KELSEYVILLE — Three-time-defending junior varsity tournament champion Middletown parlayed a 20-5 third quarter into a 56-40 victory over the Kelseyville Knights on Thursday night during the opening round of the 18th annual Record-Bee Hoop Classic at Kelseyville High School.
Middletown is trying to become the first JV team in the history of the tournament to win four straight championships. The victory on Thursday was the Mustangs” 13th straight in the Hoop Classic. Their last loss was a 52-49 overtime decision to Clear Lake on the final day of the 2007 tournament.
Cody Hall scored 14 points and Cody Chorjel added 13 as the taller Mustangs dominated Kelseyville in the paint. Augustine Guzman joined his teammates in double figures with 11 points.
Middletown scored the first two points of the game on a Hall basket and never trailed after that.
The Mustangs led 12-4 after one quarter and 26-18 at halftime. They began to put some serious distance between themselves and the Knights with a 10-0 run to open the second half.
Justin Johnson”s 11 points led the Knights and Victor Fernandez added eight.
Clear Lake 55, Lower Lake 35
In the early JV game on Thursday, the Clear Lake Cardinals scored more points in the third quarter — 24 — than they did in the first half — 23 — and they pulled away to beat the Lower Lake Trojans.
Danny Partida scored eight of his 10 points in the third quarter to power the Cardinals. He had the signature moment in the period, scoring a basket to make it 32-17, stealing the inbounds pass from Lower Lake and scoring again — all in a matter of seconds — as the Cardinals pulled away.
Ootie Lane”s 12 points, all on 3-pointers, led the Cardinals. David Mansell added eight.
James Clark paced the Trojans with nine points.
