SPOKANE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions concluded their basketball season Saturday morning after earning fourth place in the 1B state tournament after a 51-49 victory over Liberty Christian. The matchup was tight from start to finish as both teams gave their all to finish out the season. 

“I’m feeling great, man. The opportunity to play these games, not many teams are going to be able to do it and we finished in the top four,” said Lions senior James Robertson. “I thank god for that.” 

The Lions had defeated the Columbia Adventist Kodiaks 57-43 on Friday afternoon. Friday play was close throughout with the Lions falling behind after MLCA/CCS player Max Gulenko was removed from the game due to an injury. However, the team rallied after the first half ended at 22-26 in favor of the Kodiaks.  

Lions Head Coach Emerson Ferguson said the team did not start out the way they wanted to, likely due to nerves from this potentially being their final game of the season. During the half, the focus for both the players and coaches was to bring back the energy that they are known for to round out the game.  

“The boys look to me for that energy. They look for me yelling on the sidelines,” said the coach. “They look for me challenging them and holding them accountable to the standard that we’ve set and if I’m not doing that, they’re not able to get what they’re used to.” 

Saturday’s play started strong for both the Lions and Liberty Christian. 

The game was tight right from tipoff, though Liberty Christian gained a small lead by the end of the first quarter, the Lions kept themselves in the game. In the second quarter, MLCA/CCS gained momentum to tie the game up 24-24 at the half. 

Coming into the third quarter, Liberty Christian showed their resilience as they bounced back to regain the lead and put Moses Lake in a pinch. The Lions rallied back in the fourth quarter to tie things back up with about two minutes left to play. 

The final moments of the game were decided by free throws as each team went from one side of the court to the other from fouls. Lions junior Kevin Jorgenson put the game away with his free throw attempts that put MLCA/CCS up by two at the end of the buzzer. 

“We had adversity come because we had a bunch of turnovers that were just unforced and got into our heads a little, but we had to dig down deep to fight with our heart,” said Dennis Gulenko, a senior at MLCA/CCS. “We fight not just for our team, but for the community of Moses Lake and coming out with a win feels awesome.” 

Lions Head Coach Emerson Ferguson said this game was a great opportunity to get back at Liberty Christian after a close loss earlier in the season. 

“We knew we could beat them, and we wanted that taste of redemption,” said Coach Ferguson. “The other thing is we wanted to go out on our terms.” 

With the season closing, the coach said everyone is exhausted – physically, mentally and emotionally – after putting their all into the game. 

The feeling of pride on the team was also strong among the Lions following Saturday’s victory as they now have a legacy of being a top four team in the state. Coach Ferguson said the seniors can hold their heads high as they walk away from their final season as Lions.  

“It's just an amazing feeling and I know these (seniors) bought in from day one and they kept it going each year,” he said. “And now we’re looking forward and these other guys now see what it’s like.” 

Despite the departure of the senior class after this season, Coach Ferguson said that the guys returning are ready to put in the work over the summer to get back to state next season. 

All four seniors said they’ve enjoyed the opportunity over the years that they’ve had to grow in the sport and spend time competing alongside their teammates. 

“In the past few years, it’s been amazing,” said senior player Antonio Serrato from the Lions. “It’s been like a family in this team, the brotherhood and the togetherness, it was just great.” 

While Serrato said he wasn’t active on the court throughout the season, he was ready to support his teammates from the sideline in whatever way he could. Throughout the season, Serrato also found himself on the court and making crucial plays in key moments when the team needed him. 

“I wish I could have another (season), but I’m glad I could end it with those guys,” he said. 

Lions senior Johnny Ferguson said while he wishes the team had made it higher in the bracket, he is also very happy with the end result of the season, a win. He felt that this win was the result of MLCA/CCS’s ability to stick together the whole season.  

With his time as a basketball player coming to a close, the senior said he appreciated every moment that he had on the team. 

“It’s meant a lot,” said Johnny. “It helped me throughout life, and I have a brotherhood with my teammates.” 

Robertson said it was very special to him that over five years, the team has brought home three trophies from state. Those trophies are a testament to the hard work and dedication each member of the Lions team put into the game over the years. 

“I’ve got better, teammates got better, and our relationships with each other got better, and that’s all glory to God right there,” said Robertson. 

With the conclusion of his time as a Lion, Gulenko said he was grateful for his coaches and all of the wisdom and comfort throughout the years. 

“Just being there and lifting us up mentally, physically and all the knowledge throughout the years, not just basketball, but knowledge of life experience that when tough times hit, there’s only one way out and that’s to keep pushing,” he said. 

BOX SCORES:  

Friday: 

COAD: 11-15-9-8: 43
MLCA: 10-12-25-10: 57 

Saturday: 

LBCH: 9-15-15-10: 49
MLCA: 5-19-10-17: 51 

    Lions senior Johnny Ferguson goes in for the dunk during the third quarter against Columbia Adventist in the 1B state semifinals.
  

    MLCA/CCS freshman Roman Gulenko makes his way past a Columbia Adventist defender as he works toward the net.
  

    The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions basketball team stands together on the court following Saturday’s victory over Liberty Christian with Johnny Ferguson (24) holding up the team’s fourth-place hardware.
  

    Dennis Gulenko, a senior for the Lions takes a free throw shot during Saturday’s matchup against Liberty Christian in the final round of state.