LAKEPORT >> The Lower Lake Trojans are 6-1 at the midway point of the 2016 North Central League I varsity boys’ basketball race after defeating the Clear Lake Cardinals 78-73 on Tuesday in Lakeport.
Now the only question is where the Trojans will rest in the NCL I standings after tonight’s game between Cloverdale (4-2) and Fort Bragg (6-0) in Fort Bragg. If Cloverdale wins, Lower Lake and Fort Bragg will be tied for the lead. Either way the Trojans are enjoying their best start in league play since they ran the table with a 12-0 mark in 2004 under former longtime coach Marty Udy.
“They hit a couple of big shots at the end and we weren’t able to convert, that was the difference in the game,” Clear Lake coach Scott De Leon said.
Clear Lake (3-4 league, 11-8 overall) rallied from a double-digit deficit to tie the game at 67 with two minutes remaining. Lower Lake broke the tie on back-to-back 3-pointers from Garrett Chernoh and Ethan Watson, who led the Trojans in scoring with 19 and 16 points respectively. The two combined for nine treys on the night.
“We came down and got the shots we wanted, but we didn’t hit them,” De Leon said.
Lower Lake landed five players in double figures while also finishing with 11 3-point field goals. Hokulani Wickard finished with 14 points, Marlon Jones added 11 and Jerod Alexander had 10.
“Jerod Alexander changes a lot of shots,” De Leon said of the Lower Lake center. “He makes you do things you don’t want to do and you don’t get a lot of putbacks against him.”
Ryan Damiata’s 22 points led the Cardinals, Stevie Diaz added 18 and Tanner Hutton had 16.
“We really bounced back strong in the second half, so I was happy about that,” De Leon said.
Lower Lake led 39-29 at the half.
Tyler Dore pulled down nine offensive rebounds for the Cardinals to help keep them close during the game. He also had four points.
The Trojans, winners of four straight in league play, are 10-7 overall.
Lower Lake also beat Clear Lake in the junior varsity game 43-38.
