If you thought the Friday Harbor girls basketball team would fear taking on the No. 2-ranked team in the state, think again.

The Wolverines, according to junior Kayla Short, took the court determined to make the most out of their test against the defending 1A state champ, Lynden Christian, and found good reason to smile despite a lopsided loss Saturday at home.

There’s more than the final outcome — a 68-25 defeat — to focus on, Short said.

“We did a lot better than last year, when they beat us by 80,” she said. “This time we lost by 43. That’s a sign of improvement right there.”

Lynden Christian (13-2) has been bested only twice in two years, both times by a Division 2A opponent. The Lyncs were a perfect 29-0 run last year en route to claiming the state 1A title.

Friday Harbor sophomore Kelsey Barnes tossed in 13 points to pace offense, and grabbed seven rebounds to go along with four steals. Senior point guard Brooke Jangard tallied five points and sophomore Maggie Anderson added four.

The Wolverines (1-6 league, 2-11 overall) scored 11 points in the final period. But by that time, the Lyncs had their second string on the court and the game in the bag.

Lynden Christian jumped out to 22-3 lead in the opening period and took a 37-9 advantage into the locker room at the half. They led 50-14 at the end of the third and coasted the rest of the way.

Senior Kenzie De Boer, bound for the University of Montana next year, scored a game-high 20 points and dished out six assists in just over 15 minutes of play. Backup low post-player Jasmine Hommes, a six-foot freshman, tallied 18 points and Ashley Carhuff and Brettany DeJager each added eight points.

The Lyncs shot 57 percent from the field and were equally lethal on the defensive end. They converted 23 Friday Harbor turnovers into 28 points and had 19 steals in the game.

There are lessons to learn in getting schooled by the best, Short said.

“It’s always a good opportunity to play against them,” she said. “They’re the best.”

Next: The Wolverines hosted Orcas Tuesday (see SanJuanJournal.com for results), and take on league rival Shoreline Christian at home Saturday. Tipoff is 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 30
Darrington 43
Friday Harbor 26
The shooting woes continued as the Wolverines fell 43-26 on the road Friday at Darrington, which improved to 5-4 in league.

Trailing by two at the end of the first period, Friday Harbor managed only five points over the next eight minutes while the Loggers pumped in 12 to take a 19-10 advantage at the half. They tallied 12 points in the third and the fourth period and ran away with the league win as the Wolverines struggled to score.