LC storms past Blaine in important win

BLAINE — It was a big night for Jeremiah Wright and Tyler Sipma, as they led LC to a 70-56 victory over Blaine on Thursday, Jan. 26.

Wright had a game-high 25 points, followed closely by Sipma who had 23 points. The two of them combined for 48 of the Lync’s 70 points.

With LC’s win, they improved their record to 16-2 and 10-2 in the Northwest Conference, which sets them up in a prime position for seeding in the upcoming 1A districts. It was a big game because Blaine held the same record in the NWC as LC coming into the game, but the Lyncs win gives them a leg up.

Sipma said it felt good to beat a team with a lot of talent.

“They are a good team in the 1A especially,” Sipma said. “We will see them again most likely, but I thought we handled their runs well.”

LC junior Dawson Bouma jumps to hit a layup. Bouma was the third-leading scored for LC with eight points in their win over Blaine on Thursday, Jan, 26. (Nathan Schumock)

In the first quarter, the teams were deadlocked together and neither side could break through. Wright had a quarter-high six points, but the Lyncs went into the second quarter trailing 13-12.

The start of the second is when LC started to pour it on. They went on an 11-point run led by Sipmas's five points to open the quarter. The Lyncs had a 23-13 lead halfway through the second.

LC continued to explode on offense as they scored 15 more points and went into halftime with a sizable 37-25 lead.

By halftime, Wright already had 18 points and Sipma was right there with 15.

Zylstra said Wright was an essential player of the game and he is hard to stop when he posts up.

LC senior Griffin Dykstra elevating for a three-point shot. The Lync's improved their record to 16-2 after their win over Blaine on Thursday, Jan. 26. (Nathan Schumock/Lynden Tribune)

The Lyncs held their lead in the third quarter, as they focused on cutting Blaine’s runs short. A key for LC was not allowing multiple points in a row from the Blaine offense. LC went into the final quarter of play with a 53-39 lead over Blaine.

In the fourth, the Borderites picked up significant momentum as they brought the game within nine and held LC to just five points in the first few minutes of the quarter. That was until Wright made the hustle play of the game.

Midway through the fourth Wright wrestled for an inbound pass from a Blaine player. He stole the ball and made a layup from his knees and after the knee basket, he streaked down to the other side of the court and blocked a Blaine player's shot attempt. Wright shifted the momentum thoroughly back into the Lync’s hands.