Blaine’s Mikael Elliot reaches for a rebound during a loss to Bellingham on Tuesday, December 19. Photo by Oliver Lazenby
By Oliver Lazenby
Blaine boys varsity basketball got outpaced by Bellingham’s scrappy defense and quick offense in a 71-39 loss to Bellingham on December 19 at Bellingham High School.
The loss leaves Blaine at a 1-6 record overall. The Borderites are struggling with inexperience, as most of the team has never played varsity basketball before. Head coach Rob Ridnour said the team is having a hard time matching the pace and athleticism of its opponents.
“I’m seeing improvement in a lot of the players,” he said. “The guys are getting better, they just haven’t played a lot of varsity basketball.”
Adding to their challenges, several players have missed games due to injuries or ineligibility. Ben Wallen, one of the team’s top players, didn’t play in the Bellingham game. Hudson Reid, Blaine’s top scorer against Bellingham on Tuesday, has missed games because of a knee injury.
The Borderites have only played a couple 2A Northwest Conference games so far. They’ll play the bulk of this season’s conference games in January.
Blaine’s next game is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 29 at Port Townsend. They play at home next on Thursday, January 4 against Squalicum.
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