2026 Girls Basketball Roundup – February 20th

• Mount Baker 46, Meridian 44 (OT)

With the season on the line for both teams, it took an extra overtime period to settle the score in the 1A district consolation game.

Meridian inbounded the ball into the backcourt with 11 seconds left in the overtime period and the score tied, and nearly got to the halfcourt line when a trap by sophomore forward Aurora George and freshman guard Maci Kammenga forced a loose ball that sprung into the air. George was able to grab it with six seconds left, and start sprinting towards her hoop.

George then layed the ball up just one second before the horn rang out in the Jake Maberry Gymnasium which signaled a win for the Mountaineers.

Of course, numerous moments led up to the game-winning shot by George.

Less than two minutes into the game, Mount Baker junior center Rebeca Soares picked up her second foul and was forced to take a seat on the bench. The Trojans then proceeded to go on a 14-0 run and Meridian held a nine-point lead after just one quarter of play.

Soares re-entered the game in the second quarter, and a difference was being made, but this time it was a broken shoe-lace that caused her to sit back down as the bench sprung into action to fix the situation. Meanwhile, on the floor, it was freshman guard Gabby Nutting that led a Mountaineers comeback and her three-pointer from the top of the key tied the game at 14-14. A put-back off the glass by senior forward Reace Brown gave Mount Baker the lead.

Soares eventually came back into the game and did her usual damage in the paint on both ends of the court, and the Mountaineers led 22-17 at the half.

Mount Baker widened its lead to eight points after three quarters of play, but the Trojans had shown the last five or six weeks of the season that they never give up, and they showed it once again in the fourth quarter.

Meridian was still down by eight points with 1:11 to go when junior guard Eden Bernardy was sent to the foul line. She knocked down both shots, and a foul on the other side sent Baker to the line. After 1-of-2 were made, possession went back to the Trojans and Bernardy was fouled again and she went back to the line with just under a minute to play. She knocked down both shots once again.

Baker was once again sent to the foul line, and both shots were missed, and you could start to feel the momentum shift towards Meridian.

With 25 seconds left in regulation, Trojan junior guard Amelia Koning was fouled on a three-point shot. Not only did she make all three of her foul shots, which pulled Meridian within three points at 40-37, but it also forced Nutting, who was having the best outing of her young varsity career, to leave the game with five fouls.

Three seconds later, Mount Baker junior Violet Fox was sent to the line. She made her first shot, but missed on the second. A foul by Soares quickly followed, and not only did that send Meridian back to the line, but it ended Soares’ night as it was her fifth foul as well.

Trojan senior center Taya Benson made both of her foul shots, and Meridian now trailed by just two points with 18 seconds left.

A quick foul sent Baker back to the line where both shots were missed, and the Trojans were able to move the ball up quickly and junior guard Maddy Swanson put the ball off the glass and in with 8.7 seconds left in the game to tie it up at 41-41 while being fouled in the act of shooting.

The foul shot was missed, but Meridian was able to regain possession on a jump-ball with 6.3 seconds left.

Fox then stole the inbound pass, and regulation time ended with the score still tied.

Bernardy drove to the hoop to score the opening bucket of overtime, and Meridian held its first lead of the game since the second quarter, and the Mountaineers had their two highest scorers of the game both on the bench, fouled out. It was looking pretty good for the Trojans.

Big defensive plays by both teams kept the game at 43-41 until there was 1:32 left when George hit a pair of foul shots to tie the game back up a 43-43. She was then sent back to the line 16 seconds later, and gave Mount Baker a 44-43 lead when she hit the first of two foul shots.

Koning tied the game up at 44-44 with a foul shot on the following possession which ultimately led to the game-winning bucket.

Soares led Mount Baker with 13 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, and Nutting finished with nine points and three steals.

Fox played all 36 minutes and ended with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Meridian was led in scoring by Koning who had 11 points. She also collected nine rebounds and four steals.

Bernardy had 10 points and eight rebounds. Swanson led the Trojans with five assists and junior forward Kaitlyn Storgaard pulled down 12 rebounds.

The win for the Mountaineers means a quick turnaround as they will face Nooksack Valley at 1:00 today at Lynden High School for the final spot in the 1A state tournament.

Meridian’s season came to a close with a record of 8-15.

Mount Baker 46, Meridian 44
MER   14   3   7  17  3 - 44 
MB     5  17  10   9  5 - 46 

Meridian: Koning 11, Storgaard 0, Benson 6, Swanson 5, James 8, Cline-Malarz 4, Bernardy 10, Gibbs 0.
Mount Baker: Harkness 0, Brown 6, Powell 0, Abitia 3, George 7, Soares 13, V. Fox 8, Kammenga 0, LoPresti 0, G. Nutting 9.