MIDDLETOWN — Playing the Healdsburg Greyhounds for a second time in five days didn”t appear to help the Middletown Mustangs, who dropped a 49-28 decision in non-league varsity girls” basketball action Tuesday night in Middletown.
Middletown lost 46-28 to the Greyhounds on Friday night in the winner”s semifinal round of the Greyhounds” own tournament, the Redwood Empire Invitational. Although the Mustangs were more competitive in the first half this time around, they couldn”t sustain that effort in the second half.
“They (Greyhounds) picked the tempo up in the second half and we didn”t respond,” Middletown coach Tony Hart said. “And when we”re not playing well our confidence goes ? that”s easy to see.”
Unlike their first meeting when Healdsburg led 24-6 at the half, Middletown trailed by only a 20-12 count on Tuesday.
“We were only down by eight but we didn”t come out with much in the third quarter,” Hart said.
Healdsburg outscored Middletown 18-6 in the period to put the game away.
The Mustangs once again struggled with turnovers, committing 22 in all, most of those in the second half. They also went 6-for-17 from the free-throw line.
Amber Hart”s nine points paced Middletown (2-5) and Jenny Hoefer added six. For Healdsburg (5-4), Marcella Passalacqua and Cassidy Jourdan led the way with 14 points apiece.
Middletown returns to action Friday against Marin Academy in San Rafael at 6:30 p.m. On Monday, the Mustangs play Healdsburg for a third time in the opening round of the Lady Trojans Winter Classic at Lower Lake High School. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
