By Doug Petrowski

After a soaring start with 15 straight wins and an invitation tournament championship in December, the Cedar Park Christian – MLT boys basketball season ended with a thud Saturday night as the Lions fell to the Christian Faith Eagles 75-61 in a 1B regional game at Lynnwood High School.

Christian Faith built a big first half lead with hot shooting, tough defense and more hustle than the slow-starting Lions, leading by as many as 27 points and taking a 49-25 lead into the locker room at halftime. Cedar Park Christian – MLT tried to mount a furious second half comeback, but couldn’t get any closer than eight points to the Eagles.

“I think (we were) a little over-excited for the game,” Lions Head Coach Pat Russell said of his team’s poor start, “and maybe not fully mentally prepared for a team ready to come play.”

The Eagles were ahead 15-4 less than four minutes into the game; they led 31-12 after a first quarter that ended with an emphatic 30-foot three-point buzzer-beater by Christian Faith’s Asfari Stinson-Richardson.

The Lions’ comeback attempt began when Christian Faith’s 6-6 center Segun Amosun picked up his fourth foul with 6:27 left in the third quarter. Cedar Park Christian – MLT went on a 19-4 run to end the period, but found themselves with foul troubles of their own in the fourth quarter. Key starters Daniel Schettler and Wilson Reidt fouled out, and the Eagles hit just enough of their free throws to keep the Lions at bay.

Reidt led the Lions in scoring with 20 points. Terry Eun picked up 14 points, while Micah Patterson added 12 points. Richardson scored 24 points for the Eagles; Amosun scored 16 points despite sitting for 10 minutes in the second half with the four fouls. Also scoring in double figures for the Eagles were Vick Toor with 16 and Ignatius Medani with 15.

Christian Faith (21-3) moves on to the 1B Boys Basketball State Tournament in Spokane beginning on Thursday, while Cedar Park Christian – MLT players hang up their basketball sneakers for the year with a 23-4 record.

“I’m going to go cry with my seniors because they have given it their all,” Russell said following the loss. “Micah, Daniel (Schettler) and Terry worked their hearts out; they left it all out on the court. I feel most saddened for them because they’ve worked so hard.”

Cedar Park Christian – MLT quarter scoring:    12 – 13 – 19 – 17 – 61

Christian Faith quarter scoring:            31 – 18 –   8 – 18 – 75

Cedar Park Christian – MLT individual scoring:  Wilson Reidt 20;?Terry Eun 14; Micah Patterson 12; Ben Reidy 6; Daniel Schettler 6; Austin Schley 3; Zach Wallace, Andrew Paulson; Christian Guddal; Aaron Gillis

Christian Faith quarter scoring:  Afari Richardson 24; Segun Amosun 16; Vick Toor 16; Ignatius Medani 15; Daniel Weed 4; CJ Cabiles; Jeremy Santos