KELSEYVILLE — Three-year varsity veterans Jill Bailey and Lauren Nixon shifted the Kelseyville Knights into maximum overdrive on Tuesday night as they hammered the Lower Lake Trojans 58-34 in a North Central League I North varsity girls” basketball game at Kelseyville.
The victory moves Kelseyville (2-1 North, 12-8 overall) into sole possession of second place in the North standings behind 4-0 Fort Bragg. Lower Lake slips to 1-2 in league and 12-8 overall.
Nixon and Bailey each set season highs in scoring. Nixon, the Kelseyville center, finished with 25 points, 21 rebounds and four steals. Point guard Bailey had 19 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
“My two seniors came out possessed,” Kelseyville coach Jim Salmina said of the combined 17 points scored by Bailey and Nixon during the Knights” 22-point opening period. “I can”t say enough about how well they played.”
The Knights were equally effective at the other end of the floor, limiting Lower Lake to five points in the first quarter and 14 in the first half as they built a 34-14 lead by the intermission.
Kelseyville played a patient half-court game against Lower Lake, refusing to get into a running game with the Trojans.
“We were very patient,” Salmina said. “We played as well as we could play.”
Danielle Bettencourt, who finished with 13 points, was the only Lower Lake player to crack double digits against Kelseyville”s stingy defense.
“Our defense was outstanding,” Salmina said.
In other girls” games Tuesday:
St. Vincent 59, Clear Lake 57
At Lakeport, not even a season-high 30 points by Brittany Rumfelt could save the Clear Lake Cardinals in an NCL I South loss to league-leading St. Vincent, now 3-0 in league play.
Clear Lake (1-2 South, 10-7 overall) had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds but missed a shot.
“It was a good shot, it just didn”t go in,” Clear Lake coach Jen Goff said.
With the exception of some “silly turnovers” down the stretch, Goff said the Cardinals turned in a strong effort.
“Both teams played great offense and defense,” she said. “The only disappointing part is that we didn”t win the game.”
Rumfelt scored her first three points on a 3-pointer. She finished with another double-double, leading the team with 15 rebounds. Kaila Sterbank added 15 points, including two 3-pointers.
“And she”s coming off the flu, so that”s pretty good,” Goff said of Rumfelt, who climbed over 1,100 career points during the game (she has 1,127). Molly Ryan had seven points.
Fort Bragg 49, Middletown 30
At Middletown, Karissa Lang”s 24 points, including four 3-pointers, lifted the NCL I North-leading Fort Bragg Timberwolves to a win over the Middletown Mustangs.
“I think right now she”s the league MVP,” Middletown coach Marnin Pyzer said of Fort Bragg”s junior point guard. “She”s really worked hard in the offseason. I don”t even remember her from last year.
“We tried everything to stop her. If we got out on her she would just step back and shoot it from a little farther back. And her 3-pointers weren”t banked in. She swished them,” Pyzer added. “She”s just a good player.”
Fort Bragg (4-0) led 13-5 after one quarter and 28-13 at halftime.
Julia Leathers” nine points paced Middletown, which slipped to 0-3 in the North standings and 3-16 overall. Kelsey Welton added five points.
Middletown closes out the first half of its league schedule at home Friday night against Kelseyville.
