SANTA ROSA >> Onward and upward for one Natalie Karlsson, senior guard for the Upper Lake High School varsity girls basketball team.
Karlsson took over second place on Lake County’s list of career scoring leaders on Saturday night as the Upper Lake Cougars pounded the Elsie Allen Lobos 49-34 in a non-league game in Santa Rosa. Karlsson’s 38 points give her 1,738 and move her past Scott Conrad (1,717) of Kelseyville on the all-time list of scoring leaders. Only Upper Lake’s Laura Wilder (1990-94) has more with 1,897.
“We didn’t have a lot of natural scorers the last two seasons and she filled that role well,” Upper Lake coach Mike Smith said of Karlsson’s junior and senior years.
Karlsson and the Cougars (7-5 league, 14-11 overall) close out their league schedule at home tonight against Roseland University Prep. After that, they’ll apply for an at-large berth in the North Coast Section Division V playoffs and if they are successful in securing an at-large berth, Karlsson’s and the Cougars’ season will continue for at least one more game.
Smith believes a win tonight against Roseland University Prep may be needed for the Cougars to reach the postseason. Otherwise it could be their last game and Karlsson’s career finale.
“It would be hard to think at 15-11 we would be out of the playoffs,” Smith said of a scenario where the Cougars beat Roseland, a team they lost to 35-34 on Jan. 20 in Santa Rosa after blowing a late 10-point lead, and fail to qualify for the postseason. “At 14-12 it’s not a sure thing.”
Upper Lake has played well at home against Roseland University in past seasons, according to Smith.
“I feel good,” Smith said. “It’s senior night and the girls remember what happened to us when we played down there. They want revenge.”
Upper Lake jumped on Elsie Allen early and led 17-2 after one quarter.
Game notes: Smith was teammates with Conrad for two seasons at Kelseyville. According to Smith, the two combined for 1,817 career points … Conrad is now the varsity boys basketball coach and athletic director at Kelseyville. Smith is the athletic director at Upper Lake.
