MATTAWA - The Wahluke High girls played hard, but they came up short both nights of the Moses Lake Christian Christmas Tournament last week.

The Warriors fell to Tri City Prep, 36-33, the first night. They lost to Warden, 41-33, the second night.

"The (TCP) game was close the whole way, with both teams taking turns with the lead," coach Jeff Ahmann said.

In the end, TCP pulled away with free throws.

The loss to TCP matched Wahluke and Warden in a rematch of a game played at Wahluke on Dec. 17 and won by Wahluke. This time the teams traded leads in the first half, then Warden pulled away in the third quarter to lead by 15 points.

"There are some very positive things happening," Ahmann said. "Though we are 1-7, our statistics show a huge improvement over previous years."

The biggest change has been in ball control. The Warriors are averaging 18 turnovers per game, compared to 36 the last two seasons.

"This is from 30 minutes of rigorous ball handling drills at every practice led by assistant coach Adrian Sandoval," Ahmann said.

One thing the Warriors have not improved is their height. They start two guards that are 5-0. Most opponents feature players in the 5-8 to 6-2 range.