YAKIMA — After a humbling defeat, the Columbia River girls basketball team quickly moved on with an elimination game looming in less than 24 hours.
Still, the Rapids didn’t want to turn the page too fast after suffering a 59-20 loss to No. 1 seed Lynden, the reigning Class 2A state champion now a perfect 26-0 this season with Thursday’s win.
The lesson after a lopsided loss, according to River coach Tee Anderson, is for the Rapids to remember the many successes that led them to the Yakima SunDome. Do that, and the Rapids can reignite their spark in time for Friday’s fourth-place semifinal game against Archbishop Murphy.
“I think a lot of it comes down to confidence,” Anderson said. “Lynden, they came in knowing what they’ve done and what got them there. I think our girls just forget sometimes, like, how good we actually are. Our talk in (the locker room) … we’re confident in tomorrow’s game and just hoping to bring home a trophy.”
Lynden’s Finley Parcher scored 10 of her game-high 22 points in the opening quarter, helping the Lions jump out to a 15-3 lead. The Lions had the Rapids on the ropes by halftime with a 30-10 lead in hand.
River, which was limited to just five made baskets in the game, also committed 32 turnovers that led to 41 of Lynden’s points.
“What I tell my girls and what (assistant coach Nikki Johnson) has been talking about this postseason is, you’ve just got to be a dawg,” Anderson said. “You’ve got to have that dawg mentality, like, ‘I’m gonna score, this person is not gonna score on me, every single rebound is mine and if I get scored on once, it’s not gonna happen again.'”
Lynden’s Finley Parcher scored a game-high 22 points and Payton Mills added 15 points for the Lions.
Peyton Dukes led the Rapids with seven points by hitting 7 of 8 free throws.
LYNDEN 59, COLUMBIA RIVER 20
COLUMBIA RIVER (21-5) — Olivia Carroll 0, Marley Myers 0, Peyton Dukes 7, Camy Drake 3, Charmayne Castro 0, Raegan Dukes 0, Mikayla King 3, Braidee Goodwin 0, Kaya Mirtich 2, Avi Desjarlais 2, Gracie Glavin 3. Totals 5 (2) 8-12 20.
LYNDEN (26-0) — Degitu Bowler 4, Lexi Hermanutz 5, Reese Nyhoff 1, Rilanna Newcomb 0, Jules Slayton 0, Rian Stephan 2, Izzie Stephan 2, Melanie Anderson 0, Kiki York 6, Finley Parcher 22, Aubrey Basart 2, Payton Mills 15. Totals 26 (1) 6-12 59.
Col. River 3 7 5 5—20
Lynden 15 15 15 14—59
