Tough second quarter downs Chiefs hoops

MOSES LAKE - Taking on top-ranked team in Class 5A Idaho

basketball may have seen like a daunting task for the Moses Lake

Chiefs basketball team according to some.

Post Falls 64, MOSES LAKE 52

MOSES LAKE - Taking on top-ranked team in Class 5A Idaho basketball may have seen like a daunting task for the Moses Lake Chiefs basketball team according to some.

Then again, that's why the games are played.

Moses Lake, shorthanded, battling injuries, illness, and family matters, amongst players on the roster, came out strong to lead 13-12 after one quarter.

Yet, they couldn't maintain that momentum for all four quarters as they eventually succumbed to an 18-0 second quarter and the visiting Trojans would hold on for 64-52 victory.

The Chiefs (3-3) dropped their second straight contest.

We started out ahead but had that rough second quarter," Moses Lake head coach John Hohman said. "We came out after half and competed.  I was really proud of our guys because this Post Falls team is ranked number one in Idaho and they are the defending 5A state champions."

Post Falls got a big 24 point game from Connor Hill as the Trojans shot 51 percent from the field compared to the Chiefs' 37 percent.

Moses Lake outrebounded Post Falls 33-30 but committed 21 turnovers to the Trojans' 18.

The Chiefs were led by Matt Franz's 13 points and Gabe Porter's 10 points.

Porter and Kyler Moats led the squad with five rebounds each.

"We have alot of little things we need to cleanup because we start league play Friday down at Chiawana," Hohman said. "They are one of the top teams in our league."

WILSON CREEK 68, COLUMBIA BASIN SECONDARY SCHOOL 34

MOSES LAKE - They both started the 2010-11 campaign with high hopes for the season.

So far the Wilson Creek Devils basketball squad appears closer to their original goals then the Columbia Basin Secondary School Phoenix.

Last night the two squads battled in a North Central Washington 1B league opener and the visiting Devils took advantage of a depleted Phoenix squad en route to a convincing 68-34 victory to kickstart their title campaign.

Wilson Creek (3-1, 1-0) led 19-6 at the end of the first quarter and 37-10 by halftime against a Phoenix squad missing a number players due to a multitude of factors.

"I feel good especially with the start we've had," Wilson Creek head coach Keith Jensen said. "We are off to such a good start and still have so much room for improvement. That right there is a sign that we are a pretty good team. We are not even close to hitting our stride."

What they did hit last night were the boards as they outrebounded the Phoenix (0-2, 0-1) by what Jensen believed was a large margin.

"We outrebounded them at least two-to-one and we are a pretty good rebounding team with a lot more size down low," Jensen said. "Sometimes quickness overshadows size, but our guys stay focused. I am a firm believer that if you win the rebound battle you have a good chance to win the game."

First-year Phoenix coach Rolland Hansen was optimistic about his team's outlook despite the defeat.

"It's hard to see it, but the kids executed much better tonight and improved on their rebounding," Hansen said. "The kids are working very hard, but the lack of experience is just hurting us right now."

The only returning Phoenix starter from a team that was two wins away from a state berth last year, junior Kayleb Jensen, did all that he could to keep his team competitive, scoring a game-high 24 points.

"They lost a lot to graduation and are really inexperienced with the exception of Kayleb," Keith Jensen said. "I have to say Kayleb is one heck of a player. He has hurt us in the past and is a great point guard."

Hansen saw his veteran try everything he could to get his new teammates involved.

"Kayleb played really good team ball, looking for his teammates and trying to make them better," Hansen said. "I have to give him credit for his game tonight. He was definitely one of the best players on the floor."

Wilson Creek got some top performances from Austin Reyes (23 points, nine rebounds), Derek Fredere (20 points, 10 rebounds), and Jacob Treat (18 points, 16 rebounds).

While the Devils push forward, the Phoenix will have to clean up on their boxing out and hitting open shots, according to Hansen.

The Phoenix missed 22, mostly, uncontested lay-in attempts.

"The kids are improving at a fast rate so we should be competitive," Hansen said. "We are also waiting for two kids to get eligible for us and that will help."

MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 59, Cascade Christian 50

MOSES LAKE - Coming out strong last night, the Moses Lake Christian Academy Lions hoped to tell their North Central Washington 1B league opponents a message.

One they hopefully said they would be the team everyone would have to go through to win the title.

Well for four minutes they certainly let everyone know that as they broke out to a 15-0 lead against visiting Cascade Christian.

After that, the Lions went from making teams tremble to their own fans a little nervous as the visiting Wolverines would scratch their way back into things before losing 59-50 to the Academy.

Moses Lake Christian Academy (3-1, 1-0) allowed the last eight points of the first quarter and from there they did just enough to secure the win.

"It started exactly how I put it on the board and what I wanted us to do," Lions head coach Duke Wood said. "We were making a statement that we belong and we wanted to take care of business in the first quarter. But then we quit after they called time out and we were done."

Not necessarily done as the Lions did built their halftime lead to 33-20 and maintained that cushion at 48-35 going into the fourth quarter but the level of passion needed from Wood's players was lacking.

"We lost all intensity and all enthusiasm for the whole game," Wood said. "I don't have to stand up and move up and down the sideline to make these guys play. Some time they got to figure this out. I think at 15-0 they felt mission accomplished. I wanted that start but then I wanted us to continue and run our stuff."

All nine players on the roster played ample minutes and Lowell Kirkwood led the squad with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Conner Webb tallied 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, Joe Timofeyev added 10 points and four assists, and Thomas Knopp chipped in with eight points and 10 rebounds.

"Nothing sticks out and everything looks the same about this game," Wood said. "I played everyone and they all had 14 minutes-plus. So maybe we have to work on building chemistry between the multiple lineups we have out there to maybe do a better job maintaining that intensity I wanted from the start. That's my job to do that."