The Mount Baker boys' basketball team got a big night from Zan Roman and played shut-down defense to score an important 62-51 victory over visiting Meridian on Saturday, Jan. 26.

The win puts the Mountaineers (6-12, 3-7 NWC) in position to grab the Northwest Conference's No. 2 seed to the Class 1A Northwest District Tournament, as they now hold the tiebreaker over the Trojans (8-10, 3-7).

Zan Roman scored a career-high 25 points, including 10 in the first quarter and 12 in a third quarter that saw Mount Baker score the first nine points to erase a two-point halftime deficit and build a 45-33 lead.

"Zan has struggled in his recovery from (a shoulder) injury," Mount Baker coach Rob Gray said in a phone interview. "Tonight, he looked like the Zan we knew before he was hurt during football. ... He played with a lot of confidence."

So did the Mountaineers' defense, which held Meridian's leading scorers Alijah and Edward Garcia, who came in averaging 24.6 points per game combined, to two points apiece. Meridian went 15 for 54 from the field in the game.

"We played a 1-2-2 zone," Gray said. "In that zone, we've got two 6-3 guys with long arms and another 6-foot guy with good reach, and we made it hard for them to get off any shots, and we worked hard to stop any penetration."

Ty Munsell joined Roman in double figures with 15 points, while Blake Briones led Meridian with 19 and Logan Carlson had 13.

Meridian will host Sehome on Tuesday, Jan. 29, while Mount Baker will host Anacortes.

MOUNT BAKER 62, MERIDIAN 51

Meridian 13 11 9 18 - 51

Mount Baker 12 10 23 17 - 62

Meridian: Alijah Garcia 2, Trevin Todd 0, Jacob Plagerman 0, Kelby Todd 5, Edward Garcia 2, Patrick Carlson 4, Blake Briones 19, Chad Richter 2, Spencer Blackburn 4, Logan Carlson 13. Team totals: 15-54 18-25 51

Mount Baker: Isaac Gilmore 1, John Douglas 0, Reuben Murashov 9, Zan Roman 25, Ty Munsell 15, Harrison Whitmyre 0, Conner Brandland 0, Jacob Oiness 2, Dalton Munsell 6, Andrew Zender 4. Team totals: 21-48 15-25 62.

3-ptg: Meridian 3 (Briones 2), Mount Baker 6 (Roman 4). Rebounds: Meridian 39 (Logan Carlson 12), Mount Baker 26 (Murashov 6). Assists: Meridian 10 (Todd 4), Mount Baker 18 (Whitmyre 6). Fouls: Meridian 22, Mount Baker 19). Turnovers: Meridian 21, Mount Baker 17.