ST. HELENA — In a game where the lead changed hands a couple of times in the closing minutes, the Clear Lake Cardinals emerged with a 37-33 victory over the St. Helena Saints on Tuesday in a North Central League I South junior varsity boys” basketball game at St. Helena.
Ryan Richardson buried a 3-pointer to give the Cardinals (3-2 South, 14-5 overall) a 32-31 lead with two minutes remaining. St. Helena scored on its next trip down the floor to go back up 33-32, but Clear Lake answered right back when Corey Dillon”s basket put the Cardinals ahead to stay at 34-33.
Noel McCormack took it from there, hitting two pressure free throws after the Cardinals had forced a steal to give his team a 36-33 lead.
Clear Lake”s defense came up with another big steal with 11 seconds remaining and the Saints were forced to foul McCormack again. He hit the first of his two free throws to put the game out of reach at 37-33.
Dillon led the Cardinals with 14 points, Richardson finished with 11 and McCormack had six.
“We trailed almost the whole game,” Clear Lake coach Chris Fisher said. “But our defense kept us in it and then we began chipping away at their lead.”
