Moses Lake starts 4A state
Moses Lake senior and Columbia Basin Big Nine Columbia Division Player of the Year Carly Noyes (33) goes up for a shot during Moses Lake's 61-40 win over Southridge Feb. 6. Photo by Derrick Pacheco/Columbia Basin Herald
TACOMA, Wash. — If the Chiefs hope to reach their second consecutive Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) girls state championship game, the will have to get through the South Kitsap Wolves in today’s first round.
The sixth-ranked Chiefs qualified for the state tournament following a string of second-place finishes.
Moses Lake finished second in the Columbia Basin Big Nine’s Columbia Division behind the top-ranked Pasco Bulldogs. The Chiefs finished the Big Nine district tournament with a 72-69 overtime loss at the hands of the Bulldogs.
After finishing earning the Big Nine’s second seed heading into the regional tournament, Moses Lake knocked off Richland 54-48 before advancing to the regional semifinals last week.
The Chiefs beat a tough Mead team to advance to the regional finals, guaranteeing Moses Lake their second consecutive trip to the state playoffs.
They met Pasco in the regional championship game, before falling 58-50 to their Big Nine nemesis. Moses Lake would likely not play Pasco at the state tournament unless both teams advanced to the state championship.
This is Moses Lake’s second straight trip to the Tacoma Dome and Moses Lake head coach Matt Strophy said his team knows what to expect.
“We talked about having fun,” he said. “But on the other hand, this is a business trip. The girls have been here before. They know we don’t go in all wide-eyed.”
South Kitsap qualified for the state tournament with a fifth-place finish at the Region III tournament.
While the Chiefs will play a 15-11 South Kitsap team, Strophy said his team cannot take the Wolves lightly.
“Nobody has an easy draw,” he said.
Should the Chiefs get past the Wolves, Moses Lake will likely meet two-time defending WIAA 3A state champion Auburn-Riverside in the quarterfinals. The fifth-ranked Ravens won back-to-back state championships before making the jump to 4A this season.
Auburn-Riverside qualified for the state tournament with a victory over former No. 1 and previously unbeaten Kentwood in the Region III championship game.