Lady Raiders' season ends in Yakima

The Lake Roosevelt Lady Raiders' basketball season came to a close at the regional tournament in Yakima on Friday, with LR losing to the Mabton Vikings, 49-38.

"The Mabton game was two evenly matched teams playing similar styles," said LR Head Coach Wallace Pleasants.

Pleasants said that fouls played a big factor in the game, a recurring theme for the Lady Raiders this season. "Even though we are an 'attack the rim' type of team, Mabton had 33 free-throw attempts to our 13," Pleasants said.

Without even scoring a goal in the fourth quarter, Mabton shot 20 free throws altogether in the second half to LR's six. "It is hard to win games with numbers like that, no matter how hard the girls play," Pleasants said.

With the season at a close, Pleasants had a lot to say about his senior players this year: Kayla St. Pierre and Khani Priest.

Both St. Pierre and Priest had been playing with minor injuries, but never complained, Pleasants said, both playing like champs and having a good effect on the season.

"Khani's and Kayla's leadership put us in the position to succeed, and we, the coaches, are thankful for that," Pleasants said. "I told the other girls to take what they saw from those two seniors and to apply it to their game."

With the loss in Yakima, Lady Raider basketball is over until next year, finishing the 2017-18 season with an 11-5 win-loss record in league, 13-12 overall.

"It has been one season to remember," Pleasants said. "From protesting our finish in League, to protesting the game against Tri-Cities Prep during Districts, to having the League MVP and First Teamer in Kayla on the fifth-place team. Kelsie Olbricht made second team All League and Shantana Pakootas made third team All League. The determination of these girls was wonderful to watch as they grew, not only as individual players, but as a team as well. I am so proud of them."