Lynden, Lynden Christian boys rivalry game draws entire town, plays to a classic finish

LYNDEN — In a clash between the No. 2 ranked 1A Lynden Christian and No. 3 ranked 2A Lynden - only one team could come out with city-rivalry pride.

And it was the Lions who thrived in a raucous environment and muscled out a thrilling 63-60 victory Friday night.

Dawson Adams broke the tie with his 3-pointer in the final seconds.

It capped a wild night in a gymnasium vibrating with anticipation, with both student sections yelling back at each another.

"I don't think there is an atmosphere like this, year in and year out," Lynden boys coach Brian Roper said.

Junior guard Coston Parcher led Lynden with 17 points, while Adams poured in 16, including his game-winning shot. The Lions only held the lead for a total of 12 seconds the entire game.

Here are three takeaways from the Lynden-Lynden Christian game: 

DAWSON ADAMS: 3-POINT ACE

This game was a dogfight, and each team shot below 50% from the field and under 35% from the 3-point line. 

But Adams did not let the spotty shooting get in the way of his moment.

With 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, senior forward Jordan Medcalf had an arena-shaking block on Lynden Christian's leading man - senior forward Andrew Hommes. 

Lynden called a timeout, and Adams reaped the benefits. Wide open in the right corner, Adams caught a pass, rose up, and drilled the 3-point shot that sent the crowd into orbit. 

But Adams remained humble about his winning shot. 

"It feels pretty good, I just happened to be open, and I hit the shot," Adams said. "As a team I feel like we all stepped up, everyone had to chip in." 

GAME FULL OF FOULS AND FINAL MOMENTS

This game featured 34 foul calls (17 on each team) and 29 free-throw attempts - with the Lyncs making 13 of 17 of their attempts.

Lynden Christian led 38-31 at halftime, and they carried that lead deep into the fourth quarter. Lynden only had one lead until Adams's final shot to close out the game. 

"We knew going in that it was going to be physical," Lynden Christian coach Tim Zylstra said. "In the first half, they missed some of them (free throws) and in the second half they made some of them." 

CROWS FUELED BY RIVALRY

The environment inside Lynden's gym was electric. This is primarily due to the two colossal student sections on each side of the floor. 

Neither side would give up its forceful yelling in an attempt to will its team to a win.

The Lyncs were in position the entire game, getting 17 points and seven rebounds from Hommes. Crew Bosman led the team with his 19 poiints on 8-of-11 shooting.

(Photos by Nate Schumock)