PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Sehome survives wild finish to beat Edmonds-Woodway at Lynden Christian tournament

DAVID RASBACH - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD  

LYNDEN - The Slesks have been giving their teams a spark in Whatcom County for quite a while now, but Jake Slesk is the first of his generation of cousins to do it at Sehome. "I try not to think about it all that much," Slesk said of his cousins who starred in a number of sports at Meridian. "They were obviously pretty good when they played. I just try to do my thing. I just try to come in and play as hard as I can." That's exactly what the Mariners needed on Wednesday, Dec. 28, in the first day of the Cloud 9 Sports Christmas Tournament at Lynden Christian. Slesk came off the bench to lead Sehome with four steals on defense and chipped in eight points offensively, and the Mariners held on in a wild finish to beat Edmonds-Woodway 60-57. "I've had a number of people come up and tell me that was the craziest final two minutes of a ballgame they have every seen, and I think that pretty well sums it up," Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said. "We were able to pull it out. Edmonds-Woodway is a really good team, and it was good for us to go up against a team like that. That's what you want to do in these Christmas tournaments is play the best possible competition you can." The Warriors almost were a little too good for Sehome (6-2) on Wednesday, as they stormed back from 11 points down with 2 minutes, 28 seconds to play to make things very interesting. After Gabe Sanchez hit a 3-pointer to put the Mariners up 55-44, the Warriors used two straight Sehome turnovers and an offensive rebound off a missed free throw to pull within three with 1:07 to play. Drew Ronson hit a pair of free throws to put Sehome back up by five, but Grant Pattison hit a 3-pointer to make it 57-55 with 52 seconds left. Edmonds-Woodway then was awarded a technical foul that was at best a questionable call, on a play that also resulted in a foul that put Ronson the line. Ronson hit one of two free throws, and Pattison hit both foul shots on the technical to make it 58-57 with 18.4 seconds to play. Sir Stephen Jackson had a chance to give the Warriors the lead after he was fouled, but he missed both free throws. Jason Smarr got the rebound, but missed the put back, and Riley Fraser grabbed the board for Sehome. Noah Cyr-Moore then made a pair of free throws, and Pattison's 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim, allowing the Mariners to escape with the victory. "That was crazy," Slesk said. "I've never seen anything like that before. It was nerve-wracking, but a lot of fun." Slesk played a big role in helping Sehome get the lead, as his energy off the bench seemed to give the Mariners' defense the spark it needed. 

Though Slesk led the team with four steals, he wasn't alone, as Sehome picked the Warriors' pocket 19 times. Ronson, Evan Miksovsky and Charles Linneman each had three steals, while Lawrence Strasser and Cyr-Moore each added two. "We did a good job of being aggressive," LaBree said. "We allowed a few easy layups, but we'll trade that for the pressure we were able to put on them." Ronson finished with a team-high 16 points, while Linneman had 10. Sehome faces Sequim at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29 in the second day of the tournament. 

Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2271. 

SEHOME 60, EDMONDS-WOODWAY 57

Edmonds-Woodway 17 12 11 17 - 57

Sehome 13 17 12 18 - 60 

Edmonds-Woodway: Grant Pattison 16, Devin Joseph 6, Brad Rice 3, Sir Stephen Jackson 4, JJ Peterson 0, Travis Bakken 10, Alex Hull 0, David Hansen 0, Jason Smarr 7, Henri Olson 11. Team totals: 22-50 10-17 57. 

Sehome: Drew Ronson 16, Evan Miksovsky 4, Jake Slesk 8, Lawrence Strasser 0, Konstantin Andrushenko 4, Noah Cyr-Moore 6, Charles Linneman 10, Riley Fraser , Gabe Sanchez 8, Jake Schacht 4. 

Team totals: 22-54 12-18 60. 3-pointers: Edmonds Woodway 4 (Pattison 3), Sehome 4 (Sanchez 2). Rebounds: Edmonds Woodway 35 (Olson 7), Sehome 29 (Fraser 5). Assists: Edmonds Woodway 13 (Joseph 3, Hull 3), Sehome 7 (Andrushenko 2, Sanchez 2). Fouls: Edmonds Woodway 18, Sehome 20. Turnovers: Edmonds Woodway 27, Sehome 15.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/28/2328549/prep-boys-basketball-sehome-survives.html

See you Wednesday and Thursday at the Lynden Christian Christmas Classic!

