Moses Lake pulls away from Skyview, keeps season alive

TACOMA - A beast.

That's how Moses Lake head coach Matt Strophy described sophomore post Abby Rathbun. And it's an apt description.

Rathbun put together her fifth straight double-double of the postseason with 10 points and 11 rebounds in a 50-41 win over Skyview, keeping Moses Lake's season intact for one more game.

"Just imagine if he she was six foot or taller," Strophy said. "She'd be a Division I prospect and coaches would be drooling on her and I think they will be when they really evaluate how she plays... She's killing it on the boards, making enough lay-ins and free throws."

Despite losing its first game of the season in the state quarterfinals to top-ranked Central Valley, Moses Lake showed no signs of a hangover in its early game Friday.

Jamie Loera and Jessie Loera hit back-to-back three-pointers, sparking a 10-0 run that put the Chiefs ahead 17-8 at the end of the first quarter.

"Yesterday was a tough loss," Rathbun said. "We definitely wanted that win, but the biggest thing for me - my biggest goal today - was keep encouraging the girls, keep pushing."

A day removed from shooting 25 percent as a team, Jamie Loera hit early and often against Skyview.

In the second quarter, she sank a three-pointer to push the lead to 10 points and later drained another mid-range shot to build the lead back up to 11 points.

The Chiefs would take a 29-17 lead into the break.

The Storm threatened in the third quarter, closing to within seven points, before Jessie Loera netted a three-pointer as time expired.

"I think that lifted them (the team) up a little bit," she said. "I think they saw that, 'OK, we're still in it, we're still going, we still have all this energy we can use to win this game and take control.'"

Moses Lake would take control after Skyview cut the lead to five points, 46-41.

Jessie Loera scored off a steal and Jessica Olson scored off a block for the final points of the game.

Moses Lake meets Lewis and Clark Saturday, 8 a.m., in the fourth/sixth place game.

"We'll have fun playing with each other one last time this year," Jessie Loera said. "With me there and all the other seniors. It will be exciting.