KELSEYVILLE >> Their timing isn’t quite there yet on offense, but there is no problem with the Kelseyville High School defense right now.
“Defensively we’re not behind,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said of the Knights’ 64-45 victory over archrival Clear Lake on Saturday night in the championship game of the 45th annual Stokes Invitational Basketball Tournament at Kelseyville High School. “We have a good defensive foundation in our program. We played at a high level defensively.”
Conrad has had his full squad on the floor for just a little more than a week because of Kelseyville’s participation in the North Coast Section football playoffs. Heading into the Clear Lake game, he wasn’t sure how much that late start for many of his players would affect the team’s performance against the Cardinals. As things turned out, not much.
“One thing that helped is that my ballhandlers and my shooters are not behind,” Conrad said of such players as Kyle Ellis, Randy Pfann and Trey Conrad, who have been with the team since the first day of practice.
Ellis, a four-year varsity veteran, led the Knights (4-0) with 21 points, including three 3-pointers. Pfann added 12 points, all on 3-pointers, and Conrad finished with seven points. Ellis was named tournament MVP and Conrad earned All-Tourney honors. Ean Valenzuela added nine points.
Kelseyville had a 38-23 lead at the half. Clear Lake opened the third quarter with a mini-run, but the Knights immediately answered and then lengthened their lead, which was 57-34 entering the final period.
“We really established ourselves in that third quarter,” Conrad said. “We really put the clamps on them defensively.”
Kelseyville has won its own tournament two years in a row, both times at Clear Lake’s expense in the championship game.
Max De Leon’s 17 points paced the Cardinals, who have dropped five straight and seven of their eight to the Knights. Tanner Hutton added 14 points and Austin Davis finished with seven. De Leon and Ryan Damiata were named to the All-Tourney team.
Both teams return to action Thursday. Clear Lake (2-2) plays in the first round of the John McMillan Holiday Invitational in Cloverdale while Kelseyville (4-0) faces Aspire Langston Hughes Academy in the first round of the Stevenson Tournament in Monterey.
In other Stokes action Saturday:
Upper Lake 58, Tech 43
The Upper Lake Cougars (1-3) notched their first win of the season while knocking off Technology of Rohnert Park in the seventh-place game.
Both teams were minus players who were busy taking the SAT.
Upper Lake dominated the first two quarters and had a 37-18 lead by halftime.
“We came out pretty strong and they couldn’t keep up,” Upper Lake coach Justin Dutcher said.
Derek Pritchard’s 15 points paced the Cougars, who faced larger schools Kelseyville, Rancho Cotate and Sonoma Valley in their first three games. Isaiah Garcia added 12 points and Kenneth Hodges had seven.
Upper Lake returns to action Wednesday against Round Valley in the Potter Valley Tournament. Tip-off is 5 p.m.
