The Lynden boys' basketball team opened the Associated Press Washington boys' basketball poll right where it left last season off - at the top.

The defending state champion Lions (11-1) were ranked the No. 1 team in the Class 2A ranks by a statewide poll of sports writers and editors Wednesday, Jan. 9. Lynden received five first-place votes and 77 points to edge out second-place Renton (12-0), which received three first-place votes and 75 points. Pullman was a distant third.

Whatcom County's other defending state champion, the Lynden Christian boys' basketball team, was ranked third in a close 1A vote. The Lyncs (9-3), who are scheduled to play at Lynden at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, received four first-place votes and 78 points to finish one point behind co-No. 1s Seattle Academy (one first-place vote) and Zillah (four first-place votes). LC beat Zillah in the championship game last year.

Lummi (9-1) was the only other boys' team from Whatcom County or the Northwest Conference that was ranked, as the Blackhawks checked in at No. 5 in the 1B poll, though Anacortes got nine points and Burlington-Edison received one vote in the 2A poll.

Lynden Christian was the highest ranked Northwest Conference team on the girls' side, as the Lyncs (10-2) were ranked fourth in the 1A poll. Nooksack Valley (9-3) wasn't far behind at No. 7, and Blaine received one vote but didn't make the top 10.

Burlington-Edison (11-2) was ranked sixth in the 2A poll, while Ferndale received two points but did not make it into the 3A poll.

The Gonzaga Prep girls and Bothell boys earned the top spots in the Class 4A polls, while the Prairie girls and Lincoln boys topped their respective polls in 3A. Ellensburg was the top 2A girls' team, while Freeman topped the 1A girls' poll. The Reardan girls and St. George's boys earned the top spots in 2B, while Colton's girls and LaCrosse-Washtucna's boys received the nod in 1B.

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON GIRLS' BASKETBALL POLL

How a state panel of sports writers rates Washington high school basketball teams in the weekly Associated Press poll of 2013, by WIAA Classs, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

Class 4A

School Record Points

1. Gonzaga Prep (7) 9-0 88

2. Mt. Rainier (2) 11-0 83

3. Mead 8-1 67

4. Skyline 11-2 52

5. Lynnwood 10-1 49

6. Arlington 11-0 38

7. Woodinville 11-2 34

8. Puyallup 11-1 31

9. Inglemoor 10-1 21

10. Walla Walla 11-1 18

Others receiving votes: Skyview 6. Todd Beamer 2. Union 2. Central Kitsap 2. Federal Way 1. Chiawana 1.

Class 3A

School Record Points

1. Prairie (7) 11-2 88

2. Wilson, Woodrow (2) 7-1 79

3. Cleveland 8-2 76

4. Stanwood 9-2 47

5. Juanita 9-3 37

6. Seattle Prep 8-3 36

7. Bellevue 11-1 32

8. Holy Names 9-1 31

9. Shadle Park 5-4 28

10. Kamiakin 7-3 25

Others receiving votes: Blanchet 6. Mt. Spokane 4. Seattle Lakeside 2. Ferndale 2. University 2.

Class 2A

School Record Points

1. Ellensburg (8) 10-0 96

2. Mark Morris (1) 10-2 89

3. W. F. West (1) 9-3 77

4. Archbishop Murphy 9-2 57

5. Wapato 9-1 56

6. Burlington-Edison 11-2 52

7. White River 9-3 42

8. Spokane East Valley 8-2 24

9. Renton 10-2 21

10. Cedarcrest 10-2 17

Others receiving votes: River Ridge 10. East Valley (Yakima) 5. Grandview 3. Port Angeles 1.

Class 1A

School Record Points

1. Freeman (6) 11-0 87

2. Brewster (3) 11-0 80

3. Cascade Christian 11-0 71

4. Lynden Christian 10-2 56

5. Castle Rock 10-0 52

6. Okanogan 10-3 43

7. Nooksack Valley 9-3 25

8. Chelan 9-2 24

9. Woodland 9-1 20

10. Zillah 9-1 19

Others receiving votes: La Salle 12. Cashmere 3. King's 2. Blaine 1.

