LOWER LAKE — The Kelseyville Knights started hot and stayed hot Friday night while beating the Lower Lake Trojans 80-67 in a North Central League I North varsity boys” basketball game at Lower Lake.
“We shot lights out,” Kelseyville assistant coach Rich Facey said. “(Dustin) Thaxton got us going with two 3-pointers in the first quarter.”
Thaxton scored eight of his team-leading 20 points in the opening period and Max Huff had 10 of his 19 in the period as the Knights opened up a 23-13 lead.
“Huff just killed us inside,” Lower Lake coach Marty Udy said. “They”ve got a good mixture of players with Huff going inside and Thaxton shooting threes from the outside.”
Udy also complimented the play of Michael Davis, who finished with 17 points, and Wyatt Ferrell, who added 18.
“All four of them hurt us, especially Huff,” Udy said of the junior, who had eight rebounds and five assists, both team highs.
Kelseyville had 16 total team assists.
“Wyatt probably had his best night on offense,” Facey said of junior forward Ferrell, who had six rebounds and hit seven of eight shots from the free-throw line.
The Trojans trailed by 15 after three quarters and by as much as 20 in the fourth period.
“We never really were close,” Udy said. “We did shoot well, but not in the flow of the game as much as Kelseyville.”
Josh Benfante”s 20 points, including six 3-pointers, powered the Trojans, Nick Steward added 18 and Kyle Buckingham 14.
Unfortunately for the Trojans, most of their 11 3-pointers came too late in the game as the Knights had already established a big lead.
Steward also had seven rebounds for the Trojans, now 0-2 in the North standings and 4-15 overall. Joe Taylor had six assists.
Kelseyville received solid play off the bench from Oscar Lopez, whose defense and six rebounds gave the Knights a lift, according to Facey.
Kelseyville is now 1-1 in the North and 12-6 overall.
Kelseyville hosts Middletown on Tuesday night and Lower Lake heads north to take on Willits as North action resumes.
