Lyncs ends Colfax’s state-title streak at four

YAKIMA – In a heavyweight battle that lived up to its hype and more, it was a series of jabs and not a big punch that knocked out the Colfax Bulldogs Thursday night at the SunDome.

Lynden Christian staged a comeback in one of the most highly anticipated State 1A girls basketball quarterfinals in years, toppling the four-time defending champion Bulldogs 62-55.

The loss ends the Bulldogs’ dream of a fifth straight state title and sixth in seven years.

Colfax (22-5) will play Connell for the right to advance to Saturday’s game for fourth and seventh places.

The Bulldogs’ state tournament winning streak ended at 19. For the first time since 1999, a team other than Brewster or Colfax will take home the big gold ball.

After a tight first half with plenty of action, Colfax seemed to wrest away control of the game with a 10-0 burst in the final 1:45, taking a 28-19 lead into the intermission.

But the Lyncs’ Brianne Ryan wasn’t through. Ryan hit a long 3-pointer and a layin, and her heir apparent, junior Kenzie DeBoer, did the same, before Ryan closed the third period with two free throws to knot the score at 31.

Colfax encountered a scoring drought of its own. The Bulldogs got just two free throws in a stretch of 9:23 over two quarters.

Lynden Christian’s offensive success continued – mostly at the free-throw line – and the Bulldogs found themselves on the short end of a 41-33 deficit with 4:31 remaining.

“We couldn’t make layins and we didn’t make free throws,” Colfax coach Corey Baerlocher said.

But Colfax wasn’t done. LC coach Curt DeHaan was sure of that.

The Bulldogs got untracked and used a quick 10-4 burst – mostly free throws – to cut the deficit to 45-43.

Colfax, however, ran out of gas in the final 2:19. Repeated drives by the Bulldogs to the basket weren’t successful and when they where forced to foul, Lynden Christian converted enough at the line to pull away.

Lakeside 45, Connell 35: The Eagles wore down another opponent en route to their first semifinal appearance under head coach Jeff Pietz and the first since 2002.

Lakeside (17-11), a third-place District 7 1A team that had to win a loser-out game in the regional just to get here, will take on tournament favorite Lynden Christian in tonight’s late semifinal. The Eagles are assured of no worse than a sixth-place finish.

Pietz made no secret of the fact his team’s quarterfinal game was in the shadows of the preceding quarterfinal between Lynden Christian and Colfax.

“I told the girls, ‘We’re the undercard today’ ” he said with a laugh afterward. “I told them to not be afraid to put on the glass slipper.”

The Eagles patched together their second three-game win streak of the season, which they’ll try and extend tonight.

Lakeside held Connell to 19 percent field-goal shooting in the first half en route to a 25-12 lead. The Eagles were not seriously challenged in the final 16 minutes.

Alex Daggy led Lakeside with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Lexie Zappone chipped in 11 and Leslie Stillar 10.

Freeman 60, Rainier 29: After surrendering a season-high 51 points in a first-round loss Wednesday, the Scotties (24-4) advanced in the consolation bracket by toppling the outmanned Mountaineers.

Megan McIntyre led Freeman with 15 points. MacKenzie Taylor added 14 points.