Class 2B

School Record Points

1. Reardan (3) NA 38

2. Pe Ell (1) NA 30

(tie) Colfax NA 30

4. Colbert Northwest Christian NA 29

5. Raymond NA 18

6. Napavine NA 10

(tie) DeSales NA 10

8. Adna NA 9

9. Riverside Christian NA 7

10. Tacoma Baptist NA 6

(tie) White Swan NA 6

(tie) Darrington NA 6

(tie) LaConner NA 6

(tie) Onalaska NA 6

Others receiving votes: Dayton 4. Toutle Lake 3. Bear Creek School 2.

Class 1B

School Record Points

1. Colton (3) NA 48

2. Cusick (1) NA 44

3. Sunnyside Christian (1) NA 41

4. Almira/Coulee-Hartline NA 19

5. Neah Bay NA 16

Others receiving votes: St. John-Endicott 7. Wilbur-Creston 7. Pateros 6. Republic 6. Entiat 6.

ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON BOYS' BASKETBALL POLL

How a state panel of sports writers rates Washington high school basketball teams in the weekly Associated Press poll of 2013, by WIAA Classs, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):

Class 4A

School Record Points

1. Bothell (8) 11-0 97

2. Federal Way (2) 11-0 90

3. Central Valley 9-0 68

4. Garfield 9-1 65

5. Jackson 12-0 64

6. Curtis 11-1 43

7. Union 7-3 41

8. Olympia 8-1 28

9. Richland 9-3 17

10. Eastmont 10-1 12

Others receiving votes: Gonzaga Prep 11. Emerald Ridge 6. Newport (Bellevue) 4. Arlington 3. Wenatchee 1.

Class 3A

School Record Points

1. Lincoln (8) 9-1 96

2. Rainier Beach 8-3 86

3. Seattle Prep (2) 10-1 77

4. Mercer Island 11-1 71

5. Franklin 9-2 51

6. Mountlake Terrace 9-2 36

7. Kamiakin 10-2 32

(tie) Foss 7-3 32

9. Seattle Lakeside 9-1 30

10. Glacier Peak 10-2 24

Others receiving votes: Columbia River 5. University 4. Bellevue 3. Auburn Mountainview 2. Eastside Catholic 1.

Class 2A

School Record Points

1. Lynden (5) 11-1 77

2. Renton (3) 12-0 75

3. Pullman 9-1 52

4. White River 10-2 51

5. Ellensburg 8-2 38

6. Mark Morris 8-3 37

7. Yakima West Valley 9-2 25

8. Clover Park 7-5 24

9. Olympic 9-2 13

10. Centralia 10-2 12

(tie) Spokane West Valley 8-2 12

Others receiving votes: Anacortes 9. Wapato 4. Sequim 3. Lake Washington 3. Bellingham 2. Washougal 2. Burlington-Edison 1.

Class 1A

School Record Points

1. Seattle Academy (1) 10-0 79

(tie) Zillah (4) 9-1 79

3. Lynden Christian (4) 9-3 78

4. Toledo 11-1 55

5. Kalama 8-2 48

6. Chelan 9-2 33

(tie) University Prep 10-2 33

8. Okanogan 12-1 28

9. King's 9-3 26

10. Bothel Cedar Park Christian 10-0 21

Others receiving votes: Cashmere 8. Hoquiam 2. Vashon Island 2. Tenino 2. Granger 1.

Class 2B

School Record Points

1. St. George's (5) 12-1 50

2. Lind-Ritzville/Sprague 11-2 35

3. Morton-White Pass 8-1 34

4. Colfax 10-3 33

(tie) Colbert Northwest Christian 10-3 33

6. LaConner 11-1 20

7. Raymond 10-2 15

8. Wahkiakum 8-2 14

9. Adna 7-3 10

10. Onalaska 9-1 8

Others receiving votes: Toutle Lake 6. Willapa Valley 6. Liberty (Spangle) 4. Walla Walla VA Academy 3. Bear Creek School 2. Dayton 1. Mossyrock 1.

Class 1B

School Record Points

1. LaCrosse-Washtucna (2) 11-1 33

2. Cusick 11-2 26

3. Wellpinit (1) 10-3 25

4. Sunnyside Christian 7-2 23

5. Lummi 9-1 15

Others receiving votes: Neah Bay 10. Colton 9. Pomeroy 7. Garfield-Palouse 6. Wishkah Valley 6.