Coach hopes Cardinal boys are ready to go for start of NEA play

League play for the Medical Lake boys’ basketball team begins next Tuesday so ready or not here comes Northeast A play.

“We kind of set up our schedule to mirror who we would play,” head coach Arnold Brown said. “It’s kind of working out OK,” as his Cardinals are 2-2 through games from last week. They played at Colville this past Tuesday in their final tune-up contest before their league debut at Kettle Falls Dec. 18.

The Cardinals split their games last week, beating Reardan 31-18 Tuesday before falling at Deer Park 66-50.

Adam Paulson had a game-high 12 points and was the only player in the contest to hit for double figures. Dominick Harvey-Mitchell had 10 rebounds for the Cardinals who shutout the Indians 12-0 in the first quarter and led 16-11 at the half.

At Deer Park the Cardinals fell behind 34-22 in the first half and could never catch up. “They jumped on us early and they just got rolling,” Brown said. “We woke up a little too late.”

Austin Garza scored 14 points and Paulson 13 against the Stags. Caleb Guske had a game-high 18 points for the winners. “At Deer Park, we beat ‘em at our place and go on the road and don’t get it done,” Brown said.

Brown said his team has been competitive in every game, except Okanogan, “and obviously Deer Park which was our first road game,” he said. “Okanogan is probably one of those playoff-type teams that we’re not ready for at this point.”

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.