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Linneman's season-high leads Sehome past Lakewood

Sports Desk - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Charlie Linneman scored a season-high 14 points and the Sehome boys' basketball team defeated visiting Lakewood 66-44 in a non-conference game on Wednesday, Dec. 21, to earn its third straight win.

Sehome improved to 5-2 overall.

The Mariners trailed after the first quarter, but they involved Linneman much more in their offense after that.

"We were able to get the ball down to Charlie and he did quite a bit in the second and third quarters," Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said in a phone interview. "It's nice to have an inside presence with him down there."

Sehome outscored Lakewood 37-17 from the start of the second to the end of the third quarter.

"I thought Lakewood did a good job early," LaBree said. "They were quick and gave us problems defensively. We finally settled down and took control of the game."

The Mariners also got a strong output from its bench, especially Evan Miksovsky and Lawrence Strasser. Each scored seven points. LaBree said they brought a different level of energy, which was much needed after Sehome played the previous night as well, beating Nooksack Valley 71-40.

Sehome's Noah Cyr-Moore scored 10 points. Zach Smith and Caleb Graves each scored 10 points for Lakewood.

Sehome faces Edmonds-Woodway next at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Lynden Christian.

SEHOME 66, LAKEWOOD 44

Lakewood 13 10 7 14 - 44

Sehome 10 20 17 19 - 66

Lakewood: Ryan Alford 7, Paul Coleman 6, Tyler Duitsman 8, Caleb Graves 10, Justin Peterson 2, Thomas Raught 1, Zach Smith 10. Team totals: 17-43 7-13 44.

Sehome: Konstantin Andrushenko 7, Noah Cyr-Moore 10, Riley Fraser 0, Charlie Linneman 14, Evan Miksovsky 7, Drew Ronson 9, Gabe Sanchez 3, Jake Schacht 4, Jake Slesk 3, Lawrence Strasser 7, Brant Wark 2, Malik Williams 0. Team totals: 26-58 10-22 66.

3-ptg: Lakewood 3-15 (Paul Coleman 2), Sehome 4-16. Rebounds: Lakewood 30 (Justin Peterson 11), Sehome 35 (Charlie Linneman 6). Assists: Lakewood 7 (Caleb Graves), Sehome 6 (Drew Ronson, Gabe Sanchez 2). Fouls: Lakewood 18, Sehome 16. Turnovers: Lakewood 27, Sehome 21.

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Everyone scores for Sehome in win at Nooksack Valley

Sports Desk The Bellingham Herald

Every player on the Sehome roster scored at least one point in the Mariners' 71-40 Northwest Conference victory at Nooksack Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 20. The win improved Sehome to 4-2, 2-0 NWC while Nooksack Valley dropped to 0-6, 0-2 NWC. "The big lead allowed us to play everybody," Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said in a phone interview. "I was really happy to get everyone in the scoring column."The Mariners took a 22-8 lead after the first quarter with the help of a full-court press. "The press was really effective," LaBree said. "We forced them into a lot of turnovers and managed to get a big lead on them." Drew Ronson and Noah Cyr-Moore each scored 14 points for Sehome. Nooksack Valley was led by Joey Scheffer who had 12 points. Sehome hosts Lakewood next at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, while Nooksack Valley hosts Friday Harbor at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22. 

SEHOME 71, NOOKSACK VALLEY 40

Sehome 22 18 19 12 - 71
Nooksack Valley 8 5 12 15 - 40 

Sehome: Konstantin Andrushenko 4, Noah Cyr-Moore 14, Riley Fraser 2, Charlie Linneman 5, Evan Miksovsky 4, Drew Ronson 14, Gabe Sanchez 8, Jake Schacht 6, Jake Slesk 5, Lawrence Strasser 4, Brant Wark 1, Malik Williams 4. Team totals: 8-12 FT. 
Nooksack Valley: Brandon Turnberg, Ben Prink 2, Bret Rediger 5, Joey Scheffer 12, Brandon Gwinner 7, Evan Jensen 8, Seth Taron 6, B.J. Salmonson. Team totals: 10-13 FT. 3-ptg: Sehome 7 (Sanchez 2, Ronson 2), Nooksack Valley 2 (Jensen 2). Fouls: Sehome 18, Nooksack Valley 10.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/20/2319839/prep-boys-basketball-everyone.html

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Cyr-Moore powers Sehome past Sedro-Woolley

Sports Desk - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

 

Noah Cyr-Moore scored a career-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers, to help the Sehome boys' basketball team defeat visiting Sedro-Woolley 60-51 on Friday, Dec. 16, in the Mariners' first Northwest Conference game of the season.

