WILLITS >> The Willits Wolverines came along at the right time for the Lower Lake High School varsity boys basketball team, which posted its first North Central League I win of the season, 65-45, on Tuesday night in Willits.
Both teams entered play winless in the league standings — Willits at 0-4 and Lower Lake at 0-3.
“We were pretty consistent all game long on offense,” Lower Lake coach Shannon Tubbs said.
The Trojans led 19-8 after one quarter and 39-19 at halftime. Lower Lake watched a 23-point lead shrink to 12 early in the fourth quarter as Willits rallied against the Trojans’ reserves, forcing Tubbs to put his starters back on the floor.
“We got it back up to 20 when the starters returned,” Tubbs said.
It might have been a costly win for the Trojans as senior guard Marlon Jones rolled his ankle and had to leave the game. He finished with eight points.
Ethan Watson led a balanced Lower Lake attack with 13 points. Hokulani Wickard added 12, Jordan McGrath had 10 and both Jones and Logan Carlson finished with eight apiece. Watson had three of the Trojans’ five 3-pointers.
Lower Lake was home Wednesday to play Fort Bragg in a game that was rescheduled from Jan. 10. The Trojans visit Cloverdale on Friday night.
Girls: Milano’s hot hand dooms Willits
Aleia Milano scored 22 points while Vanessa Hughes and Jolean Scarborough added 11 apiece on Tuesday night as the Lower Lake Trojans beat the visiting Willits Wolverines 49-36 to take over sole possession of first place atop the North Central League I varsity girls basketball standings.
It wasn’t a pretty game to watch in the first half as the Trojans, winners of eight in a row, took an 18-10 lead into the locker room.
“It was real choppy, ugly game in the first half,” Lower Lake coach Dave Milano said in describing play of both teams. “There was a lot of play in the middle of the court.”
Both teams picked up the pace in the third quarter as Lower Lake (4-0 league, 11-5 overall) outscored Willits 19-15 in the period.
“Both teams were feeling like they could win the game coming out of halftime and there was a lot of energy,” Milano said.
Scarborough finished her night with a double-double as she pulled down a team-best 12 rebounds. Milano had five assists.
Lower Lake also won the junior varsity game 40-34 behind 11 points from Shelby Sapeta, eight from Marnae Johnson and seven from Alicia Jones.
Lower Lake’s teams played Wednesday night in Fort Bragg, making up a game that was postponed on Jan. 10 when a major winter storm that hit the area. The Trojans return home Friday night to play Cloverdale.
