Lions reflect on successful season following state berth

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions girls basketball team (16-9) ended their season in round one of the state tournament, falling 30-55 to Valley Christian. Lions Head Coach Josh Kast said it finished a great season of growth that has him excited for the future. 

“It (was) slow, steady growth all season long,” said Kast. “We started out pretty hot, but we had to play some tougher teams in the second half of the year and we were competitive against those teams.” 

The Lions found success in the regular season as they went 8-2 in the Central Washington B League and entered districts as the third seed. Going into district play, they won their first matchup against Entiat but fell against the number two seed Pateros in the semifinals of the winner’s bracket.  

Aiming for a chance at state, MLCA/CCS claimed victories in close matchups against fellow Basin teams, the Soap Lake Eagles and Wilson Creek Devils, to take third in the District 5 tournament and punch their ticket to state.  

In the opening round of the 1B state tournament Feb. 24, the18th seed Lions faced the 15th seed Valley Christian. The Lions battled hard against Valley Christian, but came up short of victory 30-55, ending their season. 

“We’re disappointed with the way the outcome was; it just wasn’t our night,” said Kast. “Proud of how hard the girls played and battled throughout the game to try and stay in it and get back in.” 

The coach said MLCA/CCS consistently showed a good mindset throughout the season, as they went into each game ready to go out on the court and compete. In every matchup, the girls adapted to whatever came their way and played quality basketball. 

Defense was a strong point in the Lions’ growth, which helped the team gain momentum throughout the season. He said the strong defensive efforts are what ended up propelling MLCA/CCS into the third-place spot in districts to qualify for state. 

“Defensively is what I would pinpoint as far as what made the difference,” said Kast. “We get quite a bit of our offense from our defense at times, but I’d say defensively was where we took the biggest strides.” 

The Lions had two seniors on the team this season, SanTahna Ferguson and Brynlynn King, who the coach said were a positive presence who would uplift everyone around them. Both girls have been with the team for their whole time at MLCA/CCS, going on a state run early in their career, helped rebuild the program during their sophomore and junior years, and got the team back to state in their final season. 

With their time on the basketball team concluding, the girls’ legacy will be for the next group to step up and keep pushing forward, the coach said.  

“They’ve done a good job of helping keep the younger girls’ heads up, leading by example and being a great teammate all season long and throughout their whole journey at MLCA/CCS,” he said. 

Despite the loss of these two players, the team will have some strong senior experience next season with returning starters Amelia Shopbell, Abby Stanley and Taylor Starnes. The three girls were integral to the success of the Lions this season, especially on the defensive side, and have been battle-tested to be ready for their senior seasons. 

“They’re going to continue to get better, and I think that we definitely have a solid group back to help us get to where we want to be next year,” said Kast. 

    Brynlynn King, a senior from MLCA/CCS, drives for the basket during a game earlier in the season.
  

    Abby Stanley, a junior from the Lions, positions herself to make a pass to an open teammate during a game against Soap Lake this season.
  

    MLCA/CCS junior Taylor Starnes prepares to shoot a free throw against La Salle in a home game earlier in the season.
  

    Lions junior Amelia Shopbell dribbles the ball in the center of the court after gaining possession during a previous matchup this season.