Sehome (3-2, 1-0 NWC) opened conference play looking to defend its conference regular season title from a year ago.

The Mariners got off to a hot start and took a 39-25 halftime lead.

"The first half was all the difference," Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said in a phone interview. "It was our style in the first half. We were getting up and down the court and shooting threes."

Sedro-Woolley made a run in the second half, holding Sehome to seven points in the third quarter after the Mariners put up 23 in the second quarter.

"We slowed down in the second half and played more physical, more to their style," LaBree said.

But starting in his fourth game this season, Cyr-Moore's top performance was more than enough to keep the Cubs from getting back into the game.

"Noah is a pretty capable scorer," LaBree said. "He was knocking down his shots tonight. Each game he just gets better and better."

Konstantin Andrushenko scored 14 points for Sehome. Isaac Bianchini led Sedro-Woolley with 17 points and Aaron Stroosma added 16.

Sehome travels to Nooksack Valley next at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20.

SEHOME 60, SEDRO-WOOLLEY 51

Sedro-Woolley 9 16 12 14 - 51

Sehome 16 23 7 14 - 60

Sedro-Woolley: Isaac Bianchini 17, Spencer Byfield 5, Ely Howland 0, Tristan Jette 5, Dylan Konijn 0, Josh Macchi 2, Andrew Minkel 4, Aaron Stroosma 16, Alec Wortner 2. Team Totals: 14-17 (FT) 51

Sehome: Konstantin Andrushenko 14, Noah Cyr-Moore 20, Riley Fraser 2, Charlie Linneman 6, Evan Miksovsky 0, Drew Ronson 8, Gabe Sanchez 5, Jake Schacht 2, Jake Slesk 3, Lawrence Strasser 0. Team totals: 7-12 (FT) 60.

3-ptg: Sedro-Woolley 2 (Isaac Bianchini 2), Sehome 9 (Noah Cyr-Moore 4). Fouls: Sedro-Woolley 14 (Andrew Minkel 5), Sehome 16 (Charlie Linneman 5).

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/16/2314892/prep-boys-basketball-cyr-moore.html

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Youtsey big in Storm win over Mariners

MICHELLE NOLAN - FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

 

BELLINGHAM - In a sense, Squalicum claimed a 71-66 victory over Sehome in a classic non-league game because one hungry Storm sophomore overcame the scrambling efforts of six seniors and four juniors who came into the boys' basketball season starving for playing time with the Mariners.

Squalicum's Blake Youtsey, who was on the varsity bench all season as a freshman but grew a lot in practice, scored all of his 15 points, including three 3-pointers, in the second half on Tuesday, Dec. 13, as the visiting Storm (4-0) rallied from a nine-point deficit (37-28) early in the second half to a nine-point lead (68-59) following two consecutive 3s by Youtsey.

"It was like, 'I'm a freshman,'" Youtsey said, explaining why he didn't get discouraged last season. "But with Squalicum basketball, you always feel like you belong."

• Boys' Basketball: Sehome v. Squalicum 12-13-11

Squalicum coach Dave Dickson was hardly shocked by Youtsey's production in the clutch.

"Blake had four 3-pointers in the second quarter against Bellingham and he does it every day in practice," Dickson said. "But we sure needed him."

It was a fascinating matchup, because Squalicum's returning senior standouts from a team that finished second at state 2A - point guard Joseph Chunphakvenn, forward Chris Qualls and guard Zerek Csolti - along with experienced seniors Neilan Pierce, Nathan Mattix and Bryce Dickerson all scored at least six points, yet could not shake inexperienced but hustling Sehome (2-2) until late in the fourth quarter.

Chunphakvenn pretty much wrapped up the intense victory - the teams combined for 42 fouls - with a pair of free throws for a 71-64 lead with 22 seconds remaining.

