Moses Lake dispatches Davis for victory

MOSES LAKE — It might not have been the best game the Moses Lake girls basketball team has played this year, but head coach Matt Strophy and his team will take the 61-44 victory over the Davis Pirates anyway.

“It was pretty sloppy,” he said. “You can’t discount a win.”

The Chiefs managed to build a 20-9 first quarter lead over a determined Davis team thanks in part to senior Shelby Kenner. Kenner led the Chiefs in the first quarter with seven points and finished the night in double digits with 10.

After the Chiefs built their first double digit lead of the evening, the Pirates sailed back into the game in the second quarter. Davis battled with Moses Lake on the boards and hit shots from behind the 3-point line to close the double-digit deficit down to eight points heading into the half.

Despite holding a 32-24 lead at halftime, the Chiefs struggled at times on the court — especially at the free-throw line, Strophy said.

“We were 3-for-16 from the free-throw line (in the first quarter),” he said. “We shoot 50 (free throws) a day. At this point it is all mental.”

While the Chiefs struggled in the first half, the third quarter was all Moses Lake. The Chiefs pulled away from the Pirates in the third quarter when Moses Lake went on a 13-0 run to start the second half. Davis didn’t get on the scoreboard in the third quarter until there was 3:30 left in the quarter.

After Davis broke the Chiefs scoring streak, Moses Lake scored six more unanswered points to close out the third quarter on a 19-2 run to take a commanding 51-26 lead in the Moses Lake High School gym. Moses Lake senior Carly Noyes led the Moses Lake offense in the third quarter, scoring eight of her game high 16 points.

With Moses Lake holding a commanding 25-point lead heading into the game’s fourth quarter, the Davis Pirates showed they would not go quietly. Davis rallied in the fourth quarter to close the gap with Moses Lake. The Pirates outscored the Chiefs 18-10 in the fourth quarter.

Davis’ run would not be enough, however, as the Chiefs held on for the 61-44 victory.

Moses Lake struggled from the free throw line in the second half, going 3-for-6. The Chiefs finished the contest 6-for-22 from the charity stripe.

Although Moses Lake earned the win, Noyes said her team needs to improve their free-throw shooting.

“A win is a win, but our free-throw percentage needs to get a lot better,” she said. “It’s all mental. We shoot really (well) in practice.”

The Chiefs return to the court Friday night when they travel to Wenatchee to take on the Panthers at 7:30 p.m.