Lynden girls hope to claim a state trophy for third straight year

Shorecrest Scots

2016-20 enrollment: 986.83 (3A)

League (finish): Wesco 2A/3A South (fifth)

District (finish): Northwest (third)

State appearances (record): 4 (4-9)

State titles (years): None

Regional round: Beat Franklin Pierce 59-24 at Puyallup

Coach: Dori Monson

LEADING SCORERS

Shorecrest used a 32-2 first-half run to take control of its regional and advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2012. Chibugwu had a triple-double in the game with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Owens added 10 points, and Stephenson scored 10 for the Scots, who have won three straight elimination games. Lynden won a district semifinal showdown against Shorecrest 52-45 on Feb. 15.

Washougal Panthers

2016-20 enrollment: 693.50

League (finish): Greater St. Helens (second)

District (finish): Southwest (third)

State appearances (record): 2 (1-2)

State titles (years): None

Regional round: Beat White River 40-34 in overtime at Puyallup

Coach: Brian Oberg

LEADING SCORERS

The Panthers are making their first appearance in state since 1983 and got their first state win last weekend. They held No. 5 White River to just 14 points in the second half and overtime to come back from a 20-11 halftime deficit and grab that elusive win. Washougal played with a ferocious defense that made it difficult for the Hornets to even get the ball across half court. Blankenship led the Panthers with 12 points.

Spokane East Valley Knights

2016-20 enrollment: 787.13

League (finish): Great Northern (first)

District (finish): Northeast (first)

State appearances (record): 5 (6-8)

State titles (years): None

Regional round: Beat North Kitsap 61-39 at Ellensburg

Coach: Rob Collins

LEADING SCORERS

The top-ranked Knights’ pressure defense made the difference in their regional win over North Kitsap, as they often stacked as many as three players against whoever brought the ball up the court. Hannah Burland led the way for East Valley with 24 points, and helped the team grab 16 offensive rebounds.

Anacortes Seahawks

2016-20 enrollment: 595.88

League (finish): Northwest Conference (sixth)

District (finish): Northwest (first)

State appearances (record): 6 (11-8)

State titles (years): None

Regional round: Beat Port Angeles 48-26 at Mount Vernon

Coach: Ken Welk

LEADING SCORERS

The ninth-ranked Seahawks carried the momentum from winning the district title into the regional round and advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2007. Anacortes played strong defensively in the regional, keeping the Roughriders out of the paint. They ended up taking 23 more field goal attempts than Port Angeles. Geffe led the way with 17 points, while Rongren had 11 and Martin 10 in the win.

Mark Morris Monarchs

2016-20 enrollment: 720.22

League (finish): Greater St. Helens (first)

District (finish): Southwest (second)

State appearances (record): 12 (14-15)

State titles (years): 2 (2013, 2015)

Regional round: Beat Toppenish 65-55 at Bellevue College

Coach: Sean Atkins

LEADING SCORERS

The defending state champions are seeking a third title in four years and a chance to advance to the state title game for the fourth straight year. They’ve had to rebuild after the majority of the 2014-15 roster, including the entire starting lineup, graduated. Troy and Bartleson each scored 12 points in the regional win over Toppenish, while Walling led the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the game.

Ellensburg Bulldogs

2016-20 enrollment: 735.13

League (finish): Central Washington (first)

District (finish): 5/6 (first)

State appearances (record): 16 (30-21)

State titles (years): None

Regional round: Beat River Ridge 66-32 at Yakima Eisenhower

Coach: Kerri Fahey

PLAYERS TO WATCH

No. 4 Ellensburg also had to rebuild after reaching the state semifinals in 2015, but after losing its season opener, its won 21 of 22. Fahey scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half in the regional win over River Ridge to put the Bulldogs up big. CWAC MVP Malcolm scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the game, while Bland had 15 points. The Bulldogs also forced 26 turnovers and held the Hawks to 28 percent shooting.

Lynden Lions

2016-20 enrollment: 601.75

League (finish): Northwest Conference (tie first)

District (finish): Northwest (second)

State appearances (record): 13 (20-20)

State titles (years): 1 (2009)

Regional round: Beat Issaquah Liberty 67-39 at Renton

Coach: Rob Adams

LEADING SCORERS

The third-ranked Lions are heading to Yakima for a third straight year, and an inspired performance from Kooiman was a big part of the reason why. Kooiman scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Lynden’s regional round win. Lauren Zwiers hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points, while Jasmyn Neira added 13 points, as the Lions bounced back from a disappointing loss to Anacortes in the district final.

Black Hills Wolves

2016-20 enrollment: 726.82

League (finish): Evergreen (first)

District (finish): Southwest (first)

State appearances (record): 12 (15-18)

State titles (years): None

Regional round: Beat Clarkston 52-46 at Centralia

Coach: Tanya Greenfield

PLAYERS TO WATCH

The eighth-ranked Wolves advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2007, but they had to overcome a slow start against Clarkston in the regional. Black Hills battled back from nine points down at halftime, thanks in large part to Duff, who scored 18 of her game-high 23 points after the break. Williams, who has developed into a strong second option, also scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Lynden girls hope to claim a state trophy for third straight year."