LYNDEN – Lynden Christian girls basketball held off a late Lynden comeback, winning the annual in-city rivalry game for the fourth-straight year, 58-50, Saturday afternoon at home.
The Lyncs were led by a game-high 27 points from sophomore guard Grace Hintz while senior guard Demi Dykstra added 14.
“It means a lot to everybody, [there have been] generations of great games,” LC coach Brady Bomber said. “I’m glad there’s a lot of smiles on their faces right now. We made a lot of fond memories here today.”
Freshman post Payton Mills led Lynden with 21 points, and junior guard Mallary Villars totaled 11 for the Lions.
Lynden Christian’s Grace Hintz gets the basket in spite of Lynden’s Haylee Koetje getting an arm in her way. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
Hintz, who scored 18 points in last year’s win over Lynden, has proudly stepped into the role of LC’s top-scoring option and is glad bragging rights are staying with the Lyncs.
“It’s such a special win. This game is like a playoff game for us,” Hintz said. “This win really helped our team mentally.”
LC quickly erased an early 3-0 deficit to open the game, responding with a seven-point run fueled by back-to-back buckets from Hintz.
As the crafty, versatile guard continued heating up — leading all scorers with 17 first-half points — the rest of the Lyncs followed suit.
Lynden’s Haylee Koetje steals the ball from Lynden Christian’s Taryn Herwerden. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
Lynden stormed back early in the second quarter, getting a 3-pointer from senior guard Adia Newcomb to cut the Lions’ deficit to four. Senior guard Haylee Koetje drained a pull-up baseline jumper on their next offensive possession to bring it within two.
As is the Lyncs’ standard rebuttal procedure, Hintz catalyzed an 11-3 run that re-extended LC’s advantage to 10.
Villars, who scored a team-high nine points for Lynden in the first half, capped off the second quarter with a corner 3-pointer to make it 33-26 at the break.
Mills tied it up for Lynden at 41-41 with 1:31 left in the third quarter, the first time in the game both teams were even. She capped off a streak of eight-straight points by giving the Lions their first lead of the game at 43-41 heading into the fourth quarter.
Lynden Christian’s Tabby DeJong grabs the rebound with what seems to be four arms. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
Hintz, who was held scoreless in the third, scored the first four points of the fourth quarter before assisting on a corner 3-pointer by Dykstra to give LC the lead back at 48-43.
“I was just waiting my turn because they did a great job on me in the third quarter,” Hintz said. “Going into the fourth quarter, I just had to remember to play to myself.”
Lynden was held without a bucket for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, allowing LC to rebuild an eight-point lead midway through the period. The Lyncs stayed an arm’s-length away for the final four minutes.
Despite the game not having any postseason implications, the atmosphere helps both teams prepare for what is to come.
“It felt like a postseason game, and that was really good for us,” Bomber said.
LC wrapped up its regular season 19-2 overall (14-1 NWC), will receive the No. 2 seed in the 1A District 1 tournament and will host No. 3 Meridian at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the tournament’s opening round.
Lynden heads into the postseason with a 17-4 overall record (12-3 NWC) resume. The Lions will receive the No. 1 seed in the 2A District 1 tournament seed, but their opponent is yet to be determined with the play-in games beginning Wednesday, Feb. 8.
