MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions basketball team earned a statement 75-29 win in their season opener against Entiat. During this victory, Lions senior Johnny Ferguson hit a personal milestone of 1,000 career points. 

“I didn’t even know that I was going to hit 1,000,” said Johnny. “I was pretty shocked and it was a surreal moment.” 

The Lions started the game off with a strong offensive front while also preventing their opponent from scoring for the majority of the first quarter, gaining an early 25-7 lead. This continued into the second quarter as the speed and physicality of the Lions’ game plan kept Entiat down to extend the lead to 49-13 by the end of the half.

It was in the third quarter that Johnny would make his 1,000th point following a layup. The Lions took a timeout to honor Johnny in his achievement. 

“I didn’t realize he achieved it so quick and really most of that was within his sophomore and junior years,” said Lions head coach Emerson Ferguson. “To hit that milestone in the first game, it’s quite the achievement. Very proud of him.” 

Ferguson said Johnny hitting this mark so early in the season leaves things wide open for how far he can go as a player this year. 

Johnny said his ability to stay confident and drive to keep attacking even when the shots aren’t going in is something that has helped him stay consistent and how he was able to reach this milestone. 

MLCA/CCS continued to add to its lead in the third quarter, putting up 16 more points and holding Entiat to eight. By the final quarter, the Lions added 10 to the score while holding Entiat to another eight to end the game 75-29 to give the Lions a win for their season opener. 

“We did pretty good,” said Johnny Ferguson. “Last year we would take it easy when we were ahead by a lot and this game we just kept going, never let up and just kept playing our game.” 

He said this game provided a great start for the team as they push ahead and work to keep improving as the season progresses. 

One of the aspects shown in this game that Ferguson said he was very proud of seeing was the speed that the Lions players displayed on the court. 

“We’ve been working on a really up-tempo type of ball game and so we were really happy with the speed, happy with the transition, a lot of transition buckets,” he said. 

This up-tempo type of play is something that will be very beneficial to the Lions this season as playing in a competitive league like the Central Washington B means that they will have to have that type of speed each game if they want to earn a top spot, said the coach. The team will be spending time watching tape and preparing a game plan for their next matchup. 

Ferguson said he and the other coaches are feeling confident in the abilities that the players are already showing and during the early season, are spending time to establish a solid bench. It will be beneficial to get each of these players quality minutes early in the season to ensure that they are ready when they are needed down the stretch. 

“The big thing for this Saturday is to make sure that we just come out and play the right way,” he said. “Again, play fast, play together and play high energy.” 

Johnny said being a senior this season has brought some mixed emotions, but he will continue to play his hardest and enjoy playing alongside his teammates. 

“I don’t like that it’s my last season, but we’ve got a good team, and I’m excited for what’s to come,” he said. 

The Lions’ next matchup will be on the road Saturday to face Oroville at 4 p.m. 

BOX SCORE: 

MLCA: 25-24-16-10: 75 

ENTT: 7-6-8-8: 29 

MLCA/CCS LIONS ROSTER:  

Name, Jersey, Grade 

Jayson Evans, 10, 12 

Treyson Kast, 12, 11 

James Robertson, 14, 12 

Max Gulenko, 20, 11 

Antonio Serrato, 22, 12 

Johnathan Ferguson, 24, 12 

Roman Gulenko, 20, 9 

Dennis Gulenko, 32, 12 

Kevin Jorgenson, 34, 11 

Seth Jenson, 50, 11 

    James Robertson, a senior for MLCA/CCS, races against a defender from Entiat as he makes his way toward the hoop during Wednesday’s game.
  

    MLCA/CCS junior Treyson Kast makes an attempt at the rim despite pressure from Entiat.
  

    Max Gulenko, a junior at MLCA, decides his next move after being passed the ball during the first half against Entiat.
  

    Lions senior Dennis Gulenko passes the ball to a teammate during Wednesday’s matchup.
  

    Lions junior Kevin Jorgenson rushes down the court after taking possession of the ball from Entiat during Wednesday’s game.