Return of Luat could turn recent struggles
Chiche Okemgbo of Medical Lake drives into the key against Timberlake during a Jan. 10 loss, 50-15. Okemgbo scored 2 points for the Cardinals in that game.
With the main gear in its basketball machine still in the shop for repair, the Medical Lake girls struggled with a winless week.
Cardinals' leading scorer and playmaker Charde Luat was sidelined with an ankle injury during last week's three losses, two in Northeast A League play. Medical Lake lost Jan. 9 to Deer Park 71-23, to Idaho's Timberlake 50-15 (Jan. 10) and Freeman, Jan. 12. They now have four losses in a row since Luat rolled her ankle in an earlier practice.
"Last week was the worst stretch of the season," head Coach Yeta Holloway wrote in an email referencing the difficulty of the schedule.
Compound that with the team having injuries - other than Luat - plus some of the usual sickness this time of year.
There was a small dividend, however, Holloway said. "It allowed the girls who don't play much to play a lot of minutes."
Freeman (3-3 NEA, 8-6 overall) sprinted to a big 18-4 first-quarter lead and that was effectively that.
In Luat's absence Natalie Flavel led her team with 10 points.
Against Spirit Lake's Timberlake (10-3), following a low-scoring 4-4 first quarter, the Tigers quickly put this one away pitching a 13-0 shutout in the second quarter.
Delaney Gunther and Flavel had the best of the meager Cardinal (2-3, 9-5) stats with just four points apiece.
Undefeated Deer Park (4-0, 13-0) played like their record indicated leading 42-14 at halftime.
Chichi Okembgo, Gunther and Cassidy Fitzpatrick all shared the scoring lead for the Cardinals with five.
Holloway's takeaway from the past week might be best termed "baby steps."
"As a team, we found little victories last week," he said. "Passing the ball under pressure has gotten better, plus shooting attempts. It's crazy how hard it is to get the girls to shoot the ball."
In addition to Luat, Okembgo (reinjured ankle) was sidelined for the final pair of games last week but she, too, is expected back as Medical Lake faced Lakeside from Nine Mile Falls (4-1, 11-2) on Jan. 16 and plays on the road at Newport (0-5, 1-9), Jan. 19 at 4:15 p.m.
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