BASIN HOOPS REPORT: Local squads enter league play

COLUMBIA BASIN — With the start of the new year, many boys and girls basketball teams around the area have started to enter the teeth of league play across their respective classifications. See below for a look at where Basin squads stand at the beginning of January.

All scores and records are according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline

Boys 

Since picking up back-to-back road wins against Valley Christian (69-40 on Dec. 15) and Odessa (52-50 on Dec. 16), the Warriors have dropped their past three outings; a Dec. 19 55-34 loss to Manson, a Dec. 29 48-38 loss to Waterville-Mansfield and Saturday’s 50-46 loss to MLCA/CCS, all of which were non-league games. ACH returns to league play with road games against Chesterton Academy on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Mary Walker at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Girls

The 4-4 Warriors lost to Waterville-Mansfield on Dec. 29, a 52-34 road game that ended in favor of the Shockers. ACH travels to back-to-back road games this weekend, playing Chesterton Academy at 6 p.m. Friday and Mary Walker at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Ephrata

Boys

The Tigers improved to 5-6 overall with Tuesday’s 51-49 win against East Valley (Yakima), staving off an attempted comeback by the Red Devils to improve to 1-1 in Central Washington Athletic Conference games. Ephrata, the winner of three of its past five games, travels to Ellensburg on Friday at 7 p.m. before hosting Othello on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Girls

The 8-3 Tigers fell to 0-2 in CWAC play with Tuesday night’s loss to East Valley (Yakima), a back-and-forth contest where the Red Devils took a late lead on a three-pointer to win 51-50 over the Tigers. Ephrata travels to Ellensburg on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before hosting Othello on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague

Boys

After a 5-0 start to the year, the LRS Broncos have gone 1-5 in its last six games; the lone win was a 48-47 victory over Asotin on Dec. 19. Losses over that stretch include Liberty (Spangle) (68-57 on Dec. 12), Colfax (71-36 on Dec. 16), Tri-Cities Prep (54-35 on Dec. 21), Columbia (Burbank) (77-38 on Dec. 22) and Royal (81-54 on Dec. 29). The Broncos (6-5) host Kettle Falls on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and travel to Reardan on Saturday at 6 p.m., both of which are league contests.

Girls

LRS hasn’t played since Dec. 22, which was a 63-58 home loss to Columbia (Burbank), though the Broncos (6-5) return to league play Friday night at 6 p.m. at home against Kettle Falls.

Moses Lake

Boys

The Mavericks (3-7) played one game during the holiday break, a 93-40 loss on the road in a non-league game against Coeur d'Alene. Up this week for the Mavs are back-to-back Big 9 road games against Eisenhower on Friday and West Valley (Yakima) on Saturday. 

Girls

The Mavs hosted the Moses Lake Girls Basketball Mixer last week, bringing in teams from both the east and west sides of the Cascades. Moses Lake faced off against Wapato, Central Valley and Mt. Spokane during the mixer, picking up a 46-39 win against Mt. Spokane on the final day after falling 56-51 to Wapato and 54-45 to Central Valley. Big 9 play resumes this week, where the Mavs (5-7) travel to Eisenhower on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and West Valley (Yakima) at 4:30 p.m.

MLCA/CCS

Boys 

After a 10-day hiatus from the court, the Lions picked up a 50-46 win over ACH on Saturday, winning a defensive battle to improve to 6-1 this winter. After a home game against Sunnyside Christian on Saturday at 4 p.m., MLCA/CCS begins a slate of Central Washington B league contests with a road game against Riverside Christian on Tuesday.

Girls

MLCA/CCS (0-6) had a 15-day layoff between its Dec. 20 loss to Entiat and Thursday’s league matchup against Cascade Christian; results from Thursday’s game were not available in time for press deadline.

Othello

Boys

Othello hosted Selah on Tuesday night in its second league contest of the 2023-24 season, falling 57-46 to the Vikings and moving to 0-2 in CWAC games. Since opening the season with a 51-34 win over Wenatchee, the Huskies (5-5) have alternated wins and losses in each of its games; the Nov. 30 win vs Wenatchee, a Dec. 1 loss to Wapato, a Dec. 2 win against La Salle, a Dec. 5 loss to Eastmont, a Dec. 12 win against Connell, a Dec. 16 loss to Grandview, a Dec. 19 win against Naches Valley, a Dec. 22 loss to North Central, a Dec. 27 win against Warden and Tuesday’s loss to Selah.

The Huskies host Prosser Friday at 7 p.m. and travel to Ephrata on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Girls

After a non-league loss to Warden last week, the Huskies returned to the court for a CWAC game against Selah; Othello (1-9) fell 66-20 to the Vikings, but will look for their first league win against Prosser on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Quincy

Boys

After an 0-2 start to the year, the Jackrabbits have rung off eight wins in the previous 10 games – including Tuesday’s 68-43 win on the road against Chelan. During that stretch, Quincy’s two losses have been to Omak, an 86-62 road loss to the Pioneers on Dec. 21, and Columbia (Burbank), a 76-42 loss to in the SunDome Shootout in Yakima on Dec. 28. Quincy (8-4) hosts Omak on Friday at 7:15 p.m.

