FORT BRAGG >> Clear Lake High School varsity boys’ basketball coach Scott De Leon said it would be stating the merely obvious to say the Cardinals were in a deep and dark offensive funk on Monday during first-round action at the Vern Piver Holiday Classic in Fort Bragg.
In a tournament that is largely known this year for what is happening off the basketball court, the poor Cardinals are hoping that the final two days go better than a 68-29 loss to Albany.
Clear Lake (3-7) managed just seven baskets the entire game and was limited to single-digit scoring in all four quarters.
“We came out flat and stayed flat,” De Leon said. “I kept waiting for us to wake up and we never woke up.”
Facing an Albany team that improved to 10-1 with the win didn’t help Clear Lake’s situation. Idle since playing Middletown in the final round of the 21st annual Record-Bee Hoop Classic on Dec. 20 in Lower Lake, the Cardinals’ trailed 23-6 after one quarter, and it only got worse from there.
“The fact that we did not have a single 3-pointer is a problem,” De Leon said. “We were sluggish doing anything today.”
Ryan Smith led the Cardinals with 12 points but after him the scoring fell off to six points by Jared Strate. No one else had more than three.
“I’m expecting a different team to show up tomorrow,” De Leon said of the Cardinals’ consolation semifinal game today at 9 a.m. against Mendocino.
De Leon said the Cardinals were fortunate to escape all the drama that has followed this tournament since Fort Bragg officials decided to drop the Mendocino varsity boys and varsity girls from the brackets because of their desire to wear “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts during warmups, a protest in support of Eric Garner, who died after behind held in a choke hold by a member of the New York Police Department.
While the Mendocino boys were allowed back into the tournament after agreeing not to wear the T-shirts during warmups, Fort Bragg officials, facing a possible federal lawsuit, backed down on Monday and said they would allow the Mendocino players to wear the shirts during warmups for the remainder of the tournament. They also agreed to allow fans to wear “I Can’t Breathe” shirts while attending games. Originally Fort Bragg officials said fans wearing the shirts would be asked to leave the gym.
Today’s Clear Lake-Mendocino match might offer a little more drama although De Leon said his only concern is getting the Clear Lake offense back online.
In varsity girls’ first-round action Monday:
St. Bernard 45
Clear Lake 41
The Clear Lake girls were scheduled to open against Mendocino, but instead drew a tougher St. Bernard squad after Mendocino was dropped from the tournament. The Cardinals fell 45-41, dropping to 4-6 on the season.
No scoring or other details were reported to the Record-Bee as of its 10 p.m. print deadline Monday night.
