MIDDLETOWN >> Forgive the Kelseyville Knights if they’re feeling a bit greedy about this North Central League I title thing.
Kelseyville clinched no worse than a tie for the varsity boys basketball league championship with a 71-49 victory over the Middletown Mustangs on Friday night in Middletown and can win the undisputed title and end Cloverdale’s two-year reign as league champion with a victory tonight at home against the St. Helena Saints (6-7), who would like nothing better than to spoil the Knights’ party with an upset victory in the league finale for both teams.
If Kelseyville stumbles, the Cloverdale Eagles (11-2) could clinch a share of the title with a victory at Fort Bragg (6-7).
“The kids are pretty pumped up,” Kelseyville coach Scott Conrad said. “You can’t blame them. This is one time it’s OK to be greedy. They want to win the thing by themselves.”
The Mustangs (4-9 league, 10-15 overall) gave the Knights (12-1, 21-4) their best shot in the first quarter, opening up a 25-23 lead even though Kelseyville made its first four shots from the field, all 3-pointers.
“But we couldn’t get a stop on defense,” Conrad said. “We adjusted our defense and found a way to get some stops.”
The Knights had a 37-32 lead by halftime and a 54-43 lead after three quarters.
While Kyle Ellis (23 points), Randy Pfann (12 points) and Trey Conrad (11 points) led the Knights in the scoring column, Conrad said the play off the bench of Dwayne Yiggins, Adrian Villalobos and Kyle Ashworth was key to the victory.
“Yiggins came off the bench and played great,” Conrad said. “I had great contributions from all my bench guys.”
Trevor LaFave’s 13 points powered the Mustangs, Luke Holt had 10 and Beckett Hoage eight.
“I always enjoy playing against Kelseyville,” Middletown coach G.J. Rockwell said. “They’re a good team, well-coached and we have a lot of respect for them. My guys enjoy playing them. There’s no trash talking, just a lot of good basketball.”
In other boys’ action Friday:
Cloverdale 67,
Lower Lake 66
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans came close but the Cloverdale Eagles, even without big man Jayson McMillan in the lineup, found a way to pull out the victory and remain a game back of Kelseyville in the league standings.
“We didn’t really take advantage of their mistake the best we could,” Lower Lake coach Shannon Tubbs said. “It was there for us to win but we couldn’t do it.”
Lower Lake (6-7, 11-13) likely needs a win on the road tonight against Clear Lake (7-6) to qualify for the NCL I postseason tournament, which is open to the top four league finishers. The Trojans enter the game against Clear Lake tied with St. Helena and Fort Bragg for fourth place.
Lower Lake hit a two-point field goal with 32 seconds left to chop Cloverdale’s lead to one and the Eagles even obliged by missing the front end of a one-and-one with three seconds left, but the Trojans couldn’t take advantage.
Hokulani Wickard’s 29 points paced Lower Lake and Jordan McGrath added nine.
Clear Lake 78,
Willits 59
At Willits, Clear Lake moved into sole possession of third place in the league standings with a victory over a winless Willits club, but the Wolverines didn’t make things easy on the Cardinals (7-6, 12-13), who finally pulled away with a 20-8 fourth quarter.
“Give them a ton of credit,” Clear Lake coach Scott De Leon said of the Wolverines, now 0-13 in league play and 0-23 overall. “Their guys played with a lot of heart.”
Clear Lake used its height advantage inside and another big game from Ryan Damiata (25 points) to improve its chances of qualifying for the NCL I postseason tournament. If the Cardinals win tonight at home against Lower Lake, they’re in.
“We spent the whole game taking it to the hole,” De Leon said of the Cardinals’ aggressive inside play.
Center Lucas Stahr finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
Tanner Hutton and Austin Davis added 10 points apiece and Max De Leon had nine.
Sonoma Academy 67,
Upper Lake 40
At Santa Rosa, the Sonoma Academy Coyotes hammered Upper Lake in NCL II play, dropping the Cougars to 7-5 in league and 12-12 overall.
No other details were reported to the Record-Bee.
Girls basketball
Kelseyville 63,
Middletown 46
At Kelseyville, the Kelseyville Knights used a 21-11 second quarter to pull away from and beat the Middletown Mustangs in NCL I varsity girls action on Friday.
The victory moves Kelseyville to 11-2 in league play and 22-3 overall. If the Knights win at home tonight against the St. Helena Saints (0-13, 4-22), they’ll earn a share of the league title as will the winner of tonight’s game between Clear Lake (11-2) at Lower Lake (11-2). Kelseyville also secured a share of the title a year ago, tying Middletown.
Payton Conrad’s 20 points, including five 3-pointers, led the way and Alma Perez added 14 points with three 3-pointers.
Middletown had three players score in double figures led by Makenzi Smith with 16 points, Abby Aden with 13 and Katie Miinch with 10.
“They’re a solid team and they play the 2-3 zone really well,” Kelseyville coach Jim Hale said of the Mustangs (4-9, 7-18), who entered the season as two-time defending league champions.
Perez also had eight assists and four steals while Conrad added three assists and four steals.
Lower Lake 57,
Cloverdale 52
At Cloverdale, Vanessa Hughes hit a clutch 3-pointer in the final minutes to snap a 50-all tie and lift the Lower Lake Trojans to a huge road win against the Cloverdale Eagles, a victory that preserved Lower Lake’s share of the league lead.
Lower Lake (11-2, 18-7) needs a win tonight at home against Clear Lake (11-2, 18-7) to earn no worse than a league co-championship.
The Trojans had a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter before the Eagles came storming back to tie the game at 50-all on a Camryn Figueroa driving layup. However, Figueroa landed on the foot of a Lower Lake player and sprained her ankle, