Medical Lake wins two, drops one in season openers
MEDICAL LAKE — It’s a new season with a new coach, and the Cardinal boys basketball team are demonstrating a new enthusiasm and energy on the court. After three games they are 2-1 in non-league play and showing a competitiveness and determination to win.
“We’ve been bringing that enthusiasm and energy into practice,” head coach Jordan Starr said. “I’m just glad it’s transferring over to the games.”
Medical Lake vs. Davenport
The Cardinals took on the Bi-Country League Gorillas (0-3) in the season’s non-league opener at home, in a one-sided 77-37 smack down on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The game went as planned, Starr said, which was to hold Davenport’s best scorer at bay.
“We put Jordan Petersen on him, and he did a fantastic job defending him,” Starr said.
It was an all-team scoring effort with Petersen shooting a team-high 22 points, followed by Nick Mason 14, Ashton Hamilton-Becker 13 points, Nathan Jasmer eight, Zeke Lewis seven, Taye Jones six, Andres Burdujan four and Gary Halcomb III three points.
Medical Lake at Liberty
The Cardinal’s weren’t so successful when they traveled to Spangle the following Friday to take on Liberty in a heartbreaking 60-57 non-league loss.
“It was an emotional game,” Starr said.
The Lancers’ defense held the Cardinals to just four points in the first quarter, while stacking up 21 of their own to pad the score. It took most of the second quarter for Medical Lake to adjust, scoring 11 more to Liberty’s 14 for a lopsided 35-15 score going into the half.
But the Cardinals came roaring back in the second half to out-score the Lancers 42-25. But their offensive surge wasn’t enough to overcome Liberty’s early scoring drive for the Cardinals first loss of the season.
The 6-foot-3-inch Petersen again led scoring with 23 points. Mason shot 17, Cody Pepperman 10 and Hamilton-Becker three.
It was a late night for the Cards, who arrived home at 11:15 p.m., Starr said, only to face another solid opponent the next day.
Medical Lake vs. Okanogan
With the bitter taste of defeat lingering, Medical Lake faced Okanogan the next day, Saturday, Dec. 7, at home in more non-league action in a hard-fought game where both teams traded the lead throughout, even as the Bulldogs changed things up defenisvely throughout the game in a 59-57 nail-bitter that went down to the last second.
“They went from man to zone a few times,” Jordan said. “I think we did a good job of executing our plays.”
The Bulldogs had the lead going into the second period, but the Cardinals took it back in the second for a 34-31 lead going into the half, with a seven-point margin heading into the fourth, when Okanogan put on the pressure. It was a nail-bitter in the final seconds with the score tied at 57 when Hamilton-Becker — who spent much of the game on the floor after getting fouled — scored two from under the basket to nail the Cardinal victory.
Starr credited Petersen for carrying the team up-front — most of his 24 points were scored in the first half — and other players filling the gaps in the second
“Ashton hit a few three’s in the third quarter,” Starr said, “and Taye Jones came in and played some big minutes for us. It was a really good team effort.”
Hamilton-Becker scored 12, followed by Mason with 10.
The Cardinals host St. George’s today, Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., followed by Lakeside again at home on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Lee Hughes can be reached at lee@cheneyfreepress.com.
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