MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (8-2) defeated the visiting Ridgeline Falcons 74-53 to earn their seventh straight win. Not only did they extend their win streak, but Brady Jay also surpassed 1,000 career points.  

“It's cool, just four years of hard work and help from my teammates, a lot of assists from them and everything as well,” Jay said. “I got great teammates and coaches to support me.” 

The Mavericks attacked the rim early to take a 19-11 lead in the first quarter. From there, they doubled down on offense while limiting the Falcons to just eight points in the second quarter. While Moses Lake came out of halftime with a strong 40-19 lead, Ridgeline caught a little momentum to outscore them 17-11 in the third quarter. However, that was not enough as the Mavericks finished strong in the fourth to continue their win streak.  

“Ridgeline is a good team. They've been very competitive all year long,” Head Coach Craig Groth said. “We knew it was going to be a battle from the start. We had to be just as physical and match their aggressiveness. Starting off early, attacking the rim, we were able to get some easy buckets to soften them up a little bit, and then once we started doing that, we started to build on the energy, and we just kept on rolling from there.”  

The Mavericks played one of their best defensive games of the season so far, Groth said. Their defensive prowess showed early with a blocked shot against the glass by Caden Barney to disrupt the Ridgelines' fastbreak. Both teams came out fast and looked to push the pace of the game early.  

However, Moses Lake capitalized on a few fouls to build their momentum on offense. As they continued to slow down the Falcons' offense, the Mavericks utilized passing to find Kyre Wiltbank at the top of the perimeter for a wide-open three. Heading into the second quarter, the Mavericks held a 19-11 lead over Ridgeline.  

The Falcons capitalized on a full-court pass, which led to a layup to start the second quarter. However, the Mavericks responded swiftly with a pair of scores by Taggart Rathbun and Carter Anderson, who slithered their way inside for easy buckets. At a moment's notice, Moses Lake began to separate itself from the Falcons and led 40-19 by halftime.  

The Falcons caught fire early in the third quarter with an 11-3 scoring run to cut the deficit to 43-30. However, Moses Lake stuck to their game and also drew fouls, which helped slow Ridgeline down and maintain a strong double-digit lead. Grady Walker was an anchor on defense, pulling down several rebounds to give the Mavericks the ball back.  

The Mavericks finished the third quarter with a 51-36 lead. Coach said defense overall and rebounding has improved as the season has unfolded.   

“We're getting better each and every time out on limiting their opportunities, doing an excellent job of contesting (shots), going up and getting the rebounds. We're getting much better at getting the rebounds, which are able to feed into our transition offense. We're able to push the ball and get it and go. Guys are getting into a position where they're most successful as an individual and as a team,” Groth said.  

Moses Lake started the fourth quarter strong with a layup by Jay, which officially secured his 1,000th career point in his time as a Maverick. The game paused for a moment to recognize his achievements before resuming the game.  

Though Ridgeline did not go away quietly, finding a few more scoring opportunities, the Mavericks continued to maintain a 20-point lead. Jay and the Mavs continued to ride their momentum, including when he found Barney wide open for a corner three. They continued to run the clock down on offense until it hit zero and sealed the win.  

Groth said he was proud to see Jay reach this milestone in his final season with the program.  

“He's a great kid, and even better teammate,” he said. “He's put in a lot of hard work in the sports that he plays and it’s paying off. We're super happy that he got 1,000 points, but he's more happy that we got the win and we're getting better as a team, so that way we can make a deep postseason run.”  

As Moses Lake looks ahead to the rest of the season, they will fully dive into league competition, starting at Eastmont on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. With two league wins over Wenatchee and Eisenhower under their belt, Groth said Moses Lake has set itself up strong in the Big Nine. However, the flipside of that is now they are becoming the team to beat so continuing to improve on defense is a primary focus for them going forward, he said.  

“Now we're going to get every other team's best shot to come in, so we've got to be mentally and physically ready to take their best shot and put ourselves in a position to win,” Groth said.  

BOX SCORE: 

RDGE: 11-8-17-17: 53
MLHS: 19-21-11-23: 74 

    The Mavericks’ Tyce Miller (5) shoots a free throw against the Ridgeline Falcons. Head Coach Craig Groth said his players came out strong in the first quarter, which highlighted the defensive improvements they have been making.
  

    Kye Wiltbank (50) guards a player from Ridgeline during their game Tuesday. Head Coach Craig Groth said the Mavericks do a great job of passing effectively and playing unselfishly.
  

    The Mavericks’ Grady Walker (15) posts up against a Ridgeline defender during their game on Tuesday. Walker had several defensive rebounds which helped the Mavericks score in transition.
  

    Brady Jay (2) rebounds the ball on offense during their game against Ridgeline Tuesday. Head Coach Craig Groth said the Mavericks did a great job attacking the rim.