LYNDEN — Lynden Christian boys and girls basketball teams swept the 1A District 1 championship games Saturday, Feb. 15 at Lynden High.
Lynden Christian girls vs. Nooksack Valley
Lynden Christian girls earned their berth in the 1A District 1/2 crossover game after defeating Nooksack Valley 59-30.
It was a slow start due to some stout defensive work from both teams. Ella Fritts began a Lyncs’ scoring run nearly three minutes into the first quarter by making both of her free throws.
Fritts scored four and Estela Hernandez scored five to give the Lyncs a 9-0 lead. Fritts led with 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Gallery: Lynden Christian basketball sweeps districts
Nooksack Valley’s Kate Shintaffer helped the Pioneers slim the lead to 11-7 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Ellie Pierce scored a layup with under a minute remaining to give LC a 13-7 lead after one.
In the second quarter, Lynden Christian went on a 5-0 run within the first minute. The Lyncs kept Nooksack Valley scoreless until Grace De Hoog assisted Chayleigh Davis with about three minutes remaining to make it 23-9. De Hoog led the Pioneers with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Lyncs continued to rally behind Tyra Dykstra’s 3-pointer and Ellie Pierce’s layup to take a 28-9 halftime lead.
Nooksack Valley opened the third quarter with a hot start, Payton Bartl nailed a 3-pointer in the corner, Grace Hoog made a layup and a free throw, and Davis scored four points. Lynden Christian still held a 39-17 halfway through the third quarter.
De Hoog made a handful of free throws, but Dykstra answered back to end the quarter with a 45-24 lead. In the fourth quarter, Nooksack Valley could not handle the Lyncs’ defense, turning the ball over several times. Lynden Christian took a 30-point lead with about two minutes left and allowed the reserves to finish the game.
Lynden Christian will play a yet-to-be-determined opponent at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 in a winner-to-state, loser-out crossover game. Nooksack Valley will face Meridian at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at Lynden High, where the winner heads to a crossover match and the loser is out.
Lynden Christian boys vs. Meridian
Meridian had the crowd on their feet after drilling a 3-pointer within the first minute. However, Lynden Christian took the momentum back quickly and won the game, 68-54.
After Trojans’ 3-pointer, the Lyncs went on a 15-0 run until Meridian’s Talon Jenkins made a mid-range shot with about 30 seconds left to end the first quarter with a 15-5 Lyncs lead. Gannon Dykstra scored five of his team-high 20 points in the first quarter, and Luke VanKooten scored six of his 19 points.
The two teams got a bit physical through the second quarter as Meridian’s Jaeger Fyfe picked up a flagrant foul and Lynden Christian’s Kaden Veldman followed with a technical foul.
Both teams traded baskets until the Lyncs held a 33-21 halftime lead.
Meridian opened the third quarter with a hot start as Jenkins and Canyon James each drained long-range shots. Besides a counter 3-pointer from VanKooten, the Lyncs were silenced early in the third quarter, allowing Meridian to slim the lead to 36-29 with four minutes left.
VanKooten scored 10 points in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, to extend the Lyncs’ lead to 47-37.
In the fourth quarter, Veldman and Dawson Hintz were responsible for six points each, Fyfe scored seven of his 12 points in the fourth, and Jenkins racked up a few free throws to complete a team-high 13 points.
Lynden Christian will play a yet-to-be-determined opponent at 3 p.m. on Feb. 22 at King’s High School in the District 1/2 crossover game. Meridian will face Nooksack Valley at 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 18 at Lynden High for the final spot in the district crossover.
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
