MIDDLETOWN — Jodie Mitchell to the rescue, not once but twice.
The Middletown High School senior forward picked an opportune time to sink her first 3-pointer of the season Tuesday night, burying a long shot at the buzzer to force overtime against the Kelseyville Knights in a North Central League I North varsity girls” basketball thriller at Middletown.
Mitchell went on to score three of her team”s five points in the overtime period, including the game-winning free throw in a 37-36 Middletown victory.
“She had a great game,” Middletown coach Marnin Pyzer said.
Middletown, now 2-0 in the North standings and 6-12 overall, trailed 32-29 with 2.7 seconds left in regulation. Ashley Lescher”s long inbounds pass ended up in the hands of teammate Amber Ramponi, who immediately passed the ball to Mitchell positioned on the right wing behind the 3-point arc.
“She shot it and it swished through the net as the buzzer went off,” Pyzer said. “The place went nuts.”
While Mitchell isn”t a 3-point shooter, she does hoist a few in practice, according to Pyzer.
“She”s always talking about it (shooting 3s),” Pyzer said. “Today it paid off for her.”
Mitchell”s free throw late in the overtime period snapped a 36-all tie. She finished with a team-leading 12 points while junior center Marie Crim added 10 points.
“When we did get the ball inside tonight, we did a good job with it,” Pyzer said. “Our posts played real well.”
“We just got into a lot of foul trouble,” said Kelseyville coach Deanna Goff, who was without the team”s leading scorer on the season, senior Liz Berry (hamstring pull).
Mary Brown and Jennifer Green did a good job picking up the slack, according to Goff, as Brown scored a team-high 11 points and Green had eight points and a team-best 10 rebounds. Mandy Spitzer added six points and seven rebounds.
“They did a great job with Liz gone,” Goff said. “The girls stepped up.”
The game was close the entire way. It was 6-4 Middletown after one quarter, 11-9 at halftime and 19-17 after three quarters.
Kelseyville is 0-3 in league and 8-10 overall.
In other girls” action Tuesday:
Clear Lake 50, Upper Lake 37
At Lakeport, the Asbury sisters — Jessica and Kim — turned in solid efforts as the Cardinals overcame a 21-point night by Upper Lake”s Katherine Edmonds to beat the Cougars in NCL I South action.
Jessica scored 12 points with 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the third quarter. Kim added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Heather White also had 12 points as Clear Lake (1-2, 6-9) picked up its first league win.
“The girls played well,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said. “We started well and had a good, strong second quarter, too.”
Clear Lake led 11-5 after the opening period and 24-13 at halftime.
While Upper Lake (0-2, 3-13) was able to get to the free-throw line for 28 shots, the Cougars made just six.
“We missed a ton of free throws,” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said. “That”s a killer in a 13-point game.”
Clear Lake”s ability to get second shots also hurt the Cougars, according to Smith.
“We gave them second opportunities and they just made shots,” Smith said.
“We had good second chances,” Reynolds added.
Edmonds had 11 rebounds and six steals to go along with her 21 points.
“We”ve just go to continue to find ways to get better,” Smith said. “We”re battling.”
Boys” basketball
Clear Lake 79, Upper Lake 51
At Lakeport, four Clear Lake players scored in double digits and the Cardinals took advantage of a short-handed Upper Lake club to beat the Cougars in NCL I South action.
Upper Lake suited up only seven players, but only four were healthy enough to stay on the court for extended periods of time, according to coach Chris Cisneros, who said the flu bug has hit his team hard.
“When I get my players together we”re going to be solid,” Cisneros said.
Tanner Mansell and Kyle Donald each had 20 points to lead the Cardinals (1-2, 7-12), Marc Rivas added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and point guard Steven Edwards contributed 11 points and six assists.
“Edwards created opportunities for his teammates,” Clear Lake coach Glenn Wienke said. “He was driving and dishing. He had an outstanding game.”
In fact, Wienke said the Cardinals haven”t put four better quarters of basketball together this season.
“Our best game, our most complete game with team basketball,” he added.
Clear Lake led 45-24 by halftime.
Jared Wade”s 18 points and Tyler Warren”s 16 paced the Cougars (0-2, 1-16). Wade had four of his team”s six 3-pointers.
Willits 77, Lower Lake 42
At Willits, Matt Green missed a combined one shot from the field and line while leading the Willits Wolverines to a rout of the Lower Lake Trojans.
“He almost didn”t miss,” Lower Lake coach Marty Udy said.
Green finished with a team-high 23 points after going 5-for-5 from 3-point range, 3-for-4 from two-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
The Wolverines, who moved to 2-0 in the North standings, had a 49-15 lead by halftime.
“It wasn”t pretty,” Lower Lake coach Marty Udy said. “Our cold shooting and their hot shooting ? it wasn”t good.”
Nick Steward”s 13 points and seven reb-ounds led Lower Lake (0-3, 4-16), which made just one 3-pointer. Jeff Davis added seven points.
