After two losses to Burlington this year, can Lynden break through in the regional?
The Lynden girls basketball team will attempt to avoid an elimination game by beating NWC rival Burlington-Edison in a Class 2A non-elimination regional.
Time: 6 p.m. Saturday
Site: Mount Vernon High School
What’s at stake: The winner moves on to the Class 2A state quarterfinals at 3:45 p.m. Thursday at the Yakima Valley SunDome. The loser will face the winner of the regional between Franklin Pierce and Prosser in an elimination game at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the SunDome.
Scouting the Tigers
Coach: Brett McLeod
State tournament appearances (record): 16 (20-25)
State titles: None
RPI ranking: No. 5
League: Northwest Conference (third, 10-2)
Road to the regional: Lost 47-42 to Archbishop Murphy in the championship game of the Class 2A District 1/2 Tournament.
Burlington-Edison is appearing in the state tournament for the 13th-straight season but hasn’t advanced past the regional round the past two. Brandy Smith (13.4 points per game) and Allyson Ray (12.9) each rank among the top five in Skagit County scoring. The Tigers have won both previous meeting with their NWC foes from Lynden this year, claiming a 64-43 regular-season road victory Dec. 19 and a 54-50 win in the semifinals of the 2A bi-district tournament Feb. 10.
Scouting the Lions
Coach: Rob Adams
State tournament appearances (record): 13 (23-21)
State titles: One (2009)
RPI ranking: No. 4
League: Northwest Conference (fourth, 9-3)
Road to the regional: Beat Anacortes 45-32 in the winner-to-state third-place game of the District 1/2 Tournament.
Lynden is making its fourth straight trip to state after placing second in 2015. Northwest Nazarene-bound Elisa Kooiman is the only Lions scoring in double figures with her Whatcom County-high 14.5 points per game, but Jasmyne Neria (8.3 points per game), Natalie Amos (7.2), Sierra Smith (5.7) and Faith Dutt (5.3) all make solid offensive contributions for this veteran squad.
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "After two losses to Burlington this year, can Lynden break through in the regional?."