Aspen Merkle’s lay-up gives MLCA crucial league win
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake Christian freshman Makiya Kast (31) guards Riverside Christian ballhandler Chloe Swanson (1) in the first half.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake Christian sophomore Aspen Merkle (left) is congratulated by teammates Deana Gulenko (center) and Allison Stanley after scoring a buzzer-beating basket to beat Riverside Christian on Monday.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake Christian's Kali Kast (33) shoots between two Riverside Christian defenders.
MOSES LAKE — Kali Kast bounded down the court as the seconds ticked down.
With only time for one or two passes, Kast found sophomore Aspen Merkle under the hoop for a go-ahead basket as time expired. Merkle was mobbed by teammates before stepping up to make a free throw purely for decoration as Moses Lake Christian completed a season sweep of Riverside Christian 44-41.
“Good vision by everybody — Aspen to release and call for it and give us a chance there at the end,” head coach Josh Kast said. “Luckily Kali seen her last second and dished it off. Not exactly how you draw it up.”
Monday night’s meeting between the top two teams in the Central Washington B league wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing.
Both teams were whistled for a litany of fouls and neither shot efficiently from the free throw line. Moses Lake Christian shot a ghastly 11-for-28, but found enough offense when it needed points the most.
The Lions raced to an 11-2 start and led for a majority of the game.
The Crusaders used a 1-3-1 zone and collapsed on Deana Gulenko in the paint to frustrate the home team for much of the second half. The Lions were held to just six points in the third quarter and — before Merkle’s timely 3-point play — nine points in the fourth quarter.
“They really keyed in on stopping Deana down low and really crashing in and really sucking in the key,” Josh Kast said.
Despite losing the lead, Moses Lake Christian responded with an Allison Stanley deflection that led to a game-tying free throw and an offensive rebound that led to a go-ahead free throw from Kali Kast. Stanley finished with 10 points and Kali Kast scored 15.
“They haven’t been in that many situations like that with a big game, this group,” Josh Kast said. “They’re so young, a lot of eighth- and ninth-graders in there so they haven’t been in a tight, tight game like that when it comes down to free throws with less than a minute.”
Riverside Christian was able to tie the game, 41-41, with less than five seconds left. Jocelyn Lloyd and Mckenna Meise had already fouled out so the Lions hoped to avoid overtime.
Kali Kast’s pass to Merkle erased the possibility of an extra period and placed the Lions firmly in first place.
“They did a really good job executing in the last two minutes, finding a way to win, attacking the basket and knocking down a few free throws,” Josh Kast said.
Score by quarters
MLCA 12 14 6 12 — 44
RCS 7 11 7 16 — 41
Northport 53, Almira/Coulee-Hartline 44
NORTHPORT — Almira/Coulee-Hartline struggled from the field in the middle quarters and lost to Northport 53-44.
The Warriors scored just 12 points combined in the second and third quarters.
Makenna Oliver scored a team-high 16 points.