Girls

The Jackrabbits were one of eight teams that took the court at last week’s Moses Lake Girls Basketball Mixer, facing off against 4A Sunnyside in a non-league outing; Quincy fell 65-21 to the Grizzlies, dropping to 2-9 this season after Tuesday’s loss on the road against Chelan. Quincy hosts Omak in a Caribou Trail League matchup Friday at 5:45 p.m., as well as Liberty Bell on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Royal

Boys

Since going 1-2 in the Pro Image Sports Holiday Classic, the Royal Knights put together four-straight wins against Toppenish (62-41 on Dec. 21), LRS (81-54 on Dec. 29), Manson (59-36) and Kiona-Benton (57-51 on Tuesday) before falling 52-47 in a non-league game to the Central District Lions, a basketball club from Australia, on Wednesday. Royal (6-4) hosts Zillah Friday at 7:30 p.m. and travels to La Salle on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Girls

After a loss to Freeman at last week’s Freeman Basketball Tournament, the Knights bounced back with a 54-41 win over Coeur d’Alene and a 65-28 win against Manson on the last two days of the tournament. In Royal’s first league game, the Knights defeated Kiona-Benton 45-20 to improve to 4-5 this season. Up next for the Knights is a 6 p.m. home game against Zillah on Friday.

Soap Lake

Boys

The Eagles traveled to the 76th Annual Lions Club Christmas Tournament in Reardan over the holiday break, going 1-1 in the tournament with a 73-68 loss to Reardan on Dec. 28 and a 61-58 win over Manson on Dec. 29. Soap Lake (7-3), the winners of four of its past five games, host Riverside on Friday night at 6 p.m.

Girls

Soap Lake’s last outing was Dec. 19, a defensive battle against Waterville-Mansfield that ended in a 24-21 win for the Eagles. The 5-3 Eagles return to the court Friday on the road against Manson at 4 p.m.

Wahluke

Boys

The 9-1 Warriors picked up their fifth-straight win Tuesday night on the road against Toppenish in a 70-48 win; since a Dec. 7 loss to Ephrata, Wahluke has defeated Connell (64-54 on Dec. 15, La Salle (63-60 on Dec. 16), Granger (70-50 on Dec. 28) and Sunnyside Christian (58-38 on Dec. 29). Wahluke returns to South Central Athletic Conference (East) play Friday at 7:30 p.m. on the road against College Place, then travels to Naches Valley on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Girls

The Warriors picked up their second win of the year at last week’s Granger Christmas Classic, defeating Granger 45-23, but lost to Sunnyside Christian the next day in a 44-21 game. After the new year, Wahluke lost 67-11 in a road clash against Toppenish on Tuesday. Wahluke has back-to-back road games this weekend, traveling to College Place on Friday and Naches Valley on Saturday; both games tip-off at 6 p.m.

Warden

Boys

The Cougars took the floor at home against Othello during the holiday break, falling 67-53 to the Huskies on Dec. 27. After a Jan. 2 56-42 loss to the Central District Lions, an Australian basketball club, Warden returns to Eastern Washington Athletic Conference (East) play Friday on the road against Columbia (Burbank) at 7:30 p.m.

Girls

The 11-3 Cougars picked up two wins over the holiday break, defeating Cle Elum 51-46 at the Central Washington Basketball Invitational on Dec. 22 and a road non-league win over Othello on Dec. 27, winning 68-14 over the Huskies. Warden enters its EWAC slate with a road game against Columbia (Burbank) on Friday at 6 p.m.

Wilson Creek

Boys

The Devils have only played four games so far this season but picked up their first win with a 52-31 win over Cascade Christian Academy on Tuesday. Wilson Creek (1-3) hosted Pateros on Thursday, but scores were not available in time for press deadline.

Girls

The 3-2 Devils picked up their second league win Tuesday night, defeating Cascade Christian 33-20 on the road. Wilson Creek (3-2), who has now won three straight games, takes on the Ephrata C-team on Monday at 5 p.m.

    Warden senior Lauryn Madsen, left, dribbles the ball up the court against Cashmere on Nov. 28.
  

    Pierce Bierlink (1) works against the defense of Hans Roberts (14) in Quincy’s Dec. 14 game against Ephrata.
  

    Moses Lake freshman Graycie Kast, right, dribbles the ball up the floor against Pasco on Dec. 12.
  

    Ephrata junior Kaydence Hector looks toward the rim during the Tigers’ matchup against East Valley (Yakima) on Tuesday.
  

    ACH junior Carter Pitts, with the ball, drives toward the rim for a layup in Saturday’s game against MLCA/CCS.