Summer Sizzle

SPOKANE - Moses Lake girls basketball took its first steps toward returning to the state tournament after completing a slate of summer league games.

So far, the Chiefs are 17-6. Moses Lake opened the summer schedule with seven straight wins before losing in the tournament championship in Wenatchee against Central Valley, 35-21.

Head coach Matt Strophy and his staff have had to get creative with their rotations as the team's roster has constantly been in flux.

Lineups have shifted from a full 12 players to just a group of six from game to game.

"That's a struggle and a benefit because we're seeing a multitude of different kids," Strophy said. "We're missing a lot of the seniors. They've got jobs and other commitments that they've made for the month of June, but we have a dedicated group of younger kids that have really been putting in that hard work and that time and that energy and effort that is required to be successful."

Despite having an impressive summer league record, Moses Lake has struggled against the top flight competition from the Spokane schools. After dropping the championship in Wenatchee to Central Valley, the Chiefs lost three in a row at the Gonzaga shootout to Mead, Lewis and Clark and Gonzaga Prep.

"It's getting over that Spokane hump," Strophy said. "I'd like to be able to be more competitive against those teams and get a few wins, but they have deep ballclubs and we have talent but we're not as deep as they are."

Coming off a season where the team finished fifth in state, Strophy measures the Chiefs against the best the state has to offer.

"I think we're a championship caliber program and we have been, but if we really want to be that elite level those are the teams that we have to be able to beat."

However. the offseason evaluation hasn't been entirely a glass half empty mentality.

Moses Lake has looked impressive in its wins, with nine coming by 10 or more points.

"We're always playing with heart and we're always playing with energy," Strophy said. "We're looking to improve every game."

The Chiefs also enacted some slight revenge against Sunnyside, who was co-league champions with Moses Lake, after beating the Grizzlies 45-43 in overtime at the Gonzaga Team Camp.

McKenna Walker poured in 17 points in the victory against the Chiefs' Big Nine rival.

The biggest question mark with the Chiefs after their stellar 2013-2014 campaign is who will play in the front court?

"I think losing Carina LeFave and Kaitlyn Stevens and Selina Koon is going to be a bigger impact than people might realize," Strophy said. "We return Avery Clark who started as a sophomore and started as a junior so she'll be a senior ... She's undersized, but she makes up for it in productivity."

A pair of upper classmen, Alyssa Balderas and Madison Tudor, could help Clark in the paint.

Tudor saw limited minutes at the varsity level last season, but could be a key contributor with a shift to the post. Tudor showcased her versatility with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists during a 61-11 rout of Quincy this summer.

The sophomore trio of Jessica Olson, Elly Johnson and Aleyxa Sandmann are also solid options for Moses Lake down low.

But Moses Lake's strength will once again be at the guard position.

In addition to Jessie Loera and Walker, Moses Lake will also likely welcome Jamie Loera to the varsity team.

Jessie, who was the primary ballhandler for the Chiefs last season, will now be able to rely on her sister to shoulder some of the load.

"It's really fun to watch the two of them play together, Jessie and Jamie," Strophy said. "The nice thing about Jamie, she's a little more vocal ... She picks up where we need it so if Jessie and McKenna are scoring she doesn't shoot a lot but she's getting some assists, she's getting some rebounds, she's playing defense. She's doing good things."

Jamie has played well during the summer, filling the stat sheet on multiple occasions, and scored a game-high 16 points during Moses Lake's 38-28 win against Black Hills.

Since Moses Lake's season wrapped up, Strophy has noticed an improvement in Jessie's and Walker's shot. He also believes their basketball IQ has risen after studying tape in the offseason.

With the addition of Jamie to an already formidable backcourt, coaches across the state are beginning to take note of the Chiefs.

"It's been exciting, I mean really exciting watching the two of them and then when the three of them, McKenna Walker, those three guards," Strophy said. "You know, talking to some of the coaches over the last couple of weekends, especially the last seven days up at Gonzaga, they're just in utter awe of having those three on the court at the same time."

Moses Lake continues its summer schedule today at the Camp Classic in Liberty Lake.