BLAINE – A crucial second-quarter run helped fuel Lynden Christian boys basketball to a 70-56 road win over Blaine on Thursday night.
It was a must-win game for both teams, as the Lyncs and Borderites have battled for postseason positioning in the 1A Northwest Conference all season.
LC now controls its own destiny, but it likely won’t be the last time the two teams meet this season.
“[Blaine is] the 1A school that I’m assuming, down the line, we’re probably going to have to play again, maybe twice,” LC coach Tim Zylstra said. “To come to their gym, to play solid how we did, it’s a good feeling for us.”
Lyncs junior forward Jeremiah Wright scored a game-high 25 points, propelling LC to the win alongside senior guard Tyler Sipma’s 23 points.
Aside from the impressive scoring effort, Sipma said the Lyncs’ defense was the difference in the game.
“Tonight we had, I think for the first time in quite a while, we had five possessions in a row on defense where we got stops, and that’s where it all starts,” Sipma said.
Blaine’s Noah Tavis, Conner Dalry, and Lynden Christian’s Jeremiah Wright, sprint for the loose ball in the second quarter. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News) Both teams looked evenly matched to start the contest, trading punches for the first eight minutes and prompting eight first-quarter lead changes.
Blaine ended the opening period leading 13-12, but that advantage quickly evaporated as LC mounted an 11-0 run over the first four minutes of the second quarter.
Wright and Sipma combined for 23 points in the period — outscoring Blaine 25-12 as a team — to give the Lyncs a 37-25 edge at halftime.
“In big games, your best players have to step up,” Zylstra said. “We expect that from them.”
LC kept pouring it on in the third, sinking three quick 3-pointers to push its lead up to 21 late in the period. Blaine managed to trim its deficit to 53-39 heading into the fourth, regaining some energy.
A tough, hanging-in-the-air layup by Blaine senior guard Carson Lehnert with 5:01 remaining in the game cut LC’s lead to single digits for the first time since the second quarter. The Lyncs were forced to take a timeout, and the Borderites suddenly stole all the momentum.
Blaine’s Mathew Russ throws a shot over his shoulder in the first quarter. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News) Wright, however, put an end to Blaine’s comeback attempt.
With 3:12 remaining in the game and LC leading 60-49, Lyncs senior guard Dexter Zylstra missed a free throw which was safely rebounded by Borderites senior forward Mathew Russ.
Wright flew in, seemingly out of nowhere, ripping the ball free and securing it on his back before maneuvering into a kneeling position to sink a layup off the glass.
“He acted like he had done it his whole life; it was perfect form and everything,” Zylstra said with a laugh. “It was unbelievable.”
The 6-foot-6 forward ran to the other end of the court, emphatically swatting the ensuing Borderite shot, and LC cruised to victory from there.
Lynden Christian’s Jeremiah Wright makes a basket from his knee. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News) “Right before that I had gotten a charge, so I was just trying to stay mentally level and try to make it up,” Wright said. “I think I did that.”
Junior guard Dawson Bouma added eight points for LC. Senior forward Lane Dykstra totaled six.
Russ had 13 points in the second half and finished with a team-high 17 for Blaine. Junior forward Noah Tavis totaled 13, senior guard Lucas Smith tallied 12 and Lehnert added eight.
Lynden Christian moved to 16-2 overall and 10-2 in NWC games with the win. The Lyncs will go on the road to Ferndale (1-16, 1-11 NWC) at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Blaine fell to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in NWC contests. The Borderites will host Anacortes (14-2, 10-1 NWC) at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Score by quarter
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
| Lynden Christian | 12 | 25 | 16 | 17 | 70 |
| Blaine | 13 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 56 |
