Medical Lake's Glori Cheevers (left) battles a Chewelah player for the ball in last Friday's district playoff game won by the Cardinals 40-36. Maleeka Wegner (20) waits for the outcome.
Four more wins and a berth in the district playoffs have first-year Medical Lake girls' basketball head coach Kyle Lundberg pumped and wishing the 2015-16 season started tomorrow.
A 58-41 loss to Colville in District 7 play, Saturday, Feb. 21, ended the season for Medical Lake with a 9-15 record. Earlier in the week the Cardinals were hammered by regular season champ Lakeside, 61-19 Tuesday, Feb. 17 but then rallied past Chewelah 40-36 Feb. 20 in an elimination game. All tournament games were played at West Valley High School in Spokane.
Lakeside, the regular season champ of the Northeast A League scored its third one-sided victory of the season over Medical Lake, largely with the help of the Eagles forcing the Cardinals into 26 turnovers. Jocelyn Cook-Cox's 15 points topped all scorers in the game. Cassidy Hagel had 10 for ML.
Medical Lake got off to a slow start, trailing 31-13 at halftime and things didn't get any better in the second half where Lakeside outscored the Cards 30-6 to advance to the district championship.
Facing Chewelah in a loser-out contest and trailing 28-25 heading into the fourth quarter, Medical Lake had a 15-8 edge in the final eight minutes. A 35-35 tie was snapped in the final 1 minute 40 seconds on a basket, a 3-pointer by Hagel with 58 seconds remaining. That provided the final margin. Hagel had 17 points to lead all scorers in the game.
"We played great team defense and we were able to get the ball out and run," Lundberg said of Friday's victory.
No statistics were available from the Colville game, but Lundberg had some thoughts on how the season came to an end.
"Our girls played very well in the first half," he said. After being tied at halftime foul trouble set in in the third quarter, which allowed Colville to make a big run.
The season was a step up for Medical Lake after they failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2013-14 campaign and finished 5-14. After a slow start this season, Medical Lake found some consistency to close out January and won six of their final 10 contests.
For Lundberg, who retired from military service two years ago, his first venture into coaching was both a success in his estimation, and rewarding.
"I learned a lot this year," he said. "I have a better understanding of how long our season is. It's truly a marathon."
He will miss his four seniors, Hagel, Sierra Semrau, Annette Carlson and Maleeka Wegner.
"As a coach you spend so much time with your players, they become like family and when the season is over it's hard to think you won't be coaching your seniors anymore," Lundberg said.
But he's looking forward to year-two. "We have a great core of girls coming back and I'm excited to get our summer program going," Lundberg said.
"I can't wait for next season," he said. "I truly have the best job in the world."
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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