UPPER LAKE – Thirty-five points later, Natalie Karlsson is now fourth on the list of Lake County’s all-time scoring leaders.
Karlsson, a senior guard for the Upper Lake High School varsity girls basketball team, vaulted over three other players on the career scoring list Thursday night as the Cougars took care of business with a 63-31 North Central League II victory over the visiting Tomales Braves.
Karlsson’s stats line was among the best of her career as she also had 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks.
“She had nine points in the first quarter to really establish us,” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said.
Upper Lake led 16-7 after one quarter and 33-12 against a Braves team that put up a much better fight on Dec. 17 during a 55-46 non-league loss to the Cougars at Tomales.
“They looked flat,” Smith said. “Their coach said the same.”
And then Karlsson flattened the Braves just to be sure. She now has 1,486 points. Only Upper Lake’s Laura Wilder (1,897), Kelseyville’s Scott Conrad (1,717) and Lower Lake’s Vince Alderman (1,672) have scored more in the history of Lake County basketball. Upper Lake (1-1 league, 8-7 overall) still has 11 games remaining on its regular-season schedule and any playoff games that follow. Averaging better than 25 points a game, Karlsson is on a pace to finish the regular season in the neighborhood of 1,800 points.
While Karlsson was moving on up in terms of career points, two other Cougars turned in solid performances on Thursday, according to Smith.
“K.J. And Isabel are playing strong,” Smith said of Kejhana Taylor (eight points) and Isabel Rorabaugh (seven points).
Brenna Sanchez added five points and 12 rebounds.
Karlsson had all of the Cougars’ 3-pointers with three.
Upper Lake’s varsity teams played Roseland Collegiate Prep at home on Friday. Upper Lake hosts Sonoma Academy in a four-game set on Tuesday beginning with the junior varsity girls at 3:30 p.m.
In JV action Thursday, Upper Lake beat Tomales 51-34 behind 17 points from Cheyanne Obedoza.
