The Nooksack Valley boys' basketball team started slow and couldn't catch up, as the Pioneers fell 63-51 to Friday Harbor in a non-conference game Saturday, Dec. 22, in Friday Harbor.

Nooksack Valley trailed 31-14 at half, but outscored the Wolverines 37-32 in the second half. Brandon Gwinner scored 11 points and was the lone Pioneer to score double figures. Josh Gimmaka scored nine points and Seth Taron and Connor Beard scored eight.

"We came out slow, but we actually beat them in the second half and outplayed them," Nooksack Valley coach Tyler Mitchell said in a phone interview. "It's kind of hard to have energy when you get off the ferry and take that bus drive over. I thought both our bigs - Josh Gimmaka and Seth Taron - played pretty good games. They grabbed rebounds and were finishing."

Nooksack Valley has almost two weeks off until it plays Mount Baker next at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, in Deming.

FRIDAY HARBOR 63, NOOKSACK VALLEY 51

Nooksack Valley 4 10 17 20 - 51

Friday Harbor 12 19 15 17 - 63

Nooksack Valley: Brandon Turnberg 6, Connor Beard 8, Brandon Gwinner 11, Bret Rediger 9, Josh Gimmaka 9, Seth Taron 8, Aaron Bosscher 0. Team totals: 20-56 7-9 51.

Friday Harbor: Redercomb 0, D. Demaris 5, D. Galt 9, Strasser 5, Woods 11, Lawson 6, Cooper-West 14, Williamson 13. Team totals: 22-44 13-19 63.

3-ptg: Nooksack Valley 4 (Turnberg 2), Friday Harbor 6 (Willimason/Cooper-West 2). Rebounds: Nooksack Valley 22 (Taron 7), Friday Harbor 27 (Williamson 8). Assists: Nooksack Valley 6 (Gwinner 2). Fouls: Nooksack Valley 17, Friday Harbor 15 (Williamson). Turnovers: Nooksack Valley 11, Friday Harbor 10.