Sehome's Konstantin Andrushenko, who shot 7 for 11 with three 3s for 18 points, and fellow senior Riley Fraser, who went 5 for 7 from inside and had 14 points, gave the Storm all it could handle.

Sophomore guard Evan Miksovsky made an NBA-distance 3-pointer for Sehome to produce a 48-all tie at the buzzer, but the Storm's experience and Youtsey's 10 fourth-quarter points were too much.

"I'm not much for moral victories, especially when I thought we had a chance to get this game," said Sehome coach A.J. LaBree, who lost seven seniors who won the Northwest Conference title last season. "But I'm proud of our guys. This was a good learning experience and we'll try to grow from it."

Chunphakvenn, playing his usual whirlwind game at point guard, scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Mattix went 5 for 5 from the field, with four buckets in the third quarter as the Storm overcame a 33-28 halftime deficit while refusing to panic.

"We talked about that at halftime and our guys did a good job of keeping their poise," Dickson said. "I think it was very competitive and a great learning game for both teams."

Dickson was especially pleased with how the 6-6 Mattix continued to grow as a player and how his bench produced five 3s, with two by Dickerson to go with Youtsey's three.

Noah Cyr-Moore, a junior guard, scored 10 points for Sehome, including a pair of free throws with 1:15 remaining, pulling Sehome within 69-62. Andrushenko scored on a rebound 20 seconds later for 69-64, but Chunphakvenn's two ensuing free throws were the highlight of a ramble-scramble final minute.

Sehome's 6-6 Fraser showed he figures to give opponents plenty of trouble with his muscle, even though he's inexperienced at the varsity level. He grabbed eight rebounds and scored in every quarter.

Sehome senior Jake Schacht came off the bench to score with three minutes remaining, pulling the Mariners with 62-59, but Youtsey quickly followed with consecutive 3s as his cheering section chanted, "He's on fire, he's on fire."

And so he was.

SQUALICUM 71, SEHOME 66

Squalicum 13 15 20 23 - 71

Sehome 16 17 15 18 - 66

Squalicum: Joseph Chunphakvenn 16, Zerek Csolti 8, Chris Qualls 8, Neilan Pierce 6, Nathan Mattix 11, Blake Youtsey 15, Bryce Dickerson 7. Totals 25-49 14-22 71.

Sehome: Konstantin Andrushenko 18, Riley Fraser 14, Noah Cyr-Moore 10, Drew Ronson 4, Gabe Sanchez 2, Jake Slesk 5, Jake Schacht 4, Evan Miksovsky 7, Charles Linneman 2, Lawrence Strasser 0. Totals 21-51 19-26 66.

3-point goals: Squalicum 7 (Youtsey 3); Sehome 5 (Andrushenko 3). Rebounds: Squalicum 24 (Mattix, Qualls 6); Sehome 30 (Fraser 9). Assists: Squalicum 9 (Chunphakvenn 5); Sehome 7 (Cyr-Moore 3). Fouls: Squalicum 21; Sehome 21 (Ronson fouled out).

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/13/2310524/prep-boys-basketball-youtsey-big.html

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Adjustments help Sehome to win over city rival

DAVID RASBACH - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

BELLINGHAM - Sehome boys' basketball coach A.J. LaBree can only hope the pregame adjustments he makes when the Northwest Conference season begins next week pay as many dividends as two key changes he made before a showdown with city rival Bellingham on Friday, Dec. 9.
After watching Anacortes repeatedly break an aggressive Mariners press in a loss on Tuesday, Dec. 6, LaBree and his coaching staff had the team change to a bit safer full-court zone press against Bellingham on Friday. The result was 23 turnovers by the Red Raiders - 19 coming via the steal.
And, to match up with Bellingham's 6-foot-9 Derek Guy in the post, LaBree inserted 6-6 Riley Fraser in the starting lineup for the first time to utilize his size and athleticism in the paint. All Fraser did in his first career start was record a double-double.

