UPPER LAKE — So much for losing with dignity.
On a night when tempers flared almost as many times as the Cloverdale Eagles scored, the Upper Lake Cougars landed on the wrong end of a 109-30 thrashing in a North Central League I South varsity boys” basketball game that was anything but boring.
Playing its starters for the first three quarters, the Eagles (3-0) had leads of 27-8 after the first period, 52-13 at halftime and 96-19 after three quarters.
Robbie Rowland led the Eagles with 45 points. While driving to the basket in the third quarter, he hit the ground hard as Upper Lake”s Nick Schell attempted to block the shot from behind. Schell was called for a flagrant foul and teammate Brandon Bills picked up a pair of technical fouls and was ejected while arguing the call.
Upper Lake coach Forrest Stogner said the flagrant foul on Rowland was questionable.
“He was just trying to block the shot,” Stogner said of Schell.
Later in the game, Gerald Thomas was ejected for striking a Cloverdale player in the face, according to Stogner. An Upper Lake fan also was ejected.
“I apologized to him (Cloverdale coach John Gastineau) for me and my team,” Stogner said. “That”s not how we play.”
Upper Lake was called for a handful of technical fouls in a short span, according to Stogner.
“It got out of hand,” Stogner said.
Schell”s 11 points led the Cougars and Tyler Warren added nine points and 11 rebounds.
Middletown 68, Lower Lake 60
At Middletown, it”s all about what you do in league.
While the Middletown Mustangs have experienced a fair share of ups and downs this season, including the news head coach Mike Mullin is stepping down at season”s end, they”re headed back up. Their win over the Lower Lake Trojans on Tuesday keeps them atop the NCL I North standings at 2-0.
“We”re playing a little bit better than we have been,” Mullin said of a second straight solid effort by the Mustangs.
The Mustangs are also shooting the ball much better than they have been. Four Middletown players, led by Bo Sheffer”s 17 points, scored in double digits. The Mustangs also went 16-for-24 at the free-throw line, including 9-for-12 in the fourth quarter to stave off a Lower Lake run.
“And it wasn”t like they didn”t play well,” Mullin said of the Trojans (2-2, 12-9). “They shot the ball well.”
Jaymen Richardson scored 24 and Gage Carlson added 23 points to account for the bulk of Lower Lake”s scoring. The Trojans sank 10 3-pointers, including four by Richardson and three by Carlson.
Joining Sheffer in double figures were teammates John Hays with 13, Kyle Harmyk with 12 and John-Wesley Davis with 10.
Middletown took a 45-36 lead into a high-scoring fourth quarter that saw the two teams combine for 47 points.
“He was a big catalyst for us in the fourth,” Mullin said of guard Jereomy Hoefer, who finished with six points, six assists, six rebounds and five steals. “He forced a couple of turnovers that we turned into easy baskets.”
Girls” basketball
Lower Lake 56, Middletown 28
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans jumped on Middletown early and cruised past the Mustangs in NCL I North girls” action.
Lower Lake (2-2, 13-8) led 18-6 after one quarter.
“We came out with a lot of energy,” Lower Lake coach Jim Salmina said. “Then we had a little bit of a letdown in the second quarter, a lot of turnovers.”
A refocused Trojan squad put the game out of reach with a 23-8 third quarter.
“We went to a half-court press and did a real nice job,” Salmina said.
Veronica Wilder, Tashee Denson and Jonesha Beasley combined to score 20 of the Trojans” points in the third quarter. Wilder finished the game with a team-best 17 while Denson and Beasley added 11 apiece.
“This is how I expect them to play against everybody,” Salmina said. “We”re capable of doing this every game.”
Wilder had five rebounds, three assists and three steals to go along with her 17 points.
Rachel Sutton and Haley Tallman led the Mustangs (0-2, 3-15) with seven points apiece.
St. Helena 69, Clear Lake 30
At St. Helena, after dropping their first two NCL I South games, the St. Helena Saints finally got into the win column, beating the Clear Lake Cardinals.
Maddy Densberger”s 23 points paced the Saints (1-2) and Missy Particelli added 15.
“It was a physical game,” Clear Lake coach Jennifer Goff said. “But the girls played well and played hard.”
Katie Reynolds scored all nine of her points on 3-pointers, Briana Butcher added eight points and Jessica Asbury had seven for Clear Lake (1-3, 6-12).
Cloverdale 58, Upper Lake 15
At Cloverdale, suiting up only seven players, the Upper Lake Cougars fell to NCL I South leader Cloverdale in NCL I South action.
The Cougars (0-3, 7-13) were minus the services of Ashley Arroyo and Taryn Re, who missed the game because of illness. Upper Lake also lost Felicia Valdez to an injury in the second quarter although she was able to return in the second half. Another Cougar, Sierra Coleman, went down in the fourth quarter with an injury.
“Our scoring woes continue and I don”t know who I”ll have on Friday when we go to St. Helena,” Upper Lake coach Don Meri said.
Cloverdale had the game well in hand after one quarter with a 20-3 lead. It was 37-5 by halftime.
Laura Furlong”s 17 points paced the Eagles. Coleman was Upper Lake”s leader with five points.
