State 1A: Medical Lake dials up defense to top Meridian, advance to semifinals

YAKIMA – Medical Lake girls coach Kyle Lundberg lived his personal Groundhog Day on Thursday at the SunDome.
But it was all good in the end as his Cardinals advanced to the State 1A basketball semifinals with a 41-33 win over Meridian.
Medical Lake (20-6) will face defending champion Lynden Christian in Friday’s 5:30 p.m. semifinal. The winner advances to the title game Saturday at 3 p.m. Lynden Christian defeated the Cardinals 64-40 in last year’s semifinals.
Lundberg watched, paced, gestured and crouched as his team worked its way through a near repeat of Wednesday’s opening-round win over King’s. Defense – rather than 3-point shooting – carried the day Thursday.
“We really wanted to get on the defensive side and grind it out,” Lundberg said.
That was a change from Wednesday, when the Cardinals’ 3-point shooting carried the team, but Lundberg knew after watching film that Meridian’s aggressive approach needed to be addressed.
“I think that was the difference,” he said. “When we needed it, the girls went out and did it.”
Sprint out to a nice first-quarter lead? Check. Five points from Jessica Lohman led the Cardinals to a 14-5 margin after one quarter.
Struggle with shooting in the second and third quarters? Got it. The Cardinals had just 16 points in the middle two quarters.
Figure out a way to hold off a determined opponent in the final quarter? Book it. Holding the Trojans to 27 percent shooting got the job done. things
Lexie Redell and Lohman led Medical Lake with nine points each.
Jaycee Oliver added eight. Lohman also had nine rebounds.
A perceived lack of style points aside, the Cardinals achieved what they came to Yakima to do – win and advance. Again.
Medical Lake is in the semifinals for the second consecutive season and second time in school history.
Again they advance to the center stage and join small-school girls royalty. Lynden Christian has won three titles in five years. La Salle has been to the semifinals seven times since 2005 and won two titles. Cashmere has lost the last two title games by a combined three points and is led by the presumed 1A Player of the Year, junior Hailey Van Lith.
“We have a saying,” Lundberg said. “We respect every team and we fear no team.”