Moses Lake and Chiawana meet again with state berth on the line

MOSES LAKE — Oftentimes at this point in the basketball season, when the field has been whittled down to 16 teams, the match-ups will be unfamiliar.

A lower-seeded west side team will have to travel east or vice-versa. Coaches have to scour the web for film or use their network of contacts for tidbits of information.

But for Moses Lake that isn’t the case.

The Chiefs will be playing a team in regionals that they are intimately familiar with: Chiawana.

Since the Columbia Basin Big Nine fractured, creating the Mid Columbia Conference, Moses Lake head coach Matt Strophy and Chiawana head coach Steve Davis have scheduled non-league games between their respective teams every season.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Strophy said. “It’s got some things that we like in the fact that as coaches we haven’t had to scrounge around and try and find film on this opponent and talk to people and do the Internet scouting and do the things like that. So that’s been nice. It’s been less stressful on us in that respect, but more stressful because they know us and we know them.

“And so what types of wrinkles they’re going to do? Are we going to do any wrinkles? They know what we do. We know what they do. I can’t imagine in three days or four days of preparation that either of us is going to start changing things dramatically.”

The two teams hooked up this season on Dec. 8, with Moses Lake winning 76-55 behind an historic performance by Jessie Loera. Loera scored a school record 37 points to go along with Jamie Loera’s 21.

“That was at the beginning of the season and we’ve both had some games under our belts now to where we’ve developed as a team better so it could be a different game; it could be the same,” Jessie Loera said. “We don’t know for sure yet. We just had to come ready. All of us.”

Since that game in early December, Moses Lake won out and wrapped up its third straight district championship. Chiawana suffered one more regular season loss against Ferris before closing on a 16-game win streak, finishing undefeated in the MCC.

In the final Associated Press poll Moses Lake was ranked No. 2 and Chiawana was ranked No. 6. It’s the only Class 4A girls regional match-up between two ranked teams.

“We know they’re a quality team,” Strophy said. “If you’re playing a 16-10 team from the west side then you get some film on them and see what’s going on and you kind of feel a little more confident. This has us kind of on our toes more and so that’s a good thing. I think our focus is where it needs to be. The girls are excited. The girls know that we can beat them because we’ve beat them already.

“I think we’re dialed in and we’re ready to go.”

The key to beating Chiawana in December will likely be the key on Friday: stop Braydey Hodgins. Hodgins, who signed to play at Boise State next season, was the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the MCC. She averaged 25 points per game and went off for 46 points earlier in the season. However, Moses Lake rendered Hodgins largely ineffective in December and held her below double figures in scoring.

“We’ll try to keep her out from driving and everything our best and especially if we do stop her not to be able to get the kick-out to the three-point shot,” Jessie Loera said. “So it’s the three-point shot and them driving, basically. I think we’re a strong enough defense to where we can try and figure out where we’re at to help out and everything.”

Like two years ago against Kentridge, Moses Lake will play its regional game just a few minutes up State Route 17 at Big Bend Community College. The short travel, bigger court and large fan-base should be advantageous for the Chiefs.

“It was pretty amazing two years ago,” Strophy said. “We need our community and our student body to step up and really help us with that because that can be a difference-maker in the ball game when we have 75 percent of that place packed with Moses Lake people, that will make the difference for us mentally. That’s a big advantage mentally for our girls so I encourage everybody to come out. You’re going to see some great basketball.”

No. 1 Almira/Coulee-Hartline looks for return to Spokane Arena

In the matinée — so to speak — at Big Bend on Friday, the top-ranked Almira/Coulee-Hartline boys face off against Liberty Christian at 6 p.m.

The game offers an interesting subplot as ACH upset Liberty Christian in the Class 1B state football semifinals before going on to win a state championship. The record-breaking quarterbacks of each school — ACH’s Dallas Isaak and LC’s John Lesser — also play basketball.

This time, on the hardwood, the Warriors will be the heavy favorites. ACH was ranked No. 1 the entire season and is undefeated.

The Warriors are trying to return to the Spokane Arena for the first time since winning the state championship there in 2012.