KELSEYVILLE — The last Lake County varsity basketball team to make its season debut did so in impressive fashion Friday night as the Kelseyville boys used a big second half to upend Piedmont 63-54 in a winner”s semifinal game at the 38th annual Stokes Tournament in Kelseyville.
Kelseyville (1-0) wiped out a 27-24 halftime deficit with a 19-7 third quarter — the difference in the game — to knock the Highlanders into today”s third-place game against Mesa Verde at 4:30 p.m. The Knights play Cloverdale for the Stokes title at 7:30 p.m.
“The third quarter was huge,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said. “I wasn”t sure if we were ready for a game like that down the stretch, but the kids were poised and did a great job.”
Both teams scored 20 points in a fast-paced fourth quarter.
Kelseyville”s Steven Grossner scored seven of his team-leading 16 points during the pivotal third quarter, including the Knights” lone 3-pointer on the night.
“Grossner, (Max) Huff and (Mike) Allen all did a great job inside limiting Piedmont to one shot,” Conrad said.
The Knights went 12-for-18 from the free-throw line down the stretch to hold off the Highlanders. Mike Davis (15 points) made all five of his free throws in the fourth quarter and Peter Wotherspoon (15 points) hit three more.
“Those two kids did a great job of handling the pressure in the fourth quarter,” Conrad said of Davis and Wotherspoon”s ballhandling ability. “They made smart decisions … and some clutch free-throw shooting doesn”t hurt either.”
Huff added some scoring punch in the second half for Kelseyville, collecting all seven of his points during the final two quarters. He also led the Knights with 12 rebounds. Allen added 10 boards and Grossner had eight. Wotherspoon led the team with six assists.
Kai Orans led the Highlanders with 17 points, Ryan Staten added 13 and David Black had 10.
The Knights were supposed to open their season Thursday against Round Valley in a first-round game but the contest was canceled because the Warriors were unable to make it. Kelseyville automatically moved into the winner”s bracket and Round Valley into the consolation bracket.
In other Friday action:
Cloverdale 69, Mesa Verde 50
Rich Rowland scored 12 of his team-leading 30 points in the fourth quarter, including eight free throws down the stretch, as the Cloverdale Eagles beat Mesa Verde to advance to tonight”s championship game against Kelseyville at 7:30 p.m.
Cloverdale took a 48-40 lead into the fourth quarter. Rowland and teammate Beau Gastineau combined to score all but three of the Eagles” 21 points in the period.
Jerod Domenichelli and Casey Berry added 13 points apiece for the Eagles.
Tyler Long”s 13 points paced Mesa Verde. Lawrence Hall and Alex Rossi added 12 apiece.
Justin-Siena 72, Clear Lake 44
The Clear Lake Cardinals kept it close for better than a half before falling to Justin-Siena in a consolation semifinal game.
The Cardinals (1-2) trailed 16-10 after one quarter and 26-20 at halftime.
“We came out in the third quarter and played fairly solid for three to four minutes and then the wheels fell off,” Clear Lake coach Glenn Wienke said. “We weren”t executing plays and concentrating on what we were doing.”
One day after turning the ball over 39 times in a first-round loss to Mesa Verde, the Cardinals committed 34 more turnovers against the Braves, an unacceptable number, according to Wienke.
“It”s really frustrating,” he said.
Ryan Richardson (14 points) was the only Clear Lake player to reach double figures.
“Ryan is taking the whole team on his shoulders right now,” Wienke said. “He”s not getting the help like he needs.”
Ryan Grady added eight points.
There was some good news for the Cardinals as Seth Glazier, nursing a groin pull injury from football season, made his season debut.
“We put him in late in the second quarter and he helped cut a 10- or 11-point lead down to six,” Wienke said. “It was nice having him back. The guy”s got a lot of heart.”
Chris Lopez scored 16 points to lead Justin-Siena. The Braves play Capuchino today at 1:30 p.m. in the consolation championship game. Clear Lake and Round Valley meet in the seventh-place game at 10:30 a.m.
Capuchino 66, Round Valley 35
Chris Sandner scored 18 points, 10 of them during a 20-point third quarter, and Capuchino routed Round Valley in a consolation semifinal game.
Capuchino meets Justin-Siena today at 1:30 p.m. in the consolation championship game.
Michael Alva scored nine of his 11 points in the first quarter as Capuchino raced out to a 20-6 lead. Connor Haverfield and Tilman Steuernager added eight points apiece in the win.
Michael Istas” 14 points paced the Warriors, who draw Clear Lake today in the seventh-place game at 10:30 a.m.
