Colfax advances to final

YAKIMA – Colfax set one record Friday night. Don’t bet for one second it compares to the history the Bulldogs are seeking to write tonight.

Correctly suspecting it was in for a tightly officiated contest, Colfax thrived in that environment and advanced within a win of a fourth consecutive state title with a 51-42 win over Lynden Christian in the girls State 1A basketball semifinals at the SunDome.

Colfax (28-2) will face 25-3 King’s – a 53-37 winner over Chelan in the other semifinal – in the championship at 7 p.m.

Jordan Harazin led all scorers with 21 points for the Bulldogs, who set a record with their 17th consecutive win in the 1A tournament. Coincidentally, they surpassed the previous mark set by Lynden Christian from 1989-93. If Colfax wins tonight, it will become the first team to win four straight 1A titles.

There wasn’t much of a foul discrepancy to make note of as Lynden Christian was tabbed for 17 fouls, Colfax for 16. But the manner in which those fouls were called favored the Bulldogs, who were much more aggressive penetrating the lane and were rewarded with 25 attempts from the line (and made 17).

Lynden Christian’s two top scorers, junior Brianne Ryan and sophomore Kenzie De Boer, were plagued with foul trouble beginning in the opening quarter and finished with four fouls apiece. De Boer scored 17 points in 18 minutes, but her absence during the other 14 minutes seriously hindered the Lyncs (25-2) on the offensive end.

“Coach (Corey Baerlocher) talked to us before the game about that,” Harazin said of adjusting to the officiating. “We felt like because we were smaller, we had to use our quickness to our advantage and get them in foul trouble and get to the basket. If we did that, we’d be OK.”

“Tonight we knew a little bit about the crew,” Baerlocher added, “and we knew it could be a little tight. So we wanted to attack.”

Megan Teade, who scored nine of her 12 points in the second half, said the Bulldogs adapt well to whatever situation they face. Perhaps that’s not too surprising to hear from a member of a three-time defending state champion.

Colfax hardly flinched when the Lyncs scored eight straight points to take an early 8-2 lead. The Bulldogs responded and outscored Lynden Christian 16-9 in the second quarter to seize a 24-20 halftime advantage.

De Boer picked up her fourth foul with over 6 1/2 minutes left in the third period, and the Bulldogs scored the next eight points to extend their lead to 32-23 on Teade’s runner. Lynden Christian rallied to within six (36-30) late in the third, but Colfax opened the final quarter with a game-clinching 9-0 spurt.

“We talked about their No. 30 (De Boer) being prone to being overly aggressive and trying to block shots using her strength,” Baerlocher said. “We decided to go after her … and the kids executed what they were supposed to.

“When they have star players going to the bench in foul trouble, you don’t let up. They don’t sit there forever.”

Ryan managed to play 31 minutes despite her foul woes and finished with 14 points. She picked up her second foul late in the first quarter and her third midway through the second quarter.

According to the tournament program, Lynden Christian has won eight State 1A championships in 21 state appearances. The Lyncs have added runner-up finishes four other times, as well as four third-place finishes. Part of a program also riding a historic wave of success, Teade admitted she wasn’t aware of the Lyncs’ storied history.

“It was a phenomenal game,” she said. “You could see (the tradition) in the kids, the school, the crowd, the fans. They had a packed crowd on their side, and we had a packed crowd on our side. It was a cool atmosphere.”