LAKEPORT — Max Huff scored 15 of his team-leading 19 points during a breakaway third quarter as the Kelseyville Knights went from a double-digit deficit to a 74-57 victory over the Clear Lake Cardinals on Friday night in Lakeport.
The North Central League I interlock varsity boys” basketball doubled as the Cardinals” homecoming and early on it appeared as though it might be their night against the Knights (10-4), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
“We had it going in the first quarter,” Clear Lake coach Glenn Wienke said of the 27-16 advantage his team enjoyed after the opening period. “The kids were really working hard.”
The rest of the night belonged to Kelseyville. The Knights closed to 32-27 by halftime and then ran the Cardinals off the floor in the second half, including a 26-14 third quarter during which Huff led the way.
“We had the transition game going in the second quarter but we were just going too fast and we made too many turnovers,” said Kelseyville assistant coach Rich Facey, who was filling in for the ill Scott Conrad. “We slowed it down a little bit in the second half.”
“Kelseyville”s transition game took off in that third quarter,” Wienke said. “They”re a great transition team.”
Huff started many of Kelseyville”s breaks in the third quarter and he also finished a number of them.
“He had only two points at halftime,” Facey said. “I”m proud of the fact that it didn”t bother him. He was playing really hard, but he was falling away on his shots instead of going to the basket.”
Mike Davis added 15 points, Wyatt Ferrell had 11, Dustin Thaxton 10 and Chris Aguon nine for Kelseyville.
Aguon and Ferrell both turned in strong efforts, according to Facey.
“Wyatt hit a 3-pointer with about three minutes left to put it away,” Facey said.
Kyle Donald”s 19 points paced the Cardinals (5-8) and Tanner Mansell and Steven Edwards finished with 13 apiece.
In other boys” action:
St. Helena 74, Lower Lake 63
At St. Helena, coming off their worst game of the year, a 65-39 loss to St. Vincent on Tuesday night, the Lower Lake Trojans turned in one of their better efforts in a loss to the St. Helena Saints that was closer than the final score indicates.
“One of our more competitive games,” Lower Lake coach Marty Udy said. “It was a one-possession game with three minutes left. It was a super close game the whole way, a great road game with a good crowd.”
St. Helena (9-3) took a 58-52 lead into the fourth quarter and it wasn”t until the final minutes that the Saints were able to ice the game at the free-throw line.
“To go and compete after our last game, by far our worst game of the year, and come back with our best game, it was good to see,” Udy said. “We looked like another team. It”s a step in the right direction.”
Joe Taylor”s 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists led the Trojans. Also scoring in double figures were Scott Zandt with 13 points, Nick Steward with 12 and Jeff Davis with 11.
“It really wasn”t about individual efforts tonight,” Udy said. “We had contributions from everyone.”
Lower Lake committed only 10 turnovers.
Fort Bragg 61, Upper Lake 55
At Fort Bragg, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves defeated the Upper Lake Cougars in NCL I interlock action.
No other details were reported.
Middletown 60, St. Vincent 52 (OT)
At Middletown, after St. Vincent rallied to tie the game in regulation with a 19-12 fourth quarter, the Middletown Mustangs outscored their Petaluma opponents 13-5 in overtime in late Thursday action.
John-Wesley Davis led Middletown with 17 points, D.J. Brookshire added 13 and Bo Sheffer had 11, including all three of the Mustangs” 3-pointers.
Middletown also had a big night on the boards. Chris Oatman pulled down a team-best 14 rebounds to go along with eight points, Davis grabbed 13 boards to complete a double-double, and Tanner Alves had 11 rebounds and six points.
A slow-scoring first half ? Middletown led just 18-16 at the intermission ? gave way to a fast-paced second half.
Middletown (8-5) has won three straight.
Middletown also won the junior varsity game 56-17 behind 23 points from Blaine Amos, eight from Brandon Thomas and seven from Ben Pike.
Girls” basketball
Kelseyville 48, Clear Lake 37
At Lakeport, the Kelseyville Knights made their free throws down the stretch to pull away and beat Clear Lake and spoil the Cardinals” homecoming.
“They did a really good job on what they needed to get done,” Kelseyville coach Deanna Goff said of the Knights” effort. “It was a very nice win.”
No one came up bigger for the Knights (7-6) than did sophomore Mandy Spitzer, who replaced Morgan Shannon (out sick) in the starting lineup. Spitzer led her teammates with 14 points and also pulled down five rebounds.
“She had to step up for Morgan and she did, right from the get-go,” Goff said. “It was great.”
Mary Brown added 12 points and four rebounds and Jennifer Green had nine points and nine rebounds for the Knights, who outscored the Cardinals 16-8 in the fourth quarter.
Jessica Asbury”s 16 points paced the Cardinals, now 4-6 on the season. Heather White added 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
“Just a lack of execution on our part,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said.
Asbury was the exception, according to Reynolds, citing the senior”s play on offense and defense.
“Jess did a great job guarding Liz Berry,” Reynolds said. “She scored only five points and they were all free throws.”
Fort Bragg 53, Upper Lake 48
At Upper Lake, Katherine Edmond”s 19-point, 17-rebound effort wasn”t enough for the Upper Lake Cougars in their loss to the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
“She really stepped up,” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said of Edmonds. “She played her best game. She was phenomenal.”
Kelsey Pearl added 15 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Cougars fell to 3-8 overall.
Upper Lake trailed by as few as two points in the fourth quarter.
“They (Timberwolves) did a good job of hitting free throws down the stretch to ice it,” Smith said.
Fort Bragg”s 10-4 advantage in the third quarter was the difference in the game, according to Smith, who said his team”s lack of depth and inexperience were factors in the loss.
St. Vincent 46, Middletown 27
At Petaluma, coming off a 71-44 win over Lower Lake on Tuesday night, the St. Vincent Mustangs improved to 2-0 in NCL I interlock action with a victory over Middletown.
Individual scoring and other game details were not reported.
St. Vincent also won the junior varsity game, 34-30, despite 10 points from Middletown”s Brooke Jackson and six from Jenny Hoefer.
