MIDDLETOWN >> In the end, the Middletown Mustangs simply had no answer for Fort Bragg High School senior forward Lucas Triplett.
Held to four points in the first half by the Middletown defense, Triplett erupted for 21 points in the second half to power the Timberwolves to a 56-43 victory over the Mustangs in a North Central League I varsity boys basketball game on Tuesday in Middletown.
“He was like, ‘Stop me, I’m going to the rim,’” and we couldn’t stop him,” Middletown coach G.J. Rockwell said of Triplett, a multi-sport athlete who as a quarterback led Fort Bragg to the North Coast Section Division V championship game in football in 2016.
Middletown (2-3 league) entered the fourth quarter trailing only 37-35. Triplett made all the difference not only down the stretch, but over the final two quarters, according to Rockwell.
“He scored all eight of their points in the third quarter and had 13 of their 19 in the fourth quarter,” Rockwell said. “We played as hard as hell the whole time but we just didn’t have an answer for him.”
Burned in the first half by six Fort Bragg 3-pointers, Middletown opened the second half in a man-to-man defense. While the Mustangs were able to take away the Timberwolves’ outside shooting game, the switch created some opportunities for Triplett and company inside.
“They were able to get penetration,” Rockwell said.
Middletown eventually moved back to a zone defense in an attempt to limit the damage Triplett was doing inside, but with not much success.
The two teams played a fairly even first three quarters. Middletown led 18-17 after one quarter but Fort Bragg had the lead by halftime at 29-24.
Thomas Cook led the Mustangs with 15 points, including all three of the Mustangs’ 3-pointers. Trevor LaFave added nine points, Beckett Hoage had seven and Ricardo Chaires six.
In a game played last Friday, the Mustangs bounced back from a 79-39 road loss to Cloverdale by stunning the St. Helena Saints 46-44 at St. Helena. It was the first league loss for the tall Saints squad.
Middletown made the game closer than it had to be at the end, according to Rockwell.
“We had two chances to put the game away at the free-throw line in the last 30 seconds but missed all four of our free throws,” Rockwell said.
Luke Holt and Cook finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively, to lift Middletown. Hoage added nine more.
A big factor in the win, according to Rockwell, was the rebounding of Chaires.
“He was ruthless getting those rebounds,” Rockwell said. “He was cleaning the boards for us (13 rebounds in all). Obviously Cook and Holt stepped up big time shooting the ball.”
The two teams were never separated by much in terms of the scoreboard.
“It was a two- to four-point game almost the entire way,” Rockwell said.
Middletown travels to Kelseyville (4-1) on Friday.
