Moses Lake basketball teams push past Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake High School boys and girls basketball teams squeaked by league opponent Sunnyside High School with wins Saturday night.

The matchup was going to be a tough one. Sunnyside has always been a tough opponent for Moses Lake and that night was no different.

The girls game was the closer of the two games, with Moses Lake barely taking it by three points.

The Lady Chiefs got a small lead in the first quarter despite the return by Sunnyside on most of the points it managed to make. Moses Lake was able to pressure Sunnyside into making a few, possibly key, turnovers in the first quarter to lead 14-10.

Even though the Lady Chiefs were able to keep their small lead through the following three quarters, the fourth quarter saw a push by Sunnyside that nearly cost Moses Lake the game. It came down to the final 30 seconds of the game, when the score was tied up at 53-all. Moses Lake was able to get it together and score a few key free throws to gain a three-point lead and take the game, 56-53.

Moses Lake High School senior Meagan Karstetter had the game high of 19 points.

“I like that we got up by nine in the fourth quarter, but then we let them creep back in it, so does that make an exciting game for the fans? Yes, but my heart can’t take that kind of stuff,” joked Moses Lake High School head coach Matt Strophy.

Strophy noted between the first match against Sunnyside this season and now, his team has improved a lot. He emphasized in the first matchup, the Lady Chiefs gave up 21 offensive rebounds and this game they only gave up seven.

In the boys game, it was back and forth, but it all came down to the final quarter when the Moses Lake boys were able to push their 50-46 lead to 69-57.

The Chiefs managed 17 points in the first quarter, gaining a lead of six points over Sunnyside. Sunnyside pushed back and was able to take the lead from the Chiefs. The end of the third quarter was Sunnyside 34, Moses Lake 30.

The Chiefs came back from halftime with a renewed purpose and outscored Sunnyside to take the lead back. About this time, the game started to get messy with fouls and turnovers all over. Moses Lake powered through to end the third quarter ahead by only four.

The fourth quarter was just as intense as the third, with the pressure of the final minutes of the tight game setting in. By halfway through the quarter; however, the Chiefs were able to get ahead by 10 points. The Chiefs worked hard to keep that lead,as Sunnyside was getting desperate to stop them. This resulted in lots of fouls by Sunnyside, having two players foul out at four fouls each by the end of the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs took the game, 69-57.

Moses Lake High School sophomore Joel Middleton had 25 points to lead the Chiefs and was the high scorer of the night.

Moses Lake High School assistant coach Craig Groth, who stepped in for absent head coach Jake Hunt, said he knew it would be a tough game with Sunnyside looking for a comeback, especially after overtaking it by 12 in the last matchup earlier in the season.

Box Scores

Girls

Moses Lake - 14 10 17 15 - 56

Sunnyside - 10 12 12 19 - 53

Boys

Moses Lake - 17 13 20 19 - 69

Sunnyside - 11 23 12 11 - 57