MLHS boys fend off Eastmont rally

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (13-6) held the Eastmont Wildcats comeback attempt in the second half to win 79-76 on Friday. Head coach Craig Groth said the Wildcats made it tough in the second half, but his guys made enough plays by the end of it.   

“We had a good start in the first half. We played good defense, had good shot selection, got some rebounds, were able to get out in transition and put a lot of pressure on them early in the game,” Groth said.   

The Mavericks' offense was fluid to start the game, allowing them to take a 28-16 lead in the first quarter. They dug their heels in until halftime, where they took a commanding 48-29 lead. The Wildcats flipped the script in the third quarter, outscoring MLHS 27-18 to cut their deficit to 10 points. They pushed the pace in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks held off their comeback attempt to seal a tight win at home.   

“It put a little bit more pressure on us,” Groth said. “We got out of our system a little bit, probably got a little bit tired from the night before playing four tough quarters against Davis, (Eastmont) was fresh with their first game of the week, and coming down the stretch, they had more energy than us, but fortunately, we made enough plays at the end of the game to overcome it.”  

The Mavericks did a great job on offense as a team to start the game, Groth said. They spread the wealth nicely, as Brady Jay, Tyce Miller, Caden Barney and Kyre Wiltbank contributed to their 28-point first quarter. Leading the way though was Grady Walker with 10 points as he was consistent in the paint.   

In the second quarter, the Mavericks continued to find buckets while limiting Eastmont defensively. Jay drilled a three-pointer and scored another bucket for five points that quarter. Carter Anderson, Barney, Walker and Wiltbank Found scores inside the paint and managed to get to the free-throw line a couple of times. MLHS outscored the Wildcats 20-13 to take a 19-point lead at halftime.   

In the second half, Eastmont made the necessary adjustments at halftime to shift the momentum in their favor. In the third quarter, the Wildcats spread the ball across five players to outscore the Mavs 27-18. Heading into the fourth, they only trailed 66-56.   

“They came out on all cylinders,” Groth said. “They hit some shots; we weren't able to get out in transition as much. Our decision-making wasn't as good as it was the first half. They forced us into a couple of bad situations between tough shots, tough turnovers, and they took advantage of it to make it a super close game down the stretch.”  

Moses Lake did their best to slow down the Wildcats in the fourth quarter. While their rhythm did not match the start of the game, Groth said his players stepped up in the right moments to keep the lead. Success at the free throw line by Anderson, Jay and Walker helped MLHS hold off Eastmont 79-76.   

Despite the shaky finish to their 13th win of the season, Groth is confident his team is beginning to peak at the right time. Part of their focus going forward will be on finishing strong and not allowing opponents to climb back into the game.   

“Lately, we've been getting leads, which is great. Then unfortunately, we get a little complacent, and we have been letting teams back into the game. We get a lead, and then we kind of go away from what's been working for us, and then other teams are able to get back to the game, and we haven't been able to close them out as well as we should,” Groth said.   

The Mavs host their final regular-season game Friday at 7 p.m. against Sunnyside. Groth and the Mavericks can avenge a prior loss earlier this season. The results of this game have significant implications for postseason seeding; the winner will likely lock in the second seed in the Big 9.   

“We should have a good chance, being senior night, hopefully we can get a good crowd, get a lot of good energy, get the ball going, get off to a good start and just advance from there,” Groth said.   

BOX SCORE:   

ESMT: 16-13-27-20: 76
MLHS: 28-20-18-13: 79 

    Brady Jay (2) shoots a free throw against the Eastmont Wildcats Friday. Jay finished the game with 16 points.
  

    The Mavs’ Tyce Miller shoots a three-pointer against the Eastmont Wildcats Friday. Miller scored 13-points Friday, nine points came from the perimeter.
  

    Grady Walker (15) steps up to guard an Eastmont player during their game Friday. Walker led the Mavericks with 23 points.