Pateros Billygoats claim CW1B League Championship

PATEROS – The Billygoats varsity basketball team locked up the Central Washington 1B League Championship on Tuesday, Feb. 6, with a 48-41 home win over Moses Lake Christian Academy (MCLA).
The victory set the stage for No. 1 Pateros to host No. 4 Entiat in the opening round of CW1B District competition on Tuesday, Feb. 13. At the same time, No. 2 Riverside Christian hosted MLCA. Both were loser-out games with the winners advancing to the championship final at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15, at Eastmont Junior High School in Wenatchee.
Pateros let a six-point first-quarter lead dwindle to a 19-19 tie at halftime. The Billygoats picked up the pace enough in the third quarter to build the eight-point, 38-30 lead that would sustain them through a near point-for-point fourth quarter and seven-point final margin.
“We were able to reach our first goal of league champions with this win,” said coach Marcus Stennes who added that the boys’ last title was in 2013.
“We did not play very well earlier in the season and lost to MLCA down there, so it was good to bounce back with this win,” said Stennes. “We struggled from the free-throw line to seal the game and let them get back into it but got some big defensive stops to hold them off.”
Stennes said his team must commit fewer turnovers than the 20 they gave up to the Lions.
Pateros: 14-5-19-10  48
MLCA:   8-11-11-11  41
Billygoats stats
Andrew Gonzalez - 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals.
Ethan Freels - 12 pts, 6 reb, 3 st.
Ethan Wall - 7 pts, 10 reb, 3 assists.
Sam Larsen - 6 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast.
Logan Robinson - 4 pts, 4 reb, 4 st.

Nannies roll
For the No. 2 Pateros girls, the MLCA Lady Lions were more of a warm-up for post season as the Nannies opened the first quarter with a nine-point, 14-5 lead. Pateros held MLCA to single digits in all but the third quarter and stripped their opponents of the ball 23 times, converting many of the steals to baskets.
Freshman guard Aleeka Smith led all scorers with 23 points and freshman forward Anna Williams pulled down 11 rebounds.
The third seeded Nannies were scheduled to face No. 2 Riverside Christian at Yakima on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Pateros split two games with the Crusaders during the regular season, winning the first, 41-33, at home and losing the second, 44-31, on the road. If the Nannies survive that loser-out contest they will face the winner of league champion Entiat and Wilson Creek at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at Eastmont Junior High School for the District title.
Pateros: 14-13-7-9  43
MLCA:  5-8-10-5  28
Nannies scoring
Aleeka Smith – 23
Samantha White – 10
Jennifer Flores – 6
Anna Williams – 2
Vanessa Ceniceros - 2