MLCA makes the playoffs

Secure No. 3 seed from the North Central Washington South

MOSES LAKE — It was a loser-out situation, but the Moses Lake Christian Academy knew a win was in the bag.

Against a weaker Mansfield girls basketball team, the Lions rolled off 10 unanswered points in the first quarter, then closed the game with a 49-14 win over the Kernels. The win places Moses Lake into the North Central Washington district tournament as the No. 3 seed and will face Waterville on Saturday at Waterville.

The last time the Lions faced off against Mansfield, Moses Lake head coach Scott Dietzen said he played his reserves for two quarters, which allowed the Kernels to stay close in the game. This time was different.

"Tonight, I told my girls to come out and take care of business early, be aggressive and attack," Dietzen said. "I thought we did well defensively and frustrated them."

Brooke Rosborough, who scored 12 points in the game, was partly responsible for eliminating Mansfield's offensive game plan. Her work on the Kernels' point guard Kryslinn Sima helped hold Mansfield to six points in the first half.

"We aren't looking for Brooke to get a steal, but apply pressure to allow others to get a steal," Dietzen said.

Rosborough opened the game with a drive to the middle of the court for a basket, which started a 10-0 run by the Lions. Jaci Bayless scored the first Mansfield basket of the game 4:19 into the first quarter.

Lindsay Dietzen extended the lead to 14-2, converting a 3-point play after scoring a basket after Bayless committed her second foul in the first. After the first eight minutes, Moses Lake built an 18-4 lead over Mansfield.

The Kernels' only basket of the second quarter came at the end when Cheyenne McLean pulled in a rebound and followed with a basket under the rim. Meanwhile, Rosoborough capitalized with two fastbreak baskets to help build a 26-6 halftime lead.

Moses Lake's start to the third quarter was similar to the rest of the game with Rosoborough streaking down the court, getting a pass from Bethany Verhage and finishing with a basket. Verhage also put up two long jumpers and worked in side for six of her 12 points in the quarter.

Rosoborough finished the fourth quarter with another fastbreak opportunity and later drove past Mansfield's Jordan Asmussen for her final points of the game.

The Kernels' Sima scored the only basket from behind the arc just before the shot clock buzzer sounded for her team high five points. Moses Lake closed out the game with a 5-0 run for the 49-14 win.

Dietzen said it was a preparation game to establish the type of defensive and offensive schemes he plans to use against Waterville on Saturday.

"When we go up against better teams with more mature girls, we know we are going to have to be able to mix things up," Dietzen added.