PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Sehome edges Lynden in district opener
JOE SUNNEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
JOE SUNNEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BELLINGHAM - No one is going to accuse the Sehome boys' basketball team of playing picture-perfect basketball.
But if they keep defending the way they did Friday, Feb. 11, and hitting timely shots then ugly is going to do just fine in the postseason.
Sehome's John Albert hit a long 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter to gave his team a spark, and the Mariners did just enough down the stretch to hold off Lynden 49-43 at home in the opening round of the Class 2A Northwest District Tournament.
The win sets up a rematch for Sehome (18-3) with city rival Squalicum on Monday, Feb. 14, at Mount Vernon High School with a trip to state on the line. Lynden (15-7) falls into the consolation bracket where it will meet Archbishop Murphy in a loser-out game at Skagit Valley College on Monday.
One win away from reaching state and the Northwest Conference champions are still happy being an underdog in a lot of people's eyes.
"No one expected us to be this great," senior Colin Peterson said. "We just have a good group of guys who have worked hard our whole lives basically. We're senior heavy and we've learned that working together is a lot better than having a powerhouse game."
The Mariners certainly looked the part of a group playing selfless basketball against Lynden. Sehome used its pressure defense to stymie the Lions in the first quarter as both teams played to a 6-6 tie, and then rallied from a 17-8 hole midway through the second quarter.
"They do a really good job of pressing as a way of business," Lynden coach Brian Roper said. "They're a senior heavy team, that's what they do, and I'd like to have some of those turnovers back."
Without a go-to player on the roster, the Mariners simply exchanged big shots amongst their players on the floor. Geordie Marriner scored seven points in the quarter to keep Sehome in the game then it closed the half with six straight points, including a follow tip-in by Albert at the buzzer, to take a 25-24 lead.
"The guys are playing really confident right now," Sehome coach AJ LaBree said. "They're comfortable with what we do. We have an identity and that really speaks to the seniors on this squad. We don't go into any game thinking we're going to blow somebody out, and we don't go in
to any game thinking we're going to get blown out. We just play hard and do our business."
In the third quarter it was Danny Stonedahl and Peterson who stepped up. Peterson knocked down a 3-pointer early to give Sehome a 30-26 advantage, and Stonedahl made a pair of circus shots late to keep it a two-possession game.
Peterson had 15 points to lead all scorers and Albert added 11. Josh Kraght and Jake DeWitt each had 11 to lead the Lions.
Sehome started the fourth quarter with five straights points, but couldn't put Lynden away. Kraght and DeWitt scored five points of their own to pull Lynden to 42-38 with four minutes to play. After Stonedahl pushed the lead back out to seven with a three, Kraght answered to make it 45-41 with just over a minute play.
The Lions wouldn't get any closer.
"It's always been a pretty big rivalry against Lynden," Peterson said. "We're both pretty even teams. We both have good athletes, and we're both physical. So it really brings it up to speed when you're going against someone that's about at your capabilities."
Now the Mariners face the two-time defending Class 2A state champion Storm in what's sure to be an interesting game. Sehome edged Squalicum on Monday, Feb. 7 in the final game of the regular season, but lost to the Storm in December.
"We wanted to beat Lynden any way we could because they are such a good team," LaBree said. "Now we get Squalicum. The teams from the Northwest Conference are going to make us earn it. Is it what you want all the time? No. I'd like to be playing a team that's 0-20, but that's not the way it works this time of year."
SEHOME 49, LYNDEN 43
Lynden 6 18 9 10 - 43
Sehome 6 19 12 12 - 49
Lynden: Jake DeWitt 11, Josh Kraght 11, Zach Vis 2, John Shine 0, Dak Shagren 9, Sunni Schoepe 4, Nate Wielenga 5, Matt Meyer 1. Team totals: 15-45 9-10 43.
Sehome: Geordie Marriner 9, Danny Stonedahl 8, Colin Peterson 15, Charlie Linneman 0, Kevin Virk 4, Titi Lamositele 2, John Albert 11, Gabe Sanchez 0. Team totals: 16-45 10-14 49.
3-ptg: Lynden 4 (Kraght 3), Sehome 4 (Marriner, Stonedahl, Peterson, Albert). Rebounds: Lynden N/A, Sehome N/A. Assists: Lynden N/A, Sehome N/A. Fouls: Lynden 14 (none), Sehome 14 (None). Turnovers: Lynden N/A, Sehome N/A.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/02/11/1863637/prep-boys-basketball-sehome-edges.html
