CALISTOGA >> The Upper Lake Cougars finished their second week of North Central League II play with another victory, smacking the Calistoga Wildcats 65-36 in varsity girls’ basketball action at Calistoga.
Natalie Karlsson, who entered play averaging nearly 30 points a game in league competition, scored a team-leading 25 against the Wildcats as Upper Lake (4-0 league, 9-7overall) won its fifth in a row. Karlsson might have reached 30 points for the third time in her last four games had not she missed most of the second quarter with a bloody nose.
“She took an elbow in the nose from her own teammate (Brenna Sanchez),” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said. “She popped it pretty good. Brenna felt horrible about it.”
Karlsson scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Cougars went up 20-10 and never looked back. The junior guard now has 919 points for her career.
Kejhana Taylor finished with 13 points despite playing sick and Kayla Nevarez added 10 to the Upper Lake cause. Isabel Rorabaugh took over at the point when Karlsson left the game and had four assists.
The Cougars had just seven players in uniform because of injury and illness. It would have been six had not Taylor “gutted it out,” according to Smith.
“She had best game,” Smith said. “She definitely was a major factor.”
Taylor also had six rebounds as did Dakota Fugate.
Upper Lake won the junior varsity game 46-19 behind 20 points from Julia Mooney.
