Moses Lake girls sink three more opponents
AUBURN — The Moses Lake Chiefs girls basketball squad wrapped up another solid weekend of summer tournament action, finishing tied for third place at the Auburn-Riverside High School Invitational.
The Chiefs won three of their four games, beginning with a 35-28 triumph over Tree of Hope, a Seattle-based AAU all-star team. Moses Lake's Jordan Loera drained four shots from 3-point range and finished with a team-high 12 points, while Carly Noyes added 9 points, four rebounds and three blocks.
"This game was a great experience for the girls because this is the first team that has matched the size, as well as the much-improved guard play of the Chiefs," Moses Lake head coach Matt Strophy said via e-mail.
In game two, Moses Lake ran up against the hosts and defending 3A champion Auburn-Riverside Ravens. The Chiefs held their own in the first half and trailed by just 2 points at the break before the Ravens took control in the second half to win 52-38.
The Chiefs missed several free throws and easy lay-ins during the second half that could've kept the game closer, Strophy noted. Auburn-Riverside's depth also played a factor, as the Ravens had 10 players to combat the Chiefs' six-player lineup.
Carly Noyes had 14 points, four rebounds and five blocked shots in the loss. Kelly Sutherland added 13 points and three boards.
Moses Lake recovered in game three, rolling to a 44-23 victory over the Blaze, another Seattle-based AAU all-star team. The Blaze are a much younger team than the Chiefs and it showed, Strophy noted.
Carly Noyes had 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks to lead the Chiefs' surge. Loera scored 11 and had five steals. Ann Noyes chipped in 9 points and six rebounds.
In their tournament finale, the Chiefs had an impressive performance in a 56-26 drubbing of 4A state tournament qualifier Mount Tahoma.
Moses Lake jumped to a 45-12 lead at halftime and played much more conservatively in the second half. Carly Noyes decimated Mount Tahoma with 28 points, 18 rebounds, five blocks and three assists. Loera also finished in double figures with 13 points, adding three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Ann Noyes also had a nice all-around game with 8 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Auburn-Riverside's tournament featured a championship game for first and second places, but didn't play any consolation finals.
With Vanessa Brischle out due to injury, the Chiefs' roster for the Auburn-Riverside tournament included Lorin Montgomery, Sutherland, Loera, Kayde Williamson, Carly Noyes and Ann Noyes.
The Chiefs' summer record is 23-5 going into this Thursday's home contest against Sandy High School of Oregon. Thursday's game begins at 6:30 p.m. at Moses Lake High School's gymnasium.
The Chiefs finish summer action this coming weekend at East Valley-Yakima's tournament.