KELSEYVILLE — The Kelseyville Knights wiped out a five-point deficit with two minutes remaining and went on to beat the Lower Lake Trojans 72-68 in a back-and-forth North Central League I varsity boys” basketball game on Friday night in Kelseyville.
Kelseyville”s victory combined with Fort Bragg”s 44-41 win over Middletown in the other North game Friday leaves the North standings in a jumble, with all five teams within a game of each other.
“We just need to take them one at a time,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said of his two remaining North games. “We”re still in a position where we can do something.”
Kelseyville (3-3, 10-12) held a 35-24 halftime lead only to watch Lower Lake rally and take the lead in the fourth quarter.
“We knew Lower Lake was going to come out and make some adjustments in the second half ? and they did,” Conrad said.
One of three 3-pointers on the night by Brandon Lindsay helped Kelseyville regain the momentum late in the fourth quarter. Two blocks by Max Huff also turned into Kelseyville points, according to Conrad.
Huff, one of four Kelseyville players to score in double figures, led the team with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Pete Wotherspoon added 17 points, Mike Allen had 16 and Steven Grossner 11.
Jaymen Richardson”s 22 points powered Lower Lake (3-3, 13-11). Gage Carlson added 21 and Mike Novak had a season-high 11.
In other boys” action Friday:
Fort Bragg 44, Middletown 41
At Middletown, trailing by a point with 19 seconds remaining, the Middletown Mustangs missed a shot and had to foul a Fort Bragg player, who sank two free throws with eight seconds remaining.
Middletown (2-2, 9-12) had time enough to set up a 3-point shot but didn”t get a “good look,” according to Middletown coach Mike Mullin.
“It”s the same old story. We played great defensively ? we”re forcing them to make tough shots,” Mullin said. “We had a lot of looks but couldn”t get the ball to go down.”
John-Wesley Dav-is” 14 points paced Middletown and Bo Sheffer had 11.
“Davis had a good game,” Mullin said.
Clear Lake 64, St. Vincent 50
At Lakeport, with junior varsity coach Jeremy Hopkins filling in for varsity coach Glenn Wienke, the Clear Lake Cardinals used a big second quarter to beat the St. Vincent Mustangs and earn a split of the season series between the two teams. St. Vincent won the first NCL I South meeting 54-53.
Clear Lake (3-3, 10-14) took a 13-12 lead into the second quarter and immediately pulled away from the Mustangs, largely because of the play off the bench of Tanner Mansell, who finished with 15 points.
“He had a steal and layup and then scored again (with a Ryan Richardson assist),” Hopkins said. “He came off the bench and gave us instant energy.”
Mansell”s infusion of offense helped Clear Lake go on a run and the Cardinals parlayed that into a 35-23 halftime lead.
Richardson led the Cardinals with 22 points and Ryan Grady added another 12.
Wienke was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected from the Cardinals” 95-66 loss to Cloverdale on Tuesday.
Willits 53, Upper Lake 49
At Willits, Upper Lake got within three points of the Willits Wolverines in the final seconds but couldn”t catch them in the NCL I interlock game.
“We played some good defense at the end,” Upper Lake coach Forrest Stogner said. “We played an excellent second half.”
Mike Cox had 16 points and five blocks, both team highs, to lead the Cougars (5-17). Mike Dawson added 11 points.
Tim Compton scored a team-high 25 for Willits, including career point 1,000.
Girls” basketball
Willits 66, Upper Lake 47
At Willits, despite suiting up only six players, the Upper Lake Cougars played one of their better games of the season against one of their tougher opponents, falling to the Willits Wolverines in NCL I interlock action.
Ceara Snyder”s 30 points led Willits, the undefeated NCL I North leader.
“She”s pretty savvy around the basket,” Upper Lake coach Don Meri said of Snyder.
Katherine Edmonds had a season-high 19 points for Upper Lake (7-15).
“Edmonds played a good game,” Meri said.
Felicia Valdez added eight points and Rebecca Swaney and Melissa Coburn each had seven (a season high for Coburn).
Though the Cougars have struggled shooting the ball the last few weeks, they seemed to regain their touch against the physical Wolverines.
“We were shooting real well and playing good,” Meri said.
Willits led 22-12 after one quarter and 41-22 by halftime.
St. Vincent 48, Clear Lake 35
At Petaluma, Katie Reynolds” 20 points, including four 3-pointers, weren”t enough for the Clear Lake Cardinals in their NCL I South loss to the St. Vincent Mustangs.
“In the third quarter they got on a nice run and we weren”t able to answer,” Clear Lake coach Jennifer Goff said.
St. Vincent outscored Clear Lake 18-9 in the third quarter to expand on a 23-20 halftime lead.
“We got the shots we were looking for, we just couldn”t get them to drop,” Goff said.
