Girls basketball team pays tribute to past season
Alan Dale/Columbia Basin Herald<br> One more chance to get together and the Moses Lake Chiefs girls basketball team took in a night of recognizing their 2009-2010 acheivements at the team banquet last night.
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake High School girls basketball team celebrated the final chapter of its 2009-2010 season Wednesday night at their annual banquet.
Held at the Moses Lake Country Club, the Chiefs’ coach Matt Strophy announced his team’s award winners as the team celebrated one last night together.
Junior guard Jordan Loera was named the team’s Most Valuable Player after helping lead Moses Lake to a 17-14 record and an eighth-place finish at the Class 4A state finals earlier this month.
Loera was also named to the Class 4A state All Tournament team.
“She was just a spectacular leader and at times carried us,” Strophy said. “She really matured and developed over the course of the year. She learned to play with different players that she hadn’t played with and next year it will definitely be her team.”
Loera played this season with only two familiar faces from the 2008-09 rotation.
Senior Tiffany Morris was awarded with the Coach’s Award, while classmate Megan Sutherland earned Most Improved Player Award recognition.
“The coach’s award is something this is very special for me,” Strophy said. “It’s not just about one year but it encompasses an entire career. She overcame many position changes and injuries and she is the consummate team player that realizes team comes first. She is willing to do what the team needs first for us to win. She is extremely coachable and would embrace any role we gave her.
“Megan getting the most improved was where she became a focal point that helped us advance in the playoffs,” Strophy added. “She was a good shooter, passer, and a very smart defender and that contributed to our success. She really came out of her shell as the year went on.”
Junior Kayla Bernsen’s first year in the program turned out to be quite a good one as the Connell-transfer earned recognition for being the Most Inspirational Player for the Chiefs.
“Kayla was really a God-send in the interior for us to provide the height and energy that she did,” Strophy said. “She has such a magnetic personality and is so bubbly and fun. That’s probably why she was voted most inspirational from her teammates. That’s pretty impressive since she was the new kid, but she really helped us get to the next level.”