• Boys' basketball: Bellingham vs. Sehome

"It was all coaching," LaBree joked.
Whatever the reason, Sehome claimed a 62-47 non-conference win, as Riley led four Sehome players in double figures with 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.
"The coach came to me and told me he thought I might match up well with some of their guys in the post," Fraser said. "I'm just glad I was able to help out. Our team did a real good job of moving the ball tonight and finding the open guy."
More often than not, that open player seemed to be Fraser, who hit five field goals from inside the paint, twice drawing a foul in the process. He went to the foul line three other times, and always seemed to come up with the big rebound when the Mariners needed it.
"Riley was a difference maker for us tonight," LaBree said. "He's a guy that gives us some size and athletic ability on the inside. He did a good job in our game against Blaine against their big posts, so my coaches and I talked about the idea of starting him, and thought it would be good to give him a shot. He's a guy that didn't play last year, so he's still catching up, but he came out and played really strong tonight."
Fraser wasn't the only difference maker for Sehome (2-1), though.
Drew Ronson added 13 points and five rebounds, while Konstantin Andrushenko finished with 12 points and Gabe Sanchez had 10.
While Ronson's, Andrushenko's and Sanchez's point totals were nice complements to Riley, where they may have made their biggest contributions was on defense.
Andrushenko picked Bellingham's pocket a game-high five times, while Ronson was right behind with four steals and Sanchez had three.
"We played a lot safer press tonight," Andrushenko said. "We were able to put pressure on their guards, and try to get some 10-second calls. But the main thing is we didn't want to allow the fast-break opportunities like we did last time (against Anacortes). I thought we did a pretty good job of getting to the ball tonight."
With Sehome's 19 steals, Andrushenko, Ronson and Sanchez obviously weren't the only master thieves for the Mariners on Friday. Noah Cyr-Moore matched Sanchez with three, while Fraser chipped in two. Evan Miksovsky and Jake Slesk each had one.
"We always focus on trying to get 20 turnovers," LaBree said. "To get 19 of them with steals, then were off and running the other way."
That's exactly how Sehome was able to open its lead in the first quarter.
After spotting the Red Raiders (1-3) the first basket of the game, Sehome came right back to score the next 13. During that run, Sehome had three steals.
"I don't know how much their pressure hurt us tonight - I felt we just shot ourselves in the foot," Bellingham coach Ken Crawford said. "I guess when you think about it, that shows that they did get to us."
Bellingham, in turn, was never really able to get to the Mariners.
The Red Raiders drew within five points midway through the second quarter and were down by only a 28-23 count at halftime, but they could never seem to find a way to get any closer.
"I think Sehome did a great job of staying calm tonight," Crawford said. "We made that one big run at them, but they never lost their cool. They just kept doing the things that they do, which is press and attack the basket, and they did a great job with that tonight."
Bellingham was led by 15 points and eight rebounds from Alex Check, while Guy finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Tristan Hurley also scored eight off the bench.
"I told our guys, for the first time all season, I thought we started to look like a basketball team tonight," Crawford said. "I thought we did a good job of reversing the ball, and I counted three good press breaks that we ran, and we even got some good shots. We didn't shoot the ball all that well (15 for 46), but if we keep getting good looks like we did tonight, that will come around."
Bellingham has one more non-conference tune up left on Tuesday, Dec. 13, when it hosts Lynden Christian, while Sehome will face another test from another city rival when it hosts Squalicum that same night. The Red Raiders and Mariners will meet in NWC play on Jan. 12 at Sehome.
Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2271.

SEHOME 62, BELLINGHAM 47
Sehome 16 12 16 18 - 62
Bellingham 7 16 12 12 - 47
Sehome: Drew Ronson 13, Evan Miksovsky 0, Jake Slesk 3, Lawrence Strasser 0 Konstantin Andrushenko 12, Noah Cyr-Moore 7, Charlie Linneman 2, Riley Fraser 15, Gabe Sanchez 10, Jake Schacht 0. Team totals: 23-44 12-22 62
Bellingham: Niall Quinn 1, Kyle Redmond 2, Cyrus Davies 0, Alex Check 15, Nick Zeegers 6, Blake Zender 2, Derek Guy 8, Keande Washington 0, Yeung Yip 0, Tristan Hurley 8, Marcus Reynolds 5. Team totals: 15-46 13-17 47.
3-ptg: Sehome 6 (Andrushenko 2, Sanchez 2), Bellingham 4 (Zeegers 2, Hurley 2). Rebounds: Sehome 29 (Fraser 12), Bellingham 40 (Check 8, Guy 8). Assists: Sehome 11 (Cyr-Moore 4), Bellingham 5 (Check 2, Zender 2). Fouls: Sehome 19 (Ronson fouled out), Bellingham 16. Turnovers: Sehome 15, Bellingham 23.

