Lightning-quick start propels Chiefs

Loera, Noyes punish Kamiakin as Moses Lake girls move to 3-0

MOSES LAKE - A large and boisterous Chief Gym crowd was on hand Tuesday night to witness the Moses Lake girls' third game of the season.

Evidently, the environment proved to be a hindrance for the visiting Kamiakin Braves and a spark for the Chiefs, who scored the first 16 points of the game en route to a 51-40 non-league basketball victory.

"It helps when we have the energy and the crowd behind us," Chiefs head coach Matt Strophy said. "It's nice to have that kind of support and it gets our adrenaline going."

Fueled by the quick feet and soft shooting stroke of freshman point guard Jordan Loera, as well as the dominating post presence of junior Carly Noyes, the Chiefs buried the Braves in the early-going and never trailed, winning their third straight game against Columbia Basin League 3A competition to open the year.

"We go out there and we knock down some shots in the first quarter especially," Strophy said, "and our defense plays extremely well, does a good job of blocking out, getting the rebounds."

Moses Lake had plenty of chances for rebounds in the first period because Kamiakin never hit a field goal. The Braves' only points came on three free-throws, and the visitors found themselves trailing 20-3 at the end of eight minutes.

Kamiakin righted itself over the next three quarters, actually outscoring the Chiefs 38-31 the rest of the way, but the damage had been done.

That didn't negate some concern on Strophy's part over a poor fourth quarter where the Braves had a 16-5 edge against Moses Lake's reserves.

"I'm disappointed with our fourth quarter," the coach said. "We've got to be able to have people that come in off our bench and give us success."

Moses Lake led 35-12 at halftime, and what little hope remained for Kamiakin was quickly destroyed by Loera. The freshman point guard scored eight points - including a pair of 3-pointers - as the Chiefs went on an 11-4 run and led 46-24 heading to the fourth quarter.

Loera ended the night with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. She earned the game ball and Strophy credited her leadership - something unique among first-year varsity players.

"The girls feed off of her - they have that calming effect when she's out on the floor," Strophy said of Loera. "Unfortunately, they need to have that calming effect when she's not on the floor.

She played a solid game and it's fun having her up here because she does a good job leading our show," he added. "When she's got the other four players in the starting lineup to give the ball to, it makes her job really easy, too."

Moses Lake had 18 turnovers, most of them with Loera out of the lineup in the final period.

"Our goal is to have under 14," the coach said. "That's stuff we have to clean up - I would've bet it was more than 18 turnovers."

Noyes, the CBL's reigning Most Valuable Player, had a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Her older sister, Ann Noyes, didn't have her typical high output as she finished with four points and five rebounds, but that was something Strophy chalked up to good Kamiakin defense.

The Chiefs are trying to take advantage of Ann Noyes' excellent outside shot and want to set her up in the perimeter post, 5-8 feet from the hoop. Kamiakin's defense, however, wasn't having any of that strategy.

"You've got to credit Kamiakin's pressure defense," Strophy said. "When they get out and pressure that passer, it makes that pass a little more difficult.

"I'd say in the second half there was probably three times (Ann Noyes) was wide open and the girls couldn't get her the ball," he added. "We need to be able to get her the ball where she can take that shot."

Moses Lake did earned a 34-25 edge in rebounding, a focus coming in, and didn't allow any Braves player to catch fire offensively. Stacey Smith had nine points to lead Kamiakin.

The Chiefs host the Eastmont Wildcats, another CBL 3A foe, on Friday at 7:30 p.m.