POTTER VALLEY ? On a night when Clear Lake didn”t have its outside shooting game going, everything else worked just fine and then some as the Cardinals overwhelmed the Geyserville Bronchos 72-26 in a first-round game at the Potter Valley Tournament on Wednesday.
Ryan Richardson lit up the Bronchos for 27 points despite going 0-for-10 from behind the 3-point arc as the Cardinals (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak.
“It”s nice to be in the winner”s bracket,” Clear Lake coach Glenn Wienke said.
Clear Lake led 17-4 after one quarter and continued to build its lead form there. It was 37-12 by halftime and 56-21 after three quarters.
Corey Dillon added 10 points and 13 rebounds and Richardson also had a double-double by pulling down 11 boards. Ryan Grady added 10 points, eight rebounds and a team-high five steals, and Noel McCormack had seven points and seven assists.
Clear Lake draws either Potter Valley or Laytonville in the winner”s semifinals on Friday at 8 p.m. at Potter Valley High School.
In other tournament action Wednesday:
Healdsburg 63, Middletown 28
Things got progressively worse for the Middletown Mustangs in a first-round loss to tournament host Healdsburg at the Redwood Empire Invitational.
Trailing 15-10 after one quarter, the Mustangs saw that deficit grow throughout the night. It was 31-18 at halftime and 49-26 after three quarters.
“We couldn”t get any good shots ? they did a great job on defense,” Middletown coach Mike Mullin said. “They didn”t give us good opportunities and we didn”t get that many good looks.”
The only thing that struggled more than the Middletown defense was a Middletown offense that couldn8 0t find the range from anywhere on the floor. The Mustangs were just 6-for-46 from two-point range and 2-for-11 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Dustin Peterson led the Mustangs with nine points and after that it fell off to four points by Zach Strickler, Dylan Galusha and Johnny Harmyk.
“There”s no reason to get outhustled,” Mullin said in sizing up the Mustangs” effort. “And that”s what happened.”
Middletown will play the loser of tonight”s game between Lower Lake and St. Patrick/St. Vincent on Friday night at 7 p.m.
