LOWER LAKE >> Talk about your proverbial sports gut check.
Two days after giving the last-place St. Helena Saints their first league win of the season, the Lower Lake Trojans rallied with a big-time 94-83 victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves in a battle for first place atop the North Central League I varsity boys’ basketball standings on Thursday night at Lower Lake High School.
The win keeps Lower Lake (8-2 league, 12-9 overall) atop the league standings and, perhaps more importantly, in control of its own destiny as far as the league race is concerned. If the Trojans win their final four games against Kelseyville, Willits, Cloverdale and Clear Lake, they are guaranteed of a league championship, which would be their first in more than a decade.
“It’s one of many that we have ahead of us,” Lower Lake coach Shannon Tubbs said of the challenges that still await the Trojans, beginning with today’s home game against Kelseyville (7-3).
Since starting the season 6-0, the Timberwolves (7-3) have dropped three of four.
The Trojans, winners of six of their last seven, didn’t have much time to regroup after a disastrous 83-52 loss on Tuesday in St. Helena to a Saints team that entered play 0-8. Lower Lake played that game without two of its starters for disciplinary reasons.
Tubbs said the Trojans did a bit of soul searching during a Wednesday practice and the results were clearly evident during the win over the Timberwolves, who handed Lower Lake a 78-66 loss on Jan. 12 in Fort Bragg.
Hokulani Wickard, a sophomore, played his best game of the season and scored a team-leading 28 points.
“Hokulani had the game we’ve been waiting for him to have all seaosn,” Tubbs said. “He was hitting shots inside and outside. He dominated the game.”
Marlon Jones (15 points), Jordan McGrath (13 points), Jerod Alexander (13 points) and Ethan Watson (11 points) joined teammate Wickard in double digits.
Lower Lake took a 69-61 lead into the fourth quarter. The two teams combined for 62 points in the second quarter.
Lucas Triplett led the Timberwolves with 36 points.
