RICHMOND >> A strong season by the Kelseyville High School varsity girls’ basketball team ended with a 73-18 loss to the No. 1-seeded Salesian Pride on Saturday night in the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs in Richmond.
“We’re just not used to that kind of intensity,” Kelseyville coach Jim Hale said of the pressure applied by Salesian’s defense. “It was like playing a WNBA team.”
Kelseyville, the North Central League I co-champion this season, finishes the 2015-16 campaign at 23-6. The Knights played their final four games without one of their top players, All-League junior guard Riley Goff, because of an ankle injury.
“The season was great and the kids came together and stuck together,” Hale said. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls.”
Kelseyville trailed the Pride 27-1 after one quarter and 46-9 at halftime. Carli Mendoca led the Knights with five points and Alma Perez had four.
Salesian advances to the semifinals on Wednesday against No. 4 seed Arcata at Contra Costa College.
Looking to next season, Hale said that with the exception of center Heidy Cano, the Knights return their entire starting lineup next.
“She’ll be tough to replace,” Hale said of Cano. “She took some great steps for us during the season.”
The Knights also had a winning junior varsity program this season, so Hale stands to have a much deeper bench in 2016-17.
Prior to losing to Salesian, Kelseyville beat Del Norte 50-45 in a first-round playoff game on Wednesday, giving the school its first win in a Division IV playoff game.
