Boys basketball season ends at state tournament

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Blaine boys varsity basketball saw its season end March 2 at the state tournament as the Borderites lost 69-51 to Quincy in the Yakima Valley SunDome.

No. 9 Blaine started the game slow, as it took until the second quarter for the team to grab its first lead over the No. 8 Quincy in the loser-out game. With senior Cole Thomas leading them with repeated baskets and rebounds, the Borderites kept the momentum going and took a 33-29 lead into halftime. However, the Jackrabbits came out shooting in the second half and the Borderites never really looked the same.

“Overall, it was just a really cool experience for our guys,” head coach Brett Farrar said.

Coming into the game, Farrar said Quincy had one of the best offenses the Borderites would face all season. And it showed. Although Blaine had been strong defensively all season, the driving force of 6-foot, 4-inch senior TreyVaughn Bierlink was too much for the Borderite defense. He finished with 31 points.

Farrar said the team did everything it could to be successful, but ran into a little foul trouble and couldn’t stop Bierlink. “[He] basically took over the game in the second half.”

In the fourth quarter, Blaine missed a lot of shots and those they made the Jackrabbits matched. Farrar emptied the bench with one minute to go. The game ended 69-51.

Thomas led the Borderites with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Seniors Scott Baldwin and Jaxon Kortlever had 8 points each and junior Matthew Russ had 8 rebounds.

Quincy went on to lose 67-44 to eventual 1A state champions Lynden Christian in the quarterfinal. Lynden Christian beat King’s 61-58 in the final with a thrilling fourth quarter comeback.

“We did a lot of things that haven’t been done before around here,” Farrar said about the Borderites season. The last time Blaine made it to the state tournament was in 2004. The boys also beat 2A state champions Lynden 46-41 in the regular season.

Departing seniors are Baldwin, Thomas, Kortlever, Avery Dohner and Anden Holley. The Borderites finished the season with a 14-7 record.

“This season will leave them with memories they’ll never forget,” Farrar said about the team. “And for me, that’s a successful season."

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