YAKIMA – Ellensburg came into the 2A girls state championship game riding a 75-game winning streak.
Lynden came into it with a defensive tenacity that has been unbelievable since game one.
The tenacity won out as the Lions beat the Bulldogs 43-40 to capture their fourth state title.
The previous three came under Coach Rob Adams who stepped away a few years ago, but came back this season.
Ellensburg led 31-30 to begin the fourth quarter, but Finley Parcher took her game to a new level once the final period began. The “Fourth Quarter Freshman” hit three shots and assisted on another as Lynden ran out to a 39-32 lead three minutes into the fourth.
The Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run, which culminated in a three-point bucket by Brooke Ravet which gave Ellensburg a 40-39 lead with 1:40 left in the game.
Lynden junior Kiki York hit a foul shot to tie the game at 40-40 with under a minute to go in the game.
On the following Ellesburg possession, sophomore forward Payton Mills got a steal, and once the ball was brought across half court Coach Adams called a timeout.
Senior guard Haylee Koetje then hit a 4-foot jumper with 30 seconds left in the game to give Lynden the 42-40 lead. Mills hit a foul shot thereafter, and the Bulldogs missed on a potential-tying deep ball just before time expired.
Parcher led the way with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Koetje, Rian Stephan and Kalanie Newcomb each scored six points for the champs.
The Lions finished with a 27-1 record.
Lynden 43, Ellensburg 40 ELL 7 15 9 9 - 40 LYN 13 8 9 13 - 43 Ellensburg: Markus 0-0 1-2 1, Moffat 0-1 0-0 0, Armstrong 0-0 0-0 0, Philip 0-4 6-8 6, Rogel 5-9 3-6 13, Mahre 0-0 0-0 0, Marrs 2-5 2-4 6, Ravet 1-6 0-0 3, Standish 2-9 5-6 11. Lynden: Villars 0-2 2-2 2, K. Newcomb 2-3 0-0 6, VanderYacht 0-0 0-0 0, Stephan 1-6 4-4 6, Hermanutz 0-1 1-2 1, Koetje 3-6 0-1 6, York 1-3 3-4 5, Parcher 5-11 1-2 12, Mills 2-6 1-2 5. Percentages: FG - ELL 10-34 .294, LYN 14-38 .3678; FT - ELL 17-26 .654, LYN 12-17 .706. 3-point goals: ELL 3-15 (Standish 2-8, Ravet 1-6, Moffat 0-1), LYN 3-11 (K. Newcomb 2-3, Parcher 1-4, Villars 0-1, Hermanutz 0-1, Mills 0-2). Rebounds: ELL 25 (Marrs 6), LYN 32 (Parcher 8). Assists: ELL 6 (Rogel 2), LYN 7 (Parcher 2). Steals: ELL 10 (Philip 4), LYN 5 (K. Newcomb 2). Blocks: ELL 4 (Marrs 2, Rogel 2), LYN 4 (Stephan 1, Koetje 1, York 1, Mills 1).
