Lynden Lions Follow Lynden Christian Win With a Victory of Their Own

Lynden Lions Follow Lynden Christian Win With a Victory of Their Own
By Steven Dion

The northerly town of Lynden had two teams represented at the ShoWare Shootout on Saturday in Kent. After Lynden Christian defeated Cedar Park Christian, it was the Lions’ turn to keep the Lynden train rolling. Their recent playoff run in football leading to another state championship has certainly affected the quick transition to basketball, a team composed of many football players. Brett McDaniel and his Sumner team were eager to spoil the two hour trip north for their opponent Saturday afternoon.

Consistency was an issue for both squads in this game as momentum swings were abundant. Sumner was only able to put up five points in the first eight minutes. Fortunately for the Spartans, Lynden was only able to notch ten of their own. The tides turned in the next eight as Sumner’s full court press forced turnovers in the Lynden side of the floor. The absence of an undersized, ball-handling specialist on the big Lions roster was a weakness Sumner picked apart. A four-point second quarter by Lynden led to a lead change and a 18-14 Spartan lead at the break.

The third quarter proved to be a pivotal turning point in the game as Sumner was unable to protect their lead, conceding seventeen points to their opposition while only scoring seven. Sumner was going to need to stage a comeback in the final quarter to pull out a victory. The Spartans high energy offense provided ample opportunities to knock down shots. However, shots were challenged by the likes of Scooter Hastings and Jaremy Martin. Even though Sumner won the fourth quarter, they were unable to win the ballgame as 5 and 7 point first and third quarters dug a hole for the Spartans they could not dig themselves out of. At the final buzzer, Lynden won 43-40.

Top Performers:
Lynden
Sterling Somers – 16 points (6/15 FG’s, 4/8 3pt), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals