Lions coast to district championship

MLCA 75, Pateros 41

MOSES LAKE — After winning their opening-round game despite mediocre shooting and a few lapses on defense Friday, Moses Lake Christian Academy coach Lonnie Brown told his players that winning Saturday's district championship game would require a full 32 minutes of quality basketball.

In reality, it took only eight minutes.

The Lions wasted little time in taking control of the championship game with Pateros, jumping out to a 30-7 first-quarter lead that they built into a 75-41 victory. The Lions won Saturday's game in the same manner they have won all season, by getting offensive contributions from a multitude of players and playing stifling defense.

"That's been our season all year long, playing great defense and balance," said MLCA coach Lonnie Brown.

The Lions, as they have in most of their games this year, held their opponent to under 50 points. Additionally, they had four players score in double figures.

In the championship, Taylor McNamara led MLCA with 14 points, while Phillip Friehe added 13 in the win. Daniel Timofeyev had eight points and 11 assists in the title game.

Riggs Yarbro scored 11 for MLCA, and Adrian Moffet had 10 points against Pateros.

MLCA opened the tournament with an 80-41 win over Easton. After building a commanding 43-20 halftime lead, the Lions opened the third quarter with a 15-1 run to take an insurmountable 58-21 lead.

Most impressive about the run is how MLCA was able to do it. The Lions shot quite poorly from the field, but controlled the boards and got many second-chance opportunities. MLCA held a 57-27 rebounding edge for the game, and outscored Easton 17-5 on second-chance points.

"The ball just wouldn't go in," said Brown. "They (MLCA) were playing volleyball across the rim."

Another one of the keys to MLCA's domination of Easton was how they took care of the ball. The Lions, who play a fast-paced, run-the-floor style, committed just 10 turnovers against Easton.

"My personal goal is if we can keep our turnovers under 14," said MLCA coach Lonnie Brown. "With our style of play, I can live with 10 turnovers any day."

Against Easton, Riggs Yarbro led the Lions with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Sam Walker also posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Phillip Friehe had 12 points, six assists and five steals, while Adrian Moffet added 13 points in the win.

The Lions, ranked number two in the 1B division by the Associated Press, earned a top seed to the 1B State Tournament, which begins Feb. 21 in Yakima.

When asked about the post-season, Brown was optimistic about the Lions' chances.

"We know what to do and we're capable of doing it," said the MLCA coach. "My expectations are that we will get it done."