Chiefs blow out Davis, lock up No. 1 seed at districts
MOSES LAKE - If Moses Lake girls basketball still had doubts about scoring against the vaunted Davis zone defense they were wiped away Friday night after an 88-58 dismantling of the Pirates.
Every Chief that saw the floor scored with the back court trio of sophomore Jessie Loera, junior McKenna Walker and senior Emily Olson leading the charge with 60 points combined.
"If they're clicking like that then we will be very difficult to beat," head coach Matt Strophy said. "If our guards are hitting like that then our posts become those secondary players, which is nice because they can score but when the guards are hitting their shots and doing the things that are necessary and the posts are inside and banging away and doing their job too we become really difficult to beat I think."
Moses Lake (11-2. 15-3) sits atop the Columbia Basin Big Nine standings and has secured the No. 1 seed in the 4A District Tournament.
Earlier in the season, Moses Lake fell to Davis, 52-54, at home. However, the Chiefs have beaten Davis by a margin of 20.5 points in the last two meetings.
Despite putting the Pirates at the free throw line 34 times, Moses Lake was lethal in the half court penetrating the zone and kicking out to open shooters.
"We've been really working hard on the execution in the half court so we can do the things that we want to do against our opponents," Strophy said. "Whether it's up and down the floor in transition or slow down and knock down drag out in the half court. We're getting better and recognizing when we should do either style and being able to do it."
However, Strophy won't let the wide margin of victory hide the fact that his team allowed 34 free throw attempts. Something that needs to be corrected in Friday showdown for the CBBN league title at Sunnyside.
"The concern for me, defensively, is that we put (Davis) at the free throw line 34 times," Strophy said. "That is a concern so we're going to have to take a look at that and see what we can do defensively."
Moses Lake jumped out to an 8-0 lead after forcing multiple Davis turnovers and never trailed. Olson led the team with 22 points.
Loera and Walker added 21 and 17 points, respectively.
The team travels to Sunnyside Feb. 14 before returning home for Senior Night Feb. 15 against Eisenhower.
Moses Lake boys lose third straight
Moses Lake boys basketball has had a rough stretch.
Friday's 60-64 loss to Davis marks the team's third loss in a row. Moses Lake (7-6, 10-8) will most likely have to travel to face the Pirates for a fourth time in the district tournament.
Friday's game was a sloppy affair with both teams turning the ball over frequently. Head coach John Hohman was disappointed in with his team's turnovers and rebounding in the first half.
"We just didn't take care of the basketball," he said.
Moses Lake had an opportunity to enter halftime with the lead, but a late foul charged to senior forward Nick Sutherland on a block attempt put Davis at the line for two free throws.
At intermission, the Chiefs trailed, 27-28.
With a chance to tie the game down three points and the clock winding down, junior guard Derek Martinez's attempt from behind the arc missed. Sophomore center Cesar Sandoval was able to corral the rebound, but missed his put back attempt.
Moses Lake got a third chance when junior forward Tyson Karstetter was fouled on a lay up attempt. The ball spun out of the rim and Karstetter made one of two free throws. Davis was able to seal the win with free throws until time expired.
Karstetter led the Chiefs with 23 points while Sandoval added 12.
Moses Lake faces Sunnyside Feb. 14 before hosting Eisenhower in the season finale Feb. 15.