak Harbor on Jan. 9, while Sehome has won two in a row. The Mariners most recently beat Lakewood, 61-51, on Jan. 5.
After a hot start, NV (8-5, 4-5 NWC) has struggled in conference play, losing four of its last five games. The Pioneers lost its last game to Squalicum, 54-39, on Jan. 9 after its big defeat to LC. Squalicum (5-8, 3-5 NWC) ended a four-game skid with the win.
Meridian (8-6, 4-5 NWC) has done the opposite as of late, winning four of its last six contests. The Trojans, who lost to Anacortes 72-48 on Saturday, Jan. 6, beat Blaine by the exact same score on Jan. 9.
Ferndale (4-8, 3-4 NWC) has won two in a row, and the Golden Eagles crushed Oak Harbor 82-47 on Jan. 5. A win over Foster on Wednesday, Jan. 3 snapped a four-game losing streak for Ferndale.
Girls basketball
Whatcom County is dominating the top of the league, with five of the top six NWC teams being local squads.
Reigning 1A state champion Nooksack Valley (12-1, 8-0 NWC) still refuses to lose a league game, and the Pioneers are beating NWC opponents by an average of 42.8 points per game. Their most recent win was a 63-27 steamrolling of Squalicum on Jan. 9.
Lynden (13-1, 7-1 NWC), which has only lost to NV, has nabbed six straight wins, most recently beating Mount Baker 81-24 on Jan. 9. The Lions’ previous game, on Thursday, Jan. 4, was merciless 62-9 drubbing of Bellingham.
After being idle for 13 days, Sehome (7-2, 6-1 NWC) returned to play on Jan. 3, beating Oak Harbor 65-48. The Mariners then trounced Lakewood, 74-53, on Jan. 5.
Ferndale (7-5, 5-1 NWC) and Lynden Christian (8-5, 5-2 NWC) are close behind in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
The Golden Eagles have lost two in a row, falling to Holy Names Academy, 48-37, on Dec. 28, 2023, before losing to Oak Harbor, 66-64, on Jan. 5. The Lyncs had a two-game win streak snapped by NV, 61-46, on Jan. 5.
Squalicum (8-6, 3-5 NWC) and Blaine (6-7, 2-6 NWC) are in the mix, though their subpar league records have hurt their league positioning.
The Storm had a seven-game win streak broken in its loss to NV on Jan. 9, while the Borderites picked up a 49-34 win over Meridian the same night.
Girls wrestling
Squalicum’s Bella Phillips finished first at 190 pounds in the 30-team Braided 64 girls wrestling tournament Jan. 5–6 at Kelso High School.
Phillips defeated McNary High School (Oregon) wrestler Ali Martinez via a 7-3 decision in the championship match.
Lynden wrestler Olivia Scott captured first at 190 pounds in the 14-team Rock Island Rumble tournament on Jan. 6 at Oak Harbor High School. Scott pinned Edmonds-Woodway’s Mare Eldridge in 34 seconds for the top finish.
Girls bowling
Two-thirds of the way through the season, Whatcom County bowlers make up 14 of the top 30 in the Northwest Conference.
Squalicum’s Diva Marsh leads the way with her 152 average. A pair of Ferndale bowlers, Haylee Ochoa and Katelin Oord, are tied for sixth with a 147 average and Meridian’s Dakota Hill is eighth with her 144 average.
WWU
Men’s basketball
Western men’s basketball split its pair of games this past week as it returned from winter break.
The Vikings (10-4, 2-1 GNAC) came back from an 18-day break on Jan. 4, and beat Western Oregon 82-68. Junior guard Will Wilson led Western with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists, while junior forward Nic Welp added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and three other Vikings scored in double figures.
Saint Martin’s came to town on Jan. 6 and beat Western, 112-105, in a high-scoring affair that could be a glimpse into future postseason play.
Western now hits the road for a game at conference-leading MSU Billings (10-4, 4-0 GNAC) at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11.
Women’s basketball
Western women also split its two games, returning from break and immediately heading out on its annual Alaskan road trip.
The Vikings (10-3, 2-1 GNAC) lost to Alaska Anchorage, 61-54, on Jan. 4 before bouncing back to beat Alaska Fairbanks 86-45 on Jan. 6.
In the latter game, Lynden Christian alum Riley Dykstra finished with a game-high 20 points for the Vikings, adding six rebounds and two assists. Senior guard Stephanie Peterson finished with 18 points and a whopping seven steals, while senior post Brooke Walling notched 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Western returns home at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 to face rival Central Washington (9-4, 2-2 GNAC).
GNAC men’s basketball standings — Jan. 10
| Men’s basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Montana State Billings | 4-0 | 10-4 |
| Saint Martin’s | 3-1 | 13-1 |
| Northwest Nazarene | 3-1 | 7-5 |
| Western Washington | 2-1 | 10-4 |
| Central Washington | 2-2 | 9-4 |
| Alaska Anchorage | 1-2 | 11-3 |
| Alaska Fairbanks | 1-2 | 3-8 |
| Seattle Pacific | 1-3 | 8-9 |
| Western Oregon | 1-3 | 4-8 |
| Simon Fraser | 0-3 | 2-12 |
GNAC women’s basketball standings — Jan. 10
| Women’s basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Montana State Billings | 4-0 | 13-3 |
| Central Washington | 3-1 | 12-4 |
| Western Washington | 2-1 | 10-3 |
| Western Oregon | 2-1 | 9-5 |
| Alaska Anchorage | 2-2 | 8-5 |
| Northwest Nazarene | 2-2 | 5-6 |
| Seattle Pacific | 2-2 | 5-9 |
| Simon Fraser | 1-2 | 9-7 |
| Saint Martin’s | 0-3 | 2-8 |
| Alaska Fairbanks | 0-4 | 2-12 |
Boys basketball, Northwest Conference — Jan. 10
| Boys basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Lynden | 8-0 | 10-3 |
| Lynden Christian | 7-0 | 13-0 |
| Mount Vernon | 7-1 | 11-2 |
| Bellingham | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| Anacortes | 5-2 | 9-3 |
| Sehome | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Lakewood | 4-4 | 7-6 |
| Nooksack Valley | 4-5 | 8-5 |
| Meridian | 4-5 | 8-6 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 4-5 | 5-7 |
| Burlington-Edison | 3-5 | 7-7 |
| Squalicum | 3-5 | 5-8 |
| Ferndale | 3-5 | 4-9 |
| Blaine | 1-7 | 3-10 |
| Mount Baker | 1-7 | 3-10 |
| Oak Harbor | 0-8 | 2-11 |
Girls basketball, Northwest Conference — Jan. 10
| Girls basketball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Nooksack Valley | 8-0 | 12-1 |
| Burlington-Edison | 7-0 | 11-2 |
| Lynden | 7-1 | 13-1 |
| Sehome | 7-1 | 8-2 |
| Lynden Christian | 5-2 | 8-5 |
| Ferndale | 5-2 | 7-6 |
| Oak Harbor | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Anacortes | 4-3 | 8-4 |
| Squalicum | 3-5 | 8-6 |
| Lakewood | 3-5 | 5-5 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 2-6 | 6-6 |
| Blaine | 2-6 | 6-7 |
| Mount Vernon | 1-5 | 3-6 |
| Meridian | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Mount Baker | 0-5 | 3-10 |
| Bellingham | 0-8 | 2-10 |
Standings were updated at 10:42 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11 to reflect game outcomes from Wednesday, Jan. 10.
