KELSEYVILLE >> File this one away under the heading payback with interest assessed.
The Kelseyville Knights, 54-44 losers to the Cloverdale Eagles on Jan. 6 at Cloverdale in the North Central League I opener for both teams, returned the favor on Friday night in Kelseyville. Behind 13 points from Riley Goff and a near double-double by Mary McCallister (9 points, 10 rebounds), Kelseyville handed Cloverdale a 44-33 defeat, dealing the Eagles’ chances of repeating as league champion a major blow.
Kelseyville, now 12-7 overall, improved to 6-2 in the NCL I standings and remains one game behind Middletown (7-1) in a league race that is shaping up to be all about Lake County teams in 2015. Clear Lake and Willits are tied for third at 5-3 while Cloverdale slides to 4-4 with six games remaining.
“Defensively we had a gameplan that we put in last night and we double-teamed their big girl (Angel Bernardi),” Kelseyville first-year coach Jim Hale said.
The strategy worked as Bernardi finished with only seven points.
In all, Kelseyville’s defense limited the Eagles to 12 first-half point as the Knights opened up a 20-12 halftime lead.
All of McCallister’s team-leading 10 rebounds were defensive.
“That was big,” Hale said. “I thought our team played great defense and we were very unselfish on offense.”
Heidy Cano, Haleigh Meyer and Alma Perez finished with six points apiece in the win.
In other girls’ action Friday:
Middletown 50
Fort Bragg 27
At Fort Bragg, the league-leading Middletown Mustangs (7-1, 12-6) opened the second half of their NCL I schedule with a victory over the Timberwolves. Beginning with Friday’s game, the Mustangs play five of their final seven on the road.
“The girls played the first 2 ½ quarter on offense about as good as we’ve done all season,” Middletown coach Anthony Bazzano said.
Senior guard Katie Depp also gave the offense a jump start by hitting her first three shots from the field. Middletown led 14-9 after one quarter and 34-16 by halftime.
Ashlyn Welton led Middletown with 18 points, 16 rebounds and four steals (she has 76 points in her last three games, all wins). Abby Aden added 10 points.
Lower Lake 48
St. Helena 13
At St. Helena, the Lower Lake Trojans (3-5, 9-11) notched their second straight league win as Katelyn Ferrell, Gabby Jauregui and Aleia Milano all scored 11 points in a lopsided victory over the St. Helena Saints (0-8).
Lower Lake nearly had a fourth player in double figures as Ashlynn Mock added eight points.
“There’s a big change in this team and they’re just starting to embrace each other,” Lower Lake assistant coach Dave Milano said. “Earlier in the season they were more selfish but now they’re taking a lot of pride in their assists.”
Lower Lake’s defense never allowed more than five points in any quarter.
“We ran them down on the shot clock multiple times in the first half,” Milano said. “They couldn’t get off a shot and when they did it wasn’t what they wanted.”
Upper Lake 59
Tomales 14
At Upper Lake, the host Upper Lake Cougars continued their Sonoma Academy countdown with a lopsided victory against the Tomales Braves.
Upper Lake improved to 7-1 in the NCL II and 17-3 overall. The Cougars trail only Sonoma Academy (8-0) in the league standings, the result of a 66-54 loss to the Coyotes on Jan. 13 in Santa Rosa. The final league meeting between the two teams is Feb. 6 at Upper Lake.
Jojo Augustine, who missed the Cougars’ previous game because of illness, returned to the court and led the Cougars with 16 points, six blocks and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Natalie Karlsson added another 14 points but had to leave the game with a hyperextended elbow near the end of the third quarter.
“I don’t know how bad it is,” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said. “Her mom took her to the hospital to have it checked out.”
Jessica Arroyo added nine points in the win and Autum Martinez had six points and four blocks.
Upper Lake had the game well in hand at halftime with a 32-10 lead.
Boys
Clear Lake 47
Willits 44
At Lakeport, in the hunt for a third straight NCL I championship, the Willits Wolverines were upset by the Clear Lake Cardinals, who entered Friday’s action last in the league standings.
The two teams were never separated by much. Willits led 15-13 after one quarter, 29-27 at halftime and 36-35 entering the final period.
Clear Lake’s defense got the job done by limiting the Wolverines to 15 second-half points.
“We played great team defense for four quarters,” Clear Lake coach Scott De Leon said. “Marty Sugimoto came off the bench and gave us some huge minutes.”
No less impressive on the defensive end was Jared Strate, who also led the Cardinals (2-6, 7-13) on the offensive end with 13 points.
Assigned to defend one of Willits’ top scorers, Ryan Hosford, Strate limited him to 10 points, only two of which came in the second half.
“I called a timeout in the third quarter and he (Strate) told me that he (Hosford) wasn’t going to score again,” De Leon said.
Ryan Smith had 10 points for the Cardinals while Damian Lopez had eight. The Cardinals also had nine 3-pointers as a team.
“We have been competitive and tonight we were competitive for four quarters,” De Leon said. “What a great team win. It’s just unbelievable.”
Middletown 64
Fort Bragg 45
At Middletown, the Middletown Mustangs climbed back to .500 (4-4) in the NCL I standings with a home win over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves (2-6).
Cody Chorjel paced Middletown, which held a 28-7 halftime lead, with 16 points.
The Mustangs are 12-6 overall.
Lower Lake 59
St. Helena 54
At Lower Lake, Hokulani Wickard’s 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter put Lower Lake ahead to stay and Dustin Martin went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch to lift the Lower Lake Trojans past the St. Helena Saints.
St. Helena (2-6) led almost the entire way before Lower Lake (4-4, 10-10) rallied with a 21-point fourth quarter.
“When it mattered, we finished tonight,” Lower Lake coach Tim Biasotti said. “It was another close game and we happened to come out on the right end tonight.”
Martin scored six of his team-leading 21 points in the final period. He was the only Lower Lake player to score in double figures. Wickard and Ian Stiles finished with eight points apiece while Mauricio Jauregui had seven.
Tomales 78
Upper Lake 65
At Upper Lake, Jon Sparks and Pancho Flores scored 20 points apiece but the Upper Lake Cougars fell to the Tomales Braves in NCL II action.
“We played the best we’ve played all season,” Upper Lake coach Justin Dutcher said.
The difference in the game was a 26-9 third quarter by Tomales.
Upper Lake is 0-8 in league and 0-18 overall.
