FORT BRAGG >> Coming of a big win at home on Friday night against Middletown, the Lower Lake Trojans let that momentum slip away on Tuesday as they made the long drive to Fort Bragg to take on the Timberwolves in North Central League I varsity boys’ basketball action.
Fort Bragg won 61-54, only its second win in seven league games this season. Lower Lake fell to 3-4 and 8-10.
“They had a lot of energy and they got more rebounds and loose balls than we did,” Lower Lake coach Tim Biasotti said. “And I think they missed only one free throw all night. The better team definitely won tonight.”
The game was close throughout. Fort Bragg led 18-15 after one quarter, 31-26 at halftime and 42-37 entering the final period.
“They led the whole game pretty much,” Biasotti said of the Timberwolves, who moved out of the league cellar with the victory.
Lower Lake plays a non-league game tonight in Potter Valley.
In other boys’ action Tuesday:
Willits 54
Middletown 36
At Willits, the Middletown Mustangs fell three games off the pace in the NCL I race after falling to two-time defending champion Willits.
While the Mustangs (3-4, 11-6) played a competitive first half with the Wolverines and trailed only 26-21 at the half, Willits began to find the range from the field in the third quarter, outscoring Middletown 17-6 in the period.
“Willits had 10 3-pointers,” Middletown coach G.J. Rockwell said. “We played really steady in the first half but we just didn’t have the ability to stay with them in the second half.”
Dimitri Betts powered the Wolverines with 23 points and Anthony Sorace added 14.
“That’s what killed us,” Rockwell said of Sorace’s big night. “I think he was averaging like four points a game.”
Anthonie Guzman’s 11 points paced the Mustangs and Cody Chorjel had eight.
Cloverdale 55
Clear Lake 38
At Cloverdale, the Clear Lake Cardinals’ bid for a second straight league win came up short as the Cloverdale Eagles (6-1) prevailed to stay even with Willits atop the league standings.
Locked in a tight game with the league-leading Eagles after three quarters — Clear Lake trailed 40-38 — the Cardinals went ice-cold from the field and didn’t score a single point in the period.
“Cloverdale just turned up the defensive pressure in the second half,” Clear Lake coach Scott De Leon said. “We had good looks, we just ran out of gas.”
Clear Lake (1-6, 6-13) led 31-26 at halftime but ended up scoring just seven second-half points.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a team not score a point in the fourth quarter,” De Leon said.
Jared Strate’s 17 points paced the Cardinals while Damian Lopez added seven.
St. Vincent 65
Upper Lake 24
At Upper Lake, the Upper Lake Cougars fell to 0-7 in the NCL II standings after falling to the St. Vincent Mustangs in NCL II play.
Pancho Flores scored nine points for the Cougars, now 0-17 overall.
“They were just flat out stronger, bigger and faster than we were,” Upper Lake coach Justin Dutcher said.
St. Vincent led 43-8 at halftime.
Girls
Kelseyville 61
St. Helena 35
At St. Helena, the Kelseyville Knights improved to 5-2 in the NCL I standings and 11-7 overall with an easy victory over the winless St. Helena Saints (0-7).
Riley Goff overpowerd the Saints with 25 first-half points and 32 overall. She scored 17 of Kelseyville’s 19 points in the first quarter. Four of the sophomore’s five 3-pointers came in the first half.
“She played really well,” Kelseyville coach Jim Hale said. “She got it going early.”
Goff’s double-double performance also included 11 rebounds.
Taylor Hale added eight points and Alma Perez had seven for the Knights.
“We’re kind of battling some illness right now. It’s always good to go on the road and get a win,” Hale said.
Kelseyville trails Middletown (6-1) by a game in the league standings.
Clear Lake 49
Cloverdale 46
At Lakeport, in a battle of two teams tied for second place in the NCL I standings entering play, the Clear Lake Cardinals prevailed to remain a game back of league leader Middletown (6-1).
Taylor Helms scored six of her seven points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left that put Clear Lake ahead to stay at 44-42.
“She also hit three of four free throws there at the end that were big,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said.
Aliza Atkins led the Cardinals (5-2, 10-9) with 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Courtney Hiatt added seven points.
Clear Lake’s defense held Cloverdale scoreless until the final minute of the second quarter when Ale Perez scored all six of the Eagles points on a pair of 3-pointers. The Cardinals led 24-19 at halftime but the Eagles battled back to tie it at 38 after three quarters.
“The girls are really focused right now and not turning the ball over,” Reynolds said. “They are making better decisions with the basketball.”
Most of all, according to Reynolds, the Cardinals are simply playing good team basketball.
“They are playing together so well,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Lower Lake 56
Fort Bragg 51
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans snapped a five-game league losing streak with a victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
Lower Lake (2-5, 8-11) won its league opener against St. Helena on Jan. 6 but had dropped five straights since then.
“The girls fought hard and played good team basketball,” Lower Lake assistant coach Dave Milano said. “(Ashlynn) Mock hit some clutch free throws down the stretch.”
Mock led the Trojans with 13 points while Vanessa John added 10 and Jolean Scarborough eight.
“We played unselfishly and just worked together,” Milano said.
The team dedicated its win to head coach Jim Salmina, who is out for the season with a back injury.
Upper Lake 71
St. Vincent 48
At Upper Lake, the Upper Lake Cougars completed the first half of their NCL II schedule with a solid victory over the St. Vincent Mustangs.
Upper Lake (6-1, 16-3) trails Sonoma Academy (7-0) by one game at the midway point of the league race. Those two teams meet Feb. 6 at Upper Lake for a second and final time. The Coyotes won the initial meeting 66-54 on Jan. 13 in Santa Rosa.
Minus center Jojo Augustine, who missed the game because of illness, coach Mike Smith said he was looking for other players to step and fill the void on offense and defense. They did. Skylar Orozco led the team with 26 points, including six 3-pointers. On the defensive end, Autum Martinez and Teya Hernandez combined for six blocked shots and 14 points.
Upper Lake led 38-15 at the half and never looked back. Orozco sank five of her treys in the first half.
“Our intensity and her shooting definitely got us going,” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said.
Natalie Karlsson added 16 points in the win and LaShaye Taylor had 15.
