Lions remain unbeaten in league; roll over Phoenix

MOSES LAKE - Last year the two teams waged battle on three different occasions to claim top dog status of Class 1B boys basketball status in Moses Lake.

The Columbia Basin Secondary School Phoenix split regular season battles with the Moses Lake Christian Academy Lions and then fell in the post season but not before serving notice.

However, this is a new year, and both teams have undergone multiple changes.

Still the Lions remain fully locked and loaded for another state tournament run while the Phoenix are still trying to find their way in a year that has many questions left to answer.

Last night, the two teams met for the first time this season and the differences in routes taken this campaign became apparent early on as the Lions would roar to an 85-29 North Central Washington 1B victory.

The game was never in doubt following a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Lowell Kirkwood at the end of the first quarter that gave the Lions (9-4, 5-0) a 31-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"We had a little pre-game meeting about how important this week is and how we have to take care of each game one day at a time," Lions head coach Duke Wood said. "If we do, we will be in the driver's seat for the league title."

The win keeps the Academy in first-place, ahead of Mansfield, where they will play on Friday night.

Events might have been different last night had the Phoenix's scrappy start paid off.

Star junior guard Kayleb Jensen terrorized the Lions' backcourt with a few early steals and hard-charging drives to the rim. However, Jensen's layup attempts off of those plays would rim out and the score would remain 0-0 in the first few minutes and not allow the Phoenix to jumpstart the contest.

It would also start a long night for Jensen shooting-wise.

"If Kayleb had made those that would have been a confidence builder for him and their team and ours may have gone in the gutter," Wood said. "He's a player and he's the one that we had to know where he was at all times. All five guys had to know where he was. I think we guarded him well but he was also missing some shots on his own thankfully."

Phoenix head coach Rolland Hansen noted that those early misses just compounded the pressure Jensen places upon himself to lead his inexperienced team of players around him.

"It was a tough night for Kayleb," Hansen said. "He didn't have a lot of opportunities and I think he feels the pressure and takes a lot of pride in playing Moses Lake Christian. That was a tough start for him. He wants to also get his teammates involved and so it gets tougher. After he missed those first few shots he got a little tentative."

The Academy also used their depth in numbers - the Phoenix started the game with only five players - and the difference in having the ability to substitute showed itself in the second quarter as the Lions built the gap to 53-13 by intermission.

"We started out the game playing a little sluggish in the man-to-man so I pressed to turn up the pace because that is when we are at our best," Wood said. "From there we cruised and did what we wanted to do."

Wood also watched a team led by him take on one coached by Hansen, who he worked for back during the 2007-08 season when the latter headed the Moses Lake Chiefs program and the former assisted.

"It would meant more tonight if there were different circumstances," Wood said. "They were short with five kids. If they had their full squad it would have meant a little more."

Hansen is impressed with what Wood has done at the Academy over the past almost two full years.

"I think he does a good job," Hansen said of Wood. "He just doesn't come in and beat you with his talent, he finds what the weakness is in your defense and you are always adjusting to go against his teams. Duke has done a good job with that group."

Wood may have also seen the fruits of his coaching emphasis on finishing plays as the Lions did a solid job of converting the 33 Phoenix turnovers into one-shot and done trips down the court rather than bemoaning multiple misses, which have plagued the team in the past.

"We're finally finishing and we've had trouble all year," Wood said. "They were shooting and going at the rim with more confidence. I'm hoping to some continuation for the rest of the year. We can score I just hope they can believe they can keep doing it."

Joe Timofeyev had 21 points, nine steals, and five assists to lead the Lions, while Connor Webb scored 19 points, nabbed seven steals, and dished six assists, along with having to guard Jensen most of the evening.

"I was just focused on stopping him and not letting him score," "He's like my best friend and it's a rivalry between us two. I am definitely glad he didn't go off.  I think we played well as a team and that's a confidence booster for us."

The Academy also got 11 points from Nick Laszlo and 10 points from Thomas Knopp.

Jensen, who scored only nine points through the first three quarters, finished with 18 points, as the Phoenix continue to battle inexperience and a shallow bench.

"That shows up big time against a good team like Moses Lake Christian," Hansen said. "Other than Kayleb we don't match up in terms of experience. Our kids are just not ready and it showed."