MIDDLETOWN — John Hays scored a season-high 20 points, including three 3-pointers, and John-Wesley Davis connected on four of five 3-pointers as the Middletown Mustangs beat the Kelseyville Knights 70-57 in a North Central League I North varsity boys” basketball game Tuesday night in Middletown.
The win keeps the Mustangs (3-2 North, 10-12 overall) just a half-game behind league leader Willits (4-2), a 68-56 winner over Lower Lake on Tuesday in Willits.
Middletown plays its final three league games on the road ? at Lower Lake Friday, at Fort Bragg Saturday and at Willits on Tuesday.
“We”re taking them one game at a time,” Middletown coach Mike Mullin said.
Winning all three games would give the Mustangs the North championship.
Davis finished with 17 points and Bo Sheffer had 15 for the Mustangs, but it was Hays” effort that sparked the Mustangs, according to Mullin.
“Hays had a huge night,” Mullin said. “He was feeling it. That”s what he”s capable of every night.”
Hays also had five assists and five steals. Sheffer also had five assists.
Middletown gradually pulled away from Kelseyville (3-4, 10-13) and Mullin said he wasn”t comfortable with the Mustangs” double-digit lead until the final minutes.
“We had a 10-point lead late but I wasn”t comfortable with it,” Mullin said. “They”re athletes and they were beating us pretty good on the boards,” Mullin added of the Knights.
Peter Wotherspoon”s 15 points paced Kelseyville and Max Huff added 13.
“Daniel Anderson guarded him (Huff) and did a good job,” Mullin said.
Anderson led the Mustangs with nine rebounds and he also had one of Middletown”s nine 3-pointers. Kyle Harmyk added seven points and seven rebounds.
In other boys” action Tuesday:
Willits 68, Lower Lake 56
At Willits, the Willits Wolverines remained atop the North standings with a win over the Lower Lake Trojans, who trailed 20-7 after one quarter.
“It was a big game for both teams and they”re senior led and well coached,” Lower Lake coach Marty Udy said. “They were playing well on their home floor.”
Lower Lake (3-4, 13-12) got as close as three points on a couple of occasions only to watch Willits pull away each time.
“We have to shoot well to win games now and we missed a ton of chippies ? we can”t have that,” Udy said.
Jaymen Richardson led the Trojans with 16 points, Gage Carlson added 13 and Joe Taylor had 11.
Odeh Karkar”s 26 points powered the Wolverines.
“Karkar played real well,” Udy said. “He hit five 3s and they had eight as a team.”
Girls” basketball
Kelseyville 61, Middletown 43
At Kelseyville, it was senior night and Skyler Olsen scored a season-high 36 points in Kelseyville”s North victory over the Middletown Mustangs, who trailed only 24-23 at halftime.
“She did not have a good first half and I took her out of the game twice,” Kelseyville coach Caitlin Andrus said of Olsen, who scored 22 of her points in the second half.
Andrus said removing Olsen from the game wasn”t a punitive measure, but rather a motivational tool.
“It gives her a moment to clear her head. She holds onto it ? airballs and turnovers. It”s a way to get her going again,” Andrus said.
Kelseyville (4-3, 14-10) pulled away with a 19-8 third quarter and never looked back.
“Midway through the third quarter we started playing the defense we know how to play,” Andrus said. “Defense is what turned it around for us.”
Angela Gattoni”s 12 points paced Middletown (1-5, 4-19) and Alexis Rockwell had 11.
Upper Lake 40, Clear Lake 29
At Upper Lake, Taryn Re scored a season-high 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and the Upper Lake Cougars (1-5, 8-16) won their first NCL I South game at the expense of the Clear Lake Cardinals (1-6, 6-16).
After hitting just one of seven free throws through three quarters, the Cougars went 10-for-13 from the line in the final period.
“It sure made the difference down the stretch because they were forced to foul us,” Upper Lake coach Don Meri said.
While Re”s 15 points powered the Upper Lake offense, her defense also played a major role in the victory, according to Meri.
“She plays really good defense ? she hustles her butt off,” Meri said.
The Cougars alternated between man-to-man and zone defense to keep the Cardinals off-balance, according to Meri.
“We did a good job going back and forth,” Meri said.
Upper Lake led 12-2 after one quarter and 25-14 at halftime.
Briana Butcher”s seven points led Clear Lake and Katie Reynolds added six.
Clear Lake”s final league game is Thursday at home against St. Helena.
