EPHRATA – Season openers are often rusty, and facing a 4A school right out of the gate is a tough draw. The Tiger boys encountered that in a 48-37 non-league home loss to the Moses Lake Mavericks Tuesday evening on Marty O'Brien Court.

Initially, the Tigers came out firing, taking a 13-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, led by seven points from senior Brady Hendrick. Point guard Cooper Black chipped in four points and two steals in the period while forward Mitch Morford added four rebounds and an assist. Meanwhile, the Mavericks' scoring was limited to a trio of free throws.

But Moses Lake flipped the script in the second frame, outscoring Ephrata 17-7. In the process, the Tigers committed eight turnovers, allowing Moses Lake to go on an 11-0 run before Hendrick broke through with a pair of free throws. At the half, the two teams were tied at 20-all.

Out of the locker room, the dogfight continued in the third quarter. Moses Lake took an early lead, extending it to 10 points with just over two minutes left in the period. But Black kicked off a Tiger scoring streak with a quick two points, followed by a Jett Julian fastbreak bucket off a Hendrick steal and assist from Black. Cody Ogle then broke the Tigers' three-point drought with the lone make of the game after a Hendrick assist. Caiden Weber closed the gap with a free throw to end the quarter down, 32-29.

But the Tigers couldn't maintain momentum in the final frame. Moses Lake outscored Ephrata by a 16-8 margin through a combination of seven offensive rebounds and five Tiger turnovers that the visiting Mavs converted into 10 points.

Ephrata's inside presence was hampered when the 6-foot-4 Morford committed his third and fourth fouls in the third quarter and saw limited minutes afterward. Hendrick helped pick up the slack off the glass, grabbing four boards. But overall, the Tigers' post play did not generate the offensive production they hoped for, with Morford, Benson Bair and Brice Strickler shooting 2-for-8 from the field for only four points.

And Ephrata coach Rick Walter had an early inkling that turnovers could be a factor, the Tigers committed 24 in the course of the game.

"I figured turnovers might be high first game out the gate, with so many guys playing minutes they are not used to at the varsity level," he said afterward.

Consequently, the Tigers have to focus on building the mental stamina needed to play at an elevated pace, said Walter. He also said his team must work on improved entries on offense – that is, getting into "a more operable area so we can enter the ball at better angles and shorter distances."

Despite the opening loss, there are some bright spots for the home team. The Tigers out rebounded the Mavericks 28-14 defensively and 33-24 overall. Collectively, they combined for six assists and eight steals on the night.

Hendrick led the night with 13 points (a perfect 5-for-5 from the line), six rebounds and two steals. Ogle was efficient with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Black contributed seven points with a team-high three assists and three steals.

For Moses Lake, it was a night of all-senior scoring. Coming off a state record-breaking football season, standout Brady Jay dropped 21 points on the Tigers. Tyce Miller and Grady Walker both put in 12, and point guard Kyre Wiltbank added three.

The Tigers look to bounce back this Friday Dec. 5, traveling to Chelan to take on the Mountain Goats. Tipoff for the non-conference game is at 7:15 p.m.

Walter predicts Chelan will be a challenge. He said the Goats traditionally have some good shooters and excel at "pushing the ball to the corners" to create space and scoring lanes for trailing players.

Other season openers for Central Washington Athletic Conference teams saw Wapato down Ellensburg 76-72, Zillah roll past Prosser 91-59, West Valley (Yakima) best Grandview 85-69, Selah outlast Eisenhower in a 98-85 shootout, Othello rout Omak 69-42, and Basin rival Quincy falling to Pasco's Sageview 78-61.