Moses Lake rallies to force OT, loses to league-leading Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake fell behind Sunnyside by as much as 13 points in the second half and trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter.

And yet, Brecka Erdmann stepped up to the free throw line with 1.2 seconds left in regulation with a chance to tie the game. The first offering rattled in, the second — after an astute timeout by Sunnyside coach Rick Puente — nestled through the twine to tie.

Despite the late-game heroics, Carla Cardenas sunk a go-ahead 3-pointer near the end of the shot clock in overtime and Sunnyside — who entered the game ranked No. 5 in the initial RPI rankings — hit four late free throws to escape 68-63.

“One, I hope we learned that we can play with anybody and, two, that every possession is important,” head coach Matt Strophy said. “When we get those opportunities we’ve got to be able to cash in and not have some careless turnovers, not have some forced shot attempts, not have that last-second missed rotation and they hit a 3 at the buzzer of the shot clock.

“There are some little things, but we’re in the games and I think that’s the most important thing that we’ve got to take away. Those other end of game situations we can continue to work on. The fact that they have the confidence and the ability to keep us in those things — that’s the first step in the right direction.”

Moses Lake struggled to contain Sunnyside’s first step, specifically left-hander Kameron Rodriguez, for much of regulation. Rodriguez scored a game-high 30 points, including 12 in the second quarter, to carry the Grizzlies’ trio of Rodriguez, Ashlee Maldonado and Chastitee Garza.

“That (Rodriguez being left-handed) seemed to give us some problems and we knew she was capable,” Strophy said. “They’re a good team, she’s a good player.”

Moses Lake churned through the game offensively until lanes began to open in the fourth quarter.

Madisyn Clark erupted for 10 of her team-high 21 points in the final frame. Gabi Rios answered a Maldonado 3-pointer with a deep shot of her own to keep the margin at four points. A pair of Anna Olson free throws brought the Chiefs all the way back to tie, 46-46, before Erdmann’s eventual heroics.

“They understand that we’ve got to score,” Strophy said. “The defensive pressure was there that created some offensive movement for us, some in-rhythm things, and then being able to attack the basket and put pressure on their girls in foul trouble. They just know that’s good basketball.”