WILLITS — Brittany Rumfelt scored her 1,000th career point on a free throw with 4:07 remaining in the first quarter and the Clear Lake Cardinals, trailing 34-31 after three quarters, rallied to beat the Willits Wolverines 49-35 in a North Central League I interlock varsity girls” basketball game on Friday night in Willits.
Rumfelt, six points shy of 1,000 entering play, was fouled in the process of shooting and stepped to the line for two shots midway through the opening period. She hit the first free throw for career point No. 999 and then sank the second shot to reach 1,000.
Clear Lake coach Jen Goff called a timeout a short time later — once the Cardinals regained possession of the basketball — and Rumfelt was presented with a plaque and a team-autographed basketball to mark the occasion.
“She”s one of those players every coach would love to have,” Goff said of the senior center and three-year varsity veteran. “She”s positive on the court and she”s positive off the court.”
Rumfelt finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
“Brittany had a really good game all the way around,” Goff said.
But the Cardinals (7-4) still had to rally in the fourth quarter and that”s exactly what they did, outscoring the Wolverines 18-1 in the period.
“They didn”t want to lose this one,” Goff said. “They went all out.”
Senior guard Emilee Meyer provided Clear Lake with a big spark in the final period, according to Goff. “She changed the intensity of the game for us at the beginning of the fourth quarter.”
Meyer, a good friend of Rumfelt, finished with seven points, six rebounds and five assists.
“Emilee played great,” Goff said.
Kaila Sterbank scored eight points for the Cardinals.
