KELSEYVILLE >> Holiday shopping for basketball coaches isn’t easy.
Kelseyville’s Scott Conrad, who coaches what some folks would call the most gifted team in the 23rd annual Record-Bee Classic going on now at Kelseyville High School, would be satisfied with a second straight Classic championship. And the way Conrad’s charges dispatched Middletown at the Kelseyville gym on Friday night — 61-45 — they’re headed in the right direction.
Middletown coach G.J. Rockwell has a more complex order. He wants three-point free throws because that’s about the only thing that would keep the Mustangs in a game like the one they played on Friday. To contend they need to play exceptional defense as well, according to Rockwell.
“Or maybe we could trade turnovers for free throws,” he said wryly. The Knights built a 20-point deficit (60-40) with 2:18 left in the game. Rockwell complained about not having a consistent shooter and scorer, but to borrow from Grantland Rice, a sports writer from another era, no one great scorer has come to call.
Trevor LaFave did his best to fill the order with his second 20-point game of the tournament. Luke Holt added another 13 points.
“That kid is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” Conrad said of Middletown’s LaFave.
Although Conrad, like so many other coaches, won’t speculate on any game beyond the next opponent, said he expects Clear Lake to give the Knights all they could want tonight in the final game of the tournament considering they are still in the running for the Hoop Classic championship.
“We expect a buzz saw tomorrow,” said Conrad. “(but) we didn’t want to look past Middletown. “They played really hard and we we know that Clear Lake is going to come out and give it their best shot tomorrow.”
The Knights were led by all-round athlete Kyle Ellis’ 16 points. Of the nine games Kelseyville has played while running up a 7-2 record, Ellis has been the high-point player in seven.
The Knights set an early pace by going up by 11 points (32-21) before the half.
Clear Lake 65, Lower Lake 41
The third quarter hasn’t been kind to the Lower Lake Trojans through the first two rounds of the 23rd annual Record-Bee Hoop Classic and that point was hammered home Friday against Clear Lake.
Lower Lake held a hard-fought 28-27 halftime advantage before the Cardinals hit the gas pedal in the third quarter and left the Trojans in the rear view mirror.
Clear Lake outscored Lower Lake 21-9 in the period and two Cardinals did all of their scoring. Senior guard Max De Leon, held to just four points on Thursday in a 54-52 overtime loss to Middletown, connected for 11 points on four field goals, three of them 3-pointers, while junior guard Tanner Hutton added 10 points, including two more 3-pointers. Both players finished with 21 points.
Lower Lake managed just four points in the fourth quarter and only one field goal. Clear Lake closed the game with a 13-0 run.
Hokulani Wickard’s 11 points led the Trojans, who are now 0-2 in tournament action. They host Middletown (1-1) in the early varsity game. Clear Lake (1-1) draws Kelseyville (2-0) tonight in the late game.
Ethan Watson and Jordan McGrath had eight points apiece for Lower Lake. Austin Davis, Lucas Stahr and T.J. Marcks finished with six each for Clear Lake.
