KELSEYVILLE >> The Kelseyville Knights used a 29-point fourth quarter to pull away from and beat the Middletown Mustangs 70-56 in North Central League I varsity boys’ basketball action on Friday night in Kelseyville.
Middletown (1-12, league, 5-18 overall) just missed a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter that would closed the gap to one point. It proved to be the Mustangs’ final gasp as the Knights began to open things up in the closing minutes.
“Our kids tightened up the defense a little bit and we started to get the loose balls,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said. “We finished strong.”
Kelseyville improved to 9-4 in league and 19-6 overall behind 25 points and five 3-pointers from junior guard Kyle Ellis, who is now just 13 points away from the 1,000 mark for his career.
“We were struggling in the second quarter and he saved us,” Conrad said of Ellis, who scored 14 of the team’s 17 points in the period, including four 3-pointers.
“The way he was shooting I didn’t want the half to end,” Conrad said.
While up 33-22 at the half, Middletown closed to 41-36 by the end of the third quarter.
“They played really well and beat us to loose balls a lot,” Conrad said.
Senior guard Nick Pfann added 21 points and seven assists in what is likely his final home game for the Knights, who finish up their league schedule Tuesday in St. Helena.
“He really had a good game,” Conrad said of Pfann, who also had five 3-pointers in the win.
Trey Conrad finished with 11 points and Hunter Beatty had eight.
Sam Pyzer led the Mustangs with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Jake Rivera finished with 13 points, seven of those in the third quarter before he had to retire to the bench with four fouls.
“He played really well in that quarter,” Middletown coach G.J. Rockwell said.
Rivera eventually fouled out early in the fourth quarter.
“That kind of hurt us a little bit,” Rockwell said.
