KELSEYVILLE — What a difference a couple of weeks can make.
The Kelseyville Knights, stuck at one win through the middle of January, have now reeled off three in a row after beating the Middletown Mustangs 57-46 in a North Central League I North varsity boys” basketball game on Friday night in Kelseyville.
Kelseyville improved to 2-2 in the North standings with its second straight league victory.
“Confidence is an amazing thing,” said Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad, whose squad was 0-2 in league play and 1-15 overall before its current winning streak. “We”re a confident bunch now, our expectations are higher and now we expect to win.”
Wes Stevenson, red-hot of late for the Knights, scored 15 points as did teammate Joe Gatlyn to lead a balanced Kelseyville scoring attack. Mike Duman added 10 points and Isaac McQueen had eight.
“A huge thing for us is we”re finally out and running our break,” Conrad said. “Once you get some of those baskets in transition, it”s a little easier. And we”re shooting the ball much better.”
Kelseyville led 11-7 after one quarter and 28-22 at halftime. The Knights began to pull away in the third quarter.
“We have a different bounce in our step and it”s exciting to see,” Conrad said.
While the Knights had a good night on the offensive end, the defense also came through, according to Conrad.
“Guy Conger anchored our defense tonight,” Conrad said. “He did a great job.”
Conger, a junior guard, led the team with five steals and eight assists.
In other boys” action Friday:
Willits 64, Lower Lake 52
At Willits, the Willits Wolverines used a 24-point third quarter to break open a close game and beat the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I North action.
“I felt pretty good about being down by one point at halftime on the road at Willits,” Lower Lake coach Marty Udy said. “But as good teams will do, they came in the third quarter and put up 24. They executed real well and we didn”t have an answer on defense.”
Willits carried a 53-44 lead into the final period and went on to post its third league win in four games, the only loss coming at the hands of an unbeaten Fort Bragg squad.
Lower Lake (1-3 North, 7-14 overall) led by as many as six points midway through the second period.
“We hung tough,” Udy said. “I was happy with our effort.”
Kevin Freeman, Jeff Wilder and Anthony Lucchesi scored 11 points apiece to pace Lower Lake. Freeman completed his double-double with 12 rebounds. Cameron Dudding added nine points, all on 3-pointers as the Trojans connected for seven treys on the night.
Girls” basketball
Kelseyville 40, M”town 26
At Middletown, Lauren Nixon”s 17 points and 12 rebounds powered the Kelseyville Knights to a win over the Middletown Mustangs in NCL I North play.
Kelseyville reaches the halfway point of the North season at 3-1. After a non-league game at home on Tuesday against St. Vincent, the Knights host the undefeated Fort Bragg Timberwolves (4-0) in a league battle for first place on Friday.
The Knights held just a 22-19 halftime advantage against the Mustangs (0-4, 3-17), but Kaitlyn Goff came off the bench in the third quarter to hit two big 3-pointers and Kelseyville went on to outscore Middletown 14-2 in the period. Goff finished with 10 points, joining Nixon and Jodi Snider (11 points) in double figures. Jill Bailey finished with eight assists and five steals.
Julia Leathers” eight points paced Middletown and Kayla Welton had six.
“They played as hard as they can,” Middletown coach Marnin Pyzer said. “They played with emotion, but we just came up short.”
Lower Lake 52, Willits 51
At Lower Lake, Rissy Prude”s 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining gave the Lower Lake Trojans a 52-51 lead and neither team scored the rest of the way in NCL I North action.
Passion Allen-LeNard missed a chance to give Lower Lake (2-2, 13-8) a bigger lead when she missed two free throws with eight seconds remaining.
Lower Lake switched to a full-court press as Willits brought the ball inbounds and Danielle Bettencourt stole the ball and dribbled the remaining seconds off the clock.
Prude”s 19 points paced Lower Lake and Bettencourt added 11 points and seven rebounds. Amber Shoffeitt also had 11 points.
Though happy to get the win against the Wolverines (1-3), Lower Lake coach Andrew Carpenter said his team”s performance left a lot to be desired.
“I wasn”t happy,” Carpenter said. “We”ve got some issues to work out and hopefully we”ll work them out.”
