Blaine make state tournament, play Quincy March 2 at 2 p.m.

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Blaine’s boys basketball team secured a trip to the state tournament in Yakima for the first time since 2004 as the Borderites defeated Wahluke 50-48 at Mount Vernon High School February 26. They go on to play Quincy 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

Coming into the loser-out game, No. 9 Blaine and No. 16 Wahluke needed to win continue on to the state tournament. With a 19-point lead in the third quarter after putting together a 21-0 run, the Borderites looked like they would be playing again this season. But the Warriors battled back.

“It was a really cool atmosphere for the kids,” head coach Brett Farrar said. “We played really well on offense in the first and third quarters.”

The Warriors cut the Borderites lead to 10 points and then forced multiple turnovers that were returned on fast breaks. A Warrior three-pointer tied the game at 48-48 with 45 seconds left.

The energy in the Mount Vernon High School gymnasium was unmatched. Warrior fans had hope, while Borderites: Nerves. “Warrior power!” and “Borderite power!” chants synced up briefly, but the Warriors were louder.

However, the Borderites had the ball, and their senior leader and point guard Scott Baldwin was on it. With space on the wing, he drove to the rim and scored a layup with six seconds left, completely shifting the momentum in the Bulldog gym. The Borderites stopped the final Wahluke drive and the traveling Blaine students rushed the court.

Junior Carson Lehnert finished with 14 points and three three-pointers. Baldwin had 11 points, senior Cole Thomas had 10, senior Avery Dohner had seven, junior Matthew Russ had six, and senior Jaxon Kortlever had two.

The Borderites will play No. 8 Quincy 2 p.m. Wednesday. If they win, the boys will play No. 2 Lynden Christian 2 p.m. Thursday, March 3 in the 1A quarterfinal.

All the state basketball games will be livestreamed online at bit.ly/3szqZqT.

Farrar said Quincy has one of the best offense the Borderites will have faced this season. “They have two kids that are really good, and that we’re going to have to watch out for,” he said.

Blaine has been strong defensively all season, holding good teams like Lynden and Lynden Christian to some of their lowest point totals this season.

Most of the current team wasn’t alive the last time Blaine made it to state. Farrar said for the boys on the team making it to state was making a lifelong dream come true.

“Now that we’re here, we want to keep playing,” he said.

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