Moses Lake girls third at Gonzaga tourney
SPOKANE — Moses Lake High School's girls basketball team took third place in the large-school varsity bracket at Gonzaga University's annual summer tournament that concluded Wednesday.
The Chiefs competed against 40 teams from 3A, 4A and 5A sized schools throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
Moses Lake opened the tournament with a 28-27 victory over Gonzaga Prep, barely escaping the Bullpups' pressure defense. Carly Noyes was the Chiefs' high scorer with 10 points to go along with eight rebounds and four blocks. Vanessa Brischle added six points.
The Chiefs' next opponent was the Lewis and Clark Tigers, the two-time defending Washington 4A champions. The game was an exhibition because some teams didn't show up on time to play their games.
Moses Lake held its own for much of the contest before falling 42-29. Brischle went down with what head coach Matt Strophy believed to be a hyper-extended right knee. She will have an MRI next week to reveal the full extent of the injury. Carly Noyes had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
In their next game with Washington 3A state qualifier Hudson's Bay (Vancouver), the Chiefs throttled their opponents, coached by former Moses Lake coach Art Rojas, by a final score of 58-19.
Carly Noyes dominated with 20 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Loera scored 16, grabbed six boards, dished out five assists and had four steals. Ann Noyes (9 points, six rebounds) and Kelly Sutherland (8 points, three rebounds, four steals) were also key contributors.
The victory over Hudson's Bay gave Moses Lake the No. 1 seed out of their pool to the 10-team championship bracket. The Chiefs earned a first-round bye, then blew out Flathead High School of Montana 50-23.
Ann Noyes had a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Loera added 12 points, five assists and three steals.
In the semifinals, the Chiefs faced an old nemesis in the Mead Panthers. Moses Lake started quickly, jumping to a 9-1 lead, but eventually lost 42-36. Mead gave the Chiefs problems with its pressure defense, forcing 18 turnovers.
Carly Noyes led the Chiefs with 15 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Lorin Montgomery and Sutherland each had 7 points.
With third place on the line in the consolation finals, the Chiefs bounced back for a 45-31 triumph over the Coeur d'Alene Vikings. Carly Noyes had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Loera added 10 points and six assists. Ann Noyes and Sutherland chipped in 9 points each.
Moses Lake's performance was made more remarkable by the fact the team had only five healthy players throughout much of the tournament — Montgomery, Sutherland, Loera, Ann Noyes and Carly Noyes. Brischle was out with her knee injury and Kayde Williamson saw limited duty because of illness.
The Gonzaga tournament provided an additional few days for players to work on individual and team skills. Moses Lake won seven of its eight games in the non-competitive portion of the camp to improve their summer record to 19-4.
Though tired from 14 games in seven days, they'll head out again Saturday morning to the Auburn-Riverside High School tournament in western Washington.
After returning from that tournament, the players and coaching staff will host their annual basketball camp for girls entering fourth through nine grades. More information is available through the Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Department at 509-766-9240.