MLCA to host holiday tourney

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy (MLCA) Lions and the Warden Cougars boys basketball teams get back to action tonight when they face off in the first round of the MLCA Christmas Tournament tonight in the MLCA gym.

The Lions will face the Cougars tonight at 7:30 p.m. in a game Moses Lake Christian head coach Lonnie Brown said will be competitive.

“We should see some pretty good basketball,” he said. “There should be a lot of people there. Warden travels well.”

Following the Christmas break, Warden head coach Wes Richins said he is anxious to see his team get back on the basketball court.

“The holidays are always a challenge,” he said. “We got to get back in shape and work off the figgy pudding.”

Brown said it will be nice to have his team return to action in front of the home crowd.

“It’s a nice deal for us,” he said. “It’s like two extra home games.”

Warden and Moses Lake Christian will square off in the late game while Bridgeport and Tri-Cities Prep will play in the afternoon. The winner of tonight’s Warden-Moses Lake Christian contest will play the winner of the Bridgeport-Tri-Cities Prep game Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game. The losers of both games will play each other Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.

Brown said the tournament games are his final preseason contests before the North Central Washington 1B league season begins.

“It’s time to get back again,” he said. “It’s the final tune-up before league begins next week.”

The Lions begin their league season Jan. 6 when they take on the Columbia Basin Secondary School.

Warden is 2-0 and undefeated in South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC) action and returns to their league schedule Jan. 3 when they travel to Highland.

Richins said his team needs to regain its focus following the break to improve on its SCAC record.

“After the new year we start league again and we need to stay sharp,” he said.