MIDDLETOWN — Andrew Djernes is a big man who can shoot free throws. Just ask the Healdsburg Greyhounds.
Djernes, the 6-foot-8 senior center for the Middletown High School varsity boys” basketball team, made all four of his free throws in the fourth quarter to help the Mustangs overtake and then hold off the Healdsburg Greyhounds 48-46 in a non-league game on Thursday night in Middletown.
“He”s been shooting free throws real well all season,” Middletown coach Mike Mullin said of Djernes. “Man, they were all clutch free throws.”
Djernes finished with 14 points and nine rebounds and Jake Strickler led the Mustangs with 16 points. Two Djernes free throws with 1:56 left put Middletown ahead to stay.
Healdsburg trailed 48-46 with 11 seconds. As the Greyhounds worked for a final shot, Middletown was able to force a jump ball with :02 left. Healdsburg retained possession and called a timeout, but when play resumed, the Greyhounds could only get off an off-balance shot from well behind the 3-point arc.
“It wasn”t much of a shot,” Mullin said. “It didn”t come close.”
Tyler Hunt had nine points and 17 rebounds for Middletown (7-6).
Burton 56, Kelseyville 51
At Kelseyville, the Kelseyville boys faltered down the stretch and lost to Burton of San Francisco in the opening round of the Stokes Tournament.
“It started the last couple of minutes in the third quarter,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said. “We collapsed a little bit.”
Kelseyville, now 0-8 on the season, entered the fourth quarter tied with Burton at 40-all.
“We didn”t box out very well,” Conrad said. “If I could point to just one thing, it would be our defensive rebounding; it killed us.”
Joe Gatlyn”s 14 points led Kelsey-ville. Sophomore Mike Duman, recently promoted from the junior varsity squad, added 10 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.
Girls” basketball
Hoopa 67, Middletown 37
At Kelseyville, Hoopa pulled away in the second half for an easy victory over the Middletown Mustangs in the first round of the Stokes Tournament.
Junior forward Jessica Ammon scored 26 points for Hoopa, hitting four of the Warriors” 10 3-point field goals.
“We just didn”t get out on them and they kept shooting them,” Middletown coach Marnin Pyzer said of Hoopa”s many 3-point attempts.
Middletown trailed 12-10 after one quarter and 24-15 at halftime. Hoopa pulled away in the third quarter, taking a 40-24 lead into the final period.
One bright spot for the Mustangs (1-9) was the play of sophomore Anna Arrieta.
“She had a quality game for us,” Pyzer said of Arrieta”s team-leading 14 points.
Kelseyville 56, Ferndale 26
At Kelseyville, Lauren Nixon”s 15 points and 16 rebounds powered the Kelseyville Knights past Ferndale in the first round of the Stokes Tournament.
Jodi Snider added 14 points and four steals and Jill Bailey had seven points, six assists and six rebounds for the Knights (5-6).
“Jill just stabilizes us,” Kelseyville coach Jim Salmina said of his senior point guard. “She does a lot of stuff out there people don”t see.”
