LOWER LAKE >> Generating offense, and lots of it, doesn”t seem to be a problem for Clear Lake coach Phil Psalmonds” Cardinals at the 21st annual Record-Bee Hoop Classic in Lower Lake.
Behind 24 points from Max De Leon and another 18 from Tanner Hutton, the Cardinals improved to 2-0 in the round-robin tournament with a 69-55 victory over the Kelseyville Knights on Friday. Clear Lake has scored 132 points in its first two Hoop Classic games and can complete a perfect tournament run with a victory today at 4:30 p.m. over Middletown.
With Clear Lake up 50-42 to open the fourth quarter, De Leon quickly pushed the Cardinals lead into double digits, first by hitting the fourth of his five 3-pointers on the night and then by drawing a foul while shooting a 3-pointer. He made two of the three free throws to increase Clear Lake”s lead to 55-42. A little later in the quarter De Leon connected on his final 3-pointer to put the game out of reach at 62-45.
Clear Lake”s three-headed attack of De Leon, Hutton and Ryan Damiata generated 55 of Clear Lake”s points as Damiata finished with 13.
Nate Carpenter kept the Knights in the game early on with his play down low, both as a scorer and a rebounder. He finished with a team-high 19 points while Gideon Turner added 11. Trey Conrad contributed nine points and Ean Valenzuela had eight as Kelseyville fell to 1-1 in the tournament standings. The Knights play Lower Lake (1-1) today in a final-round game at 3 p.m.
In the late JV game Friday:
Lower Lake 67
Middletown 33
Team basketball served the Lower Lake Trojans well as six different players finished with eight or more points in a rout of the Middletown Mustangs. Garrett Chernoh”s 11 points led the way and Jermaine Watson joined him in double figures with 10 points. Ethan Watson and Jordan McGrath added nine apiece while Ethan Watson and Tate Smith had eight each.
In a game that was tied at 10 after the first quarter, Lower Lake opened up as much as a 13-point lead in the second quarter before Middletown rallied late to make it 29-20 at the half.
The second half was all Lower Lake as the Trojans opened the third quarter with an 11-1 run, including a 3-pointer by Chernoh and a three-point play by McGrath. Three-pointers by Chernoh and McGrath later in the period helped Lower Lake build a 50-23 cushion.
Josh Wilson”s six points led the Mustangs.
