LOWER LAKE — Sometimes you need to step away, take a breath and count your blessings, according to Middletown High School varsity girls” basketball coach Marnin Pyzer.
“The last game is the one you”re going to think about and the girls are feeling like they didn”t play very well tonight,” Pyzer said of the Mustangs” 47-30 loss to the Willits Wolverines in the championship game of the North Central League I North postseason tournament on Friday night in Lower Lake.
The game was airtight until the fourth quarter when the Wolverines outscored the Mustangs 19-4.
“They were packing into a 2-1-2 zone and we had trouble getting the ball inside,” Pyzer said of the Mustangs” first loss to the Wolverines in three games this season. “Even our guards had a hard time penetrating.”
While Middletown (18-8) might feel bad about losing the game, Pyzer listed several reasons why his players should feel good about what they”ve accomplished this season. They beat Willits twice in league play and that proved to be the difference in the NCL I North race, which Middletown won with a 7-1 record to Willits” 6-2. The outcome of the postseason tournament doesn”t affect the regular season, so the Mustangs are headed to next week”s North Coast Section Division IV playoffs and will find out on Sunday who they are playing, what day and where.
“I think it”s great,” Pyzer said of Middletown”s 18-victory season. “I don”t think the kids expected it. We”ve done a lot of nice stuff ? win the league, reach the championship game of the (postseason) tournament, and win the Stokes Tournament (in December at Kelseyville).”
Until Middletown”s offense dried up in the fourth quarter on Friday, the Mustangs were in a position to sweep the season series from the Wolverines, who were led by center Ceara Snyder”s 13 points.
Willits led 13-12 after one quarter, 21-18 at halftime and 28-26 after three quarters.
But when the final period rolled out, the Mustangs had a hard time scoring from anywhere on the floor ? inside or outside.
“They took away our post players big time and that”s our game,” Pyzer said. “It”s hard to play a good team three times and beat ”em all three times.”
Jenny McGee”s nine points paced the Mustangs, Kelsey Guzman finished with seven and Emily Beckwith added six.
