LAKEPORT >> The last undefeated team in the North Central League I varsity girls basketball race is no more. Clear Lake knocked the Lower Lake Trojans from the ranks of the unbeaten with a convincing 60-46 victory on Tuesday night in Lakeport, creating a virtual three-way tie for first place atop the league standings.
Kelseyville and Lower Lake are both 6-1 to Clear Lake’s 5-1. The Cardinals still have two more games this week as they host Cloverdale on Friday and travel to St. Helena on Saturday. The St. Helena game was rescheduled from Jan. 10 when a major storm blew through the area and forced a postponement.
“It was a nice team win, we were very focused but not over-stimulated like when we played Kelseyville (a 51-34 loss on Jan. 17 in Lakeport),” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said.
“Their coach (Lower Lake’s Dave Milano) is very good about changing things up but we adjusted to every situation. Our girls countered them every step of the way,” Reynolds added.
Clear Lake jumped out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back, according to Reynolds. It was 13-9 after one quarter, 25-22 at halftime and 42-37 after three quarters.
Valerie Hutton’s play on offense and defense figured prominently in the win. She led the Cardinals with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, and helped stop Lower Lake’s chief scoring threat, Aleia Milano, who had only 13 points.
“Hutton guarded Milano most of the night,” Reynolds said.
The Clear Lake defense also clamped down on Lower Lake’s other big scoring threat, Vanessa Hughes, who finished with eight points.
Kortnie Reynolds and Camille Donald joined teammate Hutton in double figures with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Katelyn Farrell had 12 points for the Trojans, who had a 10-game winning streak snapped and are now 13-6 overall. Jolean Scarborough added nine points.
Kiana Richardson finished with 16 rebounds for Clear Lake. Hutton sank six of eight free throws down the stretch to keep the Cardinals comfortably in front.
Lower Lake opens the second half of its league schedule Friday night in Middletown.
