Moses Lake advances to state semifinals after 46-28 win over Arlington

TACOMA - With four teams left in state title contention, Moses Lake girls basketball is still dancing.

The Chiefs shocked the Washington basketball landscape with a 46-28 thumping of last season's state runner-up Arlington in the quarterfinals of the 4A Girls Hardwood Classic at the Tacoma Dome Thursday.

The reliable back court of sophomore Jessie Loera and junior McKenna Walker was stifled by the Eagles and the two combined for only 13 points.

However, senior Emily Olson was able to fill the void with a game-high 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Moses Lake's defense was smothering throughout the contest and held Arlington to 27 percent shooting for the game. No Arlington player reached double digit scoring and the Eagles never scored over nine points in any quarter.

After eight minutes of action, the two teams were tied 9-9. From the second quarter on, the Chiefs were able to gradually pull away and led by six points, 30-24, entering the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, Moses Lake put on a clinic defensively and held Arlington to just four points in the final stanza. By the time the final buzzer had sounded, 16 points in the fourth ballooned the Chief margin of victory to 18.

Earlier in the week, head coach Matt Strophy opined that Arlington might have the advantage on the interior with two six-footers on its roster.

Despite the Eagles' size, Moses Lake was able to dominate points in the paint, 22-10, and rebounding, 46-32.

Loera was able to make up for her rough shooting game with seven assists and three steals.

Senior Carina Lefave was able to record five points and eight rebounds while front court mate senior Kaitlyn Stevens added three points.

Moses Lake will face Mt. Rainier in the semifinals today at 5:30 p.m. Strophy and his staff will have to find a way to limit the Rams' senior star Brittany McPhee. McPhee, a Stanford commit, scored 19 points in Mt. Rainier's 64-57 quarterfinal win against Inglemoor.