Academy splits in Wenatchee
Things didn't go as smoothly last night for Moses Lake Christian Academy (in white) against Cascade Christian (in blue) as it did here in December.
WENATCHEE - Back in December the Moses Lake Christian Academy
boys basketball team had complete control of their home game
against Cascade Christian.
CASCADE CHRISTIAN boys 62, MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 46
WENATCHEE - Back in December the Moses Lake Christian Academy boys basketball team had complete control of their home game against Cascade Christian.
Then, just like letting the perfect catch fall from the hook, the Lions allowed their guests to breathe again and hang around before dropping a 59-50 decision.
That lack of killer instinct may have played a huge roll last night in Wenatchee when the two teams faced off once again.
Leading 20-11 after one quarter, the Academy again allowed their foe to wiggle back into the game, but this time they didn't just pay with a big splash.
No, the Lions' boat was capsized in a 62-46 throttling by Cascade Christian, to hand the Academy their first North Central Washington 1B loss of the season.
"There is no doubt in my mind that how that first game ended up contributed to how things went tonight," Academy head coach Duke Wood said. "Add to it they had beaten Mansfield before tonight and it was a horrific performance."
The second quarter could have easily been filmed as the fourth installment of the Scream franchise as Academy fans watched the Lions (9-5, 4-1) score only two points and fall behind 30-22, to finish on the back end of a 17-point swing in just eight minutes of play.
"We pressed them, did our stuff and got the lead," Wood said. "Then the press slowly wore off. I don't know if we got tired or what. They hit a few shots and they started to roll. We missed some layups and it just kept going down hill from there."
The Academy were down 42-33 at the end of the third quarter but couldn't make a dent down the stretch as Cascade Christian pulled away.
Joe Timofeyev scored 20 points for the Lions while Lowell Kirkwood added eight points.
"I guess we'll see on Saturday if they can learn from this and not take anyone from granted," Wood said of his squad's upcoming game at Mansfield. "I don't know if Cascade Christian has ever beaten Moses Lake Christian Academy, but tonight they played well and with confidence. None of them were not afraid to shoot the ball. Every team gets up to play us and we have to either take up the fight or get beat."
MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Girls 58, CASCADE CHRISTIAN 31
The Lady Lions of Moses Lake Christian Academy started slow but finished strong in a 58-31 dismantling of Cascade Christian last night.
With the win, the Lady Lions (11-2, 5-0) secured a stronghold on the North Central Washington 1B league lead at the halfway point of the season.
"We knew going in that Cascade Christian was a different place to play," Lady Lions head coach Bryce McPartland said. "It's very quiet, very subdued and we didn't bring much enthusiasm early. At the end of the day though, it's a win on the road and it beats the alternative."
After a slow start that saw the Academy lead 14-9 at the end of the first quarter, they slowly found their rhythm and broke out to a 34-17 lead by halftime.
The Lady Lions actually trailed 9-4 in the first quarter before going on a 10-0 run.
"This week is finals week and I think the girls were distracted a bit by that," McPartland said. "It's just part of being a student athlete and they did not respond well."
Yet, even at their not-so-best, the Lady Lions kept up the pressure following the intermission and would lead 46-25 with only eight minutes left to play.
Kristina Firouzi scored 17 points to lead the Academy, while eight points apiece were scored by McKenna Walker, Madison Yamane, and Melissa Verhage.
"Kristina was a real bright spot tonight," McPartland said. "Often times, it seemed like all of our composure was with her and her alone."
Walker also had 10 steals and seven rebounds, while Rachel Verhage nabbed eight steals and Melissa Verhage added seven rebounds.
"I hate to beat up on the girls too much, but the bottom line is that if we play like this our season will end short of Spokane," McPartland said. "We can't survive nights like this against a team we'd see at regionals."