UPPER LAKE — Reigning Upper Lake Tournament varsity champion College Prep of Oakland took a big step toward defending its title with a 60-41 victory over the Kelseyville Knights in a first-round game on Thursday night at Upper Lake High School.
The four-team, round-robin tournament for varsity and junior varsity boys” basketball teams runs through Saturday. Anderson Valley beat Upper Lake 73-55 in the other varsity game. In JV action, Upper Lake defeated Anderson Valley 60-39 and Kelseyville knocked off College Prep 57-23.
College Prep 60, Kelseyville 41
“We played pretty well early but our energy level on defense and on the boards wasn”t what it needed to be,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said. “We also didn”t shoot the ball well. We went 16-for-50 and we had a lot of good looks that didn”t go in, and that”s just something that happens sometimes.”
College Prep led 15-12 after one quarter and extended that advantage to 33-21 by halftime and 49-33 after three quarters.
“College Prep has everybody back and they had a pretty good team last year,” Conrad said. “They were quick.”
Kelseyville took to the court minus guard Mike Davis, who aggravated a knee injury sustained during football season in the Knights” win over Sonoma Academy on Tuesday.
“That didn”t help,” Conrad said of Davis” absence.
Steven Grossner”s 10 points paced the Knights, Wyatt Ferrell added seven points and Peter Wotherspoon and Mike Allen each had six.
The Knights (3-2) play Anderson Valley tonight at 8 p.m.
“They”ve got some shooters,” Conrad said. “We need to find some energy we didn”t have tonight.”
Anderson Valley 73, Upper Lake 55
The Upper Lake Cougars were within four points of Anderson Valley with 3:30 left in the game before the Panthers began to pull away.
“They shot the lights out,” Upper Lake coach Forrest Stogner said of the Panthers, who were led by Omar Ferreyra”s 27 points and Garrett Mezzanatto”s 22. “I knew Anderson Valley was good and this is the best team I”ve seen since I”ve been here. They”re coached real well and are fundamentally sound.”
Upper Lake led 15-13 after one quarter, but the Panthers began to find the range from the field in the second quarter and led 38-31 by halftime.
“We couldn”t buy a free throw,” Stogner said of the Cougars” 9-for-20 effort from the line compared to Anderson Valley”s 16-for-28.
The Cougars (2-3) lost Mike Dawson to an injury late in the second quarter.
“He busted his chin on the floor,” Stogner said. “He was coming down hard going for a rebound when he face-planted onto the floor.”
Dawson went to the hospital where he needed stitches to close the cut on his chin.
Tyler Warren”s 14 points paced the Cougars, Nick Schell added 12 and Nick Palomo added nine. Warren completed a double-double with 12 rebounds and Mike Cox also had 12 boards.
Junior varsity
Upper Lake 60, Anderson Valley 39
Mark Umalin scored 17 points, Joe Valdez added 12 and Anthony Duncan had nine to lead Upper Lake”s JVs to a first-round win over Anderson Valley.
Upper Lake improved to 3-2 on the season.