FORT BRAGG >> After staging a rally in the fourth quarter to pull even, the Clear Lake Cardinals fell 48-46 in overtime to Etna in the girls” consolation championship game of the Vern Piver Holiday Classic on Wednesday afternoon at Fort Bragg High School.
Led by the play of freshman guard Valerie Hutton off the bench, the Cardinals (5-7) outscored Etna 15-8 in the fourth quarter to pull even at 40 by the end of regulation. Hutton, who moved up from the junior varsity squad to the varsity for this tournament, scored a team-best 17 points, eight of those coming in the fourth quarter.
Clear Lake had possession with 40 seconds left in the overtime period and the score knotted at 46 but turned the ball over on a double-dribble violation called by the trailing official. Etna snapped the tie a short time later.
Aliza Atkins had 11 points for the Cardinals, Jasmine Rice added eight and Taylor Helms had seven.
Clear Lake hosts Willits in the North Central League I opener for both teams on Tuesday.
In the boys” bracket of the tournament:
Clear Lake 66
Trinity 47
Clear Lake came out red-hot from the floor for the second game in a row and beat Trinity to win the boys” consolation championship. All-Tournament selection Ryan Smith scored 12 of his team-leading 20 points in the opening period as the Cardinals moved out to a 16-2 lead. They led 26-11 by quarter”s end and never looked back.
Damian Lopez, also selected to the All-Tournament team, had eight of his 12 points in the first quarter.
“We went on a big-time run early in the game,” Clear Lake coach Scott De Leon said. “We hit shots early and gained some confidence.”
Clear Lake continued to pull away in the second quarter and led 45-24 at halftime.
A physical second half resulted in four fouls — three of them technicals — being called on a single play in the third quarter. The initial foul and two of the technicals were called against Trinity.
“Things got a little chippy,” De Leon said. “We battled with them and didn”t back down.”
Jared Strate joined Smith and Lopez in double digits with 15 points.
Clear Lake (5-7) hits the road Tuesday to play Willits in the league opener for both teams.
