FORT BRAGG — Kelseyville shut down Karissa Lang, but Jordan DeSilva stepped in to take up the slack Friday night as the Fort Bragg Timberwolves used a 15-2 fourth quarter to break open a close game and beat the Knights 47-32 in the North Central League I North opener for both of these varsity girls” basketball teams at Fort Bragg.
“We just reverted back to our old ways,” Kelseyville coach Caitlin Andrus said of the Knights” horrible fourth quarter. “We didn”t box out or rebound, which I preach at every practice. We didn”t see open players.”
Kelseyville (0-1 league, 11-5 overall) entered its league opener winners of six straight and 11 of its last 12.
“She (DeSilva) killed us,” Andrus said of the senior post who led all scorers with 27 points. “She”s an incredible athlete who puts it up strong. She had a lot of putbacks.”
Kelseyville held Lang, one of Fort Bragg”s top players, to just four points.
Allyson Brown”s 11 points paced the Knights. Amanda Mueller added eight points and Jodi Snider had seven. Brown and Samantha Mattern each had seven rebounds and Mueller had six.
Kelseyville can square its league record with a win on Tuesday night at home against Willits.
In other basketball action Friday:
St. Helena 41, Upper Lake 27
At Upper Lake, Caity Falge 13 points weren”t enough as the Upper Lake Cougars dropped their NCL I South opener to the St. Helena Saints. Falge had two of the Cougars” three 3-pointers.
Cierra Peel had six points for Upper Lake.
Boys” basketball
Willits 45, Middletown 42 (ot)
At Willits, despite going 19-for-21 from the free-throw line, the Middletown Mustangs fell in overtime to the Willits Wolverines in the NCL I North opener for both teams.
Willits outscored Middletown 8-5 in the extra period.
“We played well, played aggressive, but the shots wouldn”t fall for us,” Middletown coach Mike Mullin said.
Trailing by three points with 33 seconds remaining in the overtime, the Mustangs tried to set up for a final shot but turned the ball over with seven seconds left. “We were trying to get the ball to Tyler of course, but they were all over him,” Mullin said of Tyler Hunt, who led the Mustangs with 20 points.
“He got 20 the hard way,” Mullin said of Hunt, who also pulled down 13 rebounds.
Dustin Peterson had nine points and nine rebounds for the Mustangs (0-1, 5-13).
“He had a good game, one of his best overall games of the season,” Mullin said of Peterson.
In a game that was close throughout, Middletown outscored Willits 10-7 in the fourth quarter to pull even at 37 by the end of regulation.
“They hit a 3-pointer early (in the overtime) and we never caught up,” Mullin said.
St. Helena 47, Upper Lake 36
At St. Helena, hoping to snap a 10-game losing streak, the Upper Lake Cougars instead lost their 11th straight, falling to the St. Helena Saints in the NCL I South opener for both teams.
“It was our kind of game, too,” Upper Lake coach Forrest Stogner said. “It was low scoring, a game we can play, but we didn”t box out and our free-throw shooting was terrible (9-for-20).”
The Cougars (0-1, 3-13) also were at less than full strength.
“(Jayce) Meri was playing on a bad ankle, real bad,” Stogner said of his starting senior guard.
Kyle Coleman led the Cougars with 15 points and 14 rebounds and Dalton Steptoe added 10 points and 12 boards.
“This is no fun,” Stogner said of the team”s 11-game skid, one that is more than a calendar month in duration.
Editor”s note: Results of the Upper Lake-St. Helena girls” game were received too late to make the Record-Bee”s Saturday print edition.
