LOWER LAKE — This time the Willits Wolverines are chasing the Lower Lake Trojans.
Veronica Wilder scored 16 points and Jonesha Beasley added 13 on Tuesday night as Lower Lake upended the defending North Central League I North champions, 50-38, at Lower Lake High School.
“They have to chase us the rest of the year,” Lower Lake coach Jim Salmina said of the North race.
Lower Lake improved to 3-0 in the North standings to Willits” 1-1. The Wolverines won all three meetings a year ago — two in league play and again in the league tournament — and the first meeting this season, 57-56, at the Willits Tournament in early December. The two teams don”t meet again until Feb. 11 at Willits.
“I was 0-4 against them until tonight,” said Salmina, who is in his second season at Lower Lake. “I didn”t want to go 0-5.”
Several factors contributed to Lower Lake”s success this time around, not the least of which was the Trojans” 13-3 advantage at the free-throw line. Lower Lake got to the stripe for 26 shots compared to only six for the Wolverines.
“They beat you up physically and they”ll foul you,” Salmina said.
Lower Lake”s bench also came through with 11 points, nearly the difference in the game.
“I had four players score two points apiece and another score three,” Salmina said. “That might not seem like a lot but it adds up.”
Lower Lake gradually pulled away from Willits. It was 14-8 after one quarter, 23-16 at halftime and 39-30 after three quarters.
“What a big, big, win for the kids,” Salmina said. “They deserve this. They played their hearts out.”
Wilder, who is inching closer to 1,000 points for her career, also had five rebounds, three steals and three assists for the Trojans. Beasley added seven rebounds and six steals.
“Everybody came up big tonight,” Salmina said.
Brenna Jessup”s 16 points paced the Wolverines, now 6-12 overall. Whitney Dunham added six points after scoring 25 in Willits” win over Lower Lake earlier this season.
