A late second-quarter run helped Lynden pull away from Bellingham on the Bayhawks’ home court.
The Lions moved to 6-0 in Northwest Conference games with the 69-44 win on Thursday night, keeping pace with the top of the league standings.
With five NWC teams undefeated in league play, one loss could become a significant hamper.
Lynden junior guard Anthony Canales said as long as he and his teammates stay focused on what’s right in front of them, they will continue to find success in a top-heavy conference.
“I think we’ve just got to go one game at a time, one practice at a time — focus on the opponent ahead of you, not into the future,” Canales said. “If we just stay locked in then we’ll be fine.”
Lynden mustered only two points from the field over the game’s first six minutes, and it wasn’t from a lack of shooting the ball.
Lynden’s Cameron Petersen sinks a basket while surrounded by Bellingham players. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
Bellingham junior guard Ian O’Roarty was a bright spot for the Bayhawks from the very beginning, finishing with a team-high 18 points while adding five rebounds.
“[Bellingham] came out in a zone, and it was pretty effective,” said Lynden coach Brian Roper. “Once we got the ball in transition, the game opened up and our athletes began to make plays.”
The Lions found their groove, ripping off 10 consecutive points to take a 13-6 lead. Bellingham dropped in the final four points of the period to keep it close at the outset of the second quarter.
What was a tight four-point contest quickly spiraled for Bellingham after Canales drilled back-to-back 3-pointers. Canales scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the first half, also adding four rebounds and three assists.
That was the catalyst to a 14-0 stretch in Lynden’s favor over the final three-plus minutes of the first half, giving the Lions a 36-18 advantage at the break.
Bellingham’s Wyatt Stephan is fouled hard by Lynden’s Brent Heppner. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
“[It was] a little different atmosphere than what we’re used to,” said Lynden senior guard Coston Parcher, who added 16 points and six steals for the Lions. “But once we started going, we played off each other and fed off our energy.”
After a strong start, Bellingham coach Brad McKay said his team just couldn’t match Lynden’s energy as the game persisted.
“Our guys are still learning how to be consistent and play every possession like it matters, and I think Lynden understands that,” McKay said. “They were able to take advantage on a couple broken plays that they got wide-open shots on, and I think our energy kind of went down.”
The third quarter brought more defense than anything else, but Lynden still outscored Bellingham 17-10 in the period to extend its lead to 25. The Bayhawks, unable to limit turnovers to the ball-hawking Lions, found themselves in a deep hole entering the fourth quarter.
Lynden’s largest lead was 29 with just over 3:30 remaining in the game, and the Lions deployed their bench shortly after.
Bellingham’s Ian O’Roarty sinks a basket. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
“I thought we did a really good job early, and even late, there were some really good possessions,” McKay said. “It just was not consistent enough to get it done against a team like that for four quarters.”
Lions junior guard Brady Elsner sprinkled in four 3-pointers, finishing with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Elijah Hanenburg added seven points, three rebounds and two steals for Lynden.
“I feel like we have another level we can get to,” Roper added. “Our guys are listening and they’re trying to do what we ask them to do, so I’m pleased about that.”
Sophomores Kincade Vanhouten, Elias Togagae and junior Carson Brethauer each finished with five points to follow up O’Roarty.
Lynden advanced to 9-1 overall and will host Mount Baker (2-5, 0-5 NWC) on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7:15 p.m. Bellingham dropped to 4-6 overall (3-4 NWC) with the loss and will travel to Sequim (3-6, 1-3 Olympic League) on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 3 p.m.
Score by quarter
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
| Lynden | 13 | 23 | 17 | 16 | 69 |
| Bellingham | 10 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 44 |
