MOUNT VERNON — A season that started in storybook fashion came to a disappointing conclusion as No. 13 Sequim dropped a loser-out Class 2A State Regional Round contest with No. 12 Lynden 50-26 Friday night at Mount Vernon High School.
The Wolves couldn’t keep up with the Lions, technically the defending state champions from 2020, but who return just one player from that title-winning squad.
That player, Ada Newcomb, did lead all scorers with 16 points and drained two 3-point baskets late in the first quarter as Lynden’s lead grew from 7-3 to 16-3 after one period.
Sequim was able to get a little more offensive in the second quarter with Taryn Johnson coming off the bench to score five of the Wolves’ 10 points, but Sequim trailed 24-13 at halftime and could come no closer the remainder of the contest.
Jolene Vaara scored 10 points to lead the Wolves and Michaela Green knocked down a pair of 3s to add six to the Sequim tally.
The Wolves went 19-5 overall on the season, snapped a seven-season losing skid against rival Port Angeles and shared the Olympic League title with the Riders.
Injuries plagued Sequim all season with promising freshman guard Bobbie Mixon lost in early January and junior post Jelissa Julmist going down with a torn ACL in late January.
Julmist really was the center of activity for Sequim’s offense. In 16 games with her in the starting lineup the Wolves averaged 59.9 points per game. After her injury, Sequim still managed a 5-3 record, including two loser-out district games, but the Wolves were a different squad, putting up just 39 points per game.
Sequim loses seniors Hannah Wagner and Addie Smith to graduation, but should return the bulk of its core: Vaara, Julmist and Hannah Bates along with a number of contributors including Johnson, Green, Mixon and Lauryn Stephens.
Lynden 50, Sequim 26
Seq. 3 10 4 9 — 26
Lyn. 16 8 14 12 — 50
Sequim (26) — Vaara 10, Green 6, Johnson 5, Kidd 3, Bates 2, Smith, Wagner, Bacon, Turella, Stephens, Herman, Bloomenrader.
Lynden (50) — Newcomb 16, DeVries 10, Koetje 8, Wittenberg 7, Villars 4, Hermanutz 2.