Copyright 2011 The Bellingham Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Reach DAVID RASBACH at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2271.

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/09/2305509/prep-boys-basketball-adjustments.html

 

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: King lifts Anacortes past Sehome

Sports Desk - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Billy King scored 27 points, Matt Welliver added 23 and the Anacortes boys' basketball team outlasted visiting Sehome for a 69-62 victory in a non-conference game on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said in a phone interview he wanted his team to clamp down on Anacortes from the 3-point line after it torched Mount Vernon in its opening game of the season. The Mariners allowed only two 3-pointers to Anacortes, but it also enabled King to find easy looks inside.

"We thought we would pressure the shooters and do some stuff they weren't comfortable with," LaBree said. "But King played excellent. He got a lot of layups, which is unacceptable for our defense, but he did a really good job." 

Sehome led going into the final quarter, but Anacortes pulled away at the end. 

Drew Ronson led the Mariners with 13 points and Konstantin Andrushenko scored 11.

Sehome heads to Bellingham High School next to face the Red Raiders at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9.

ANACORTES 69, SEHOME 62
Sehome 11 16 18 17 - 62
Anacortes 17 12 15 25 - 69
Sehome: Konstantin Andrushenko 11, Noah Cyr-Moore 10, Riley Fraser 0, Charlie Linneman 4, Evan Miksovsky 2, Drew Ronson 13, Gabe Sanchez 9, Jake Schacht 4, Jake Slesk 3, Lawrence Strasser 6. Team totals: 6-8 (FT) 62.
Anacortes: Matt Welliver 23, A.J. Yost 2, Justin Hansen 2, Matt Aldridge 2, Sam D'Amelio 11, Billy King 27, Cody,, Alex Luevanos 2, Zach Vance 0. Team totals: 13-14 (FT) 69.
3-ptg: Sehome 10 (Konstantin Andrushenko, Gabe Sanchez 3), Anacortes 2 (Matt Welliver 2). Fouls: Sehome 18 (Charlie Linneman 5), Anacortes 15.

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/06/2301147/prep-boys-basketball-king-lifts.html

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Ronson lifts Sehome past Blaine

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Ronson lifts Sehome past Blaine

Sports Desk - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Drew Ronson scored 18 points and the Sehome boys' basketball team outlasted visiting Blaine 69-65 in a non-conference game on Thursday, Dec. 1, as the Mariners opened their season looking to defend their Northwest Conference regular season title from a year ago.

Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said in a phone interview that Ronson scored 17 of his 18 in the second quarter, while hitting four 3-pointers. The Mariners built a 12-point lead in the quarter, before Blaine stormed back to cut the lead to 39-36 at halftime.

Blaine got to within one point in the third quarter, but never took the lead and Sehome held on the rest of the way.

"One of the things I really look for is the effort they put forth on the floor and the guys were everywhere," LaBree said. "We have a lot of speed so we try to use that to our advantage."Andrew Price scored 18 points for Blaine, while Gabe Trump had 14. Sehome's Gabe Sanchez recorded 14 points and Konstantin Andrushenko added 12.

Blaine next hosts La Conner at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, while Sehome travels to Anacortes at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6.

SEHOME 69, BLAINE 65

Blaine 11 25 14 15 - 65

Sehome 18 21 19 11 - 69

Blaine: Chase Speelman 5, Isaiah Jackson 0, Gabe Trump 14, Andrew Price 18, Mario Gobbato 0, Tyler Chau 0, Luke Feenstra 13, Jesse Antczak 2, Dejan Stefanovic 13, Chad Potts 0. Team totals: 7-17 (FT) 65.

Sehome: Konstantin Andrushenko 12, Noah Cyr-Moore 7, Riley Fraser 8, Charlie Linneman 0, Evan Miksovsky 2, Drew Ronson 18, Gabe Sanchez 14, Jake Schacht 2, Jake Slesk 6, Lawrence Strasser 0. 

Team totals: 9-15 (FT) 69.3-ptg: Blaine 5 (Luke Feenstra 4), Sehome 14 (Drew Ronson, Gabe Sanchez 4). Fouls: Blaine 19 (Mario Gobbato 5), Sehome 18.

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/12/01/2294728/prep-boys-basketball-ronson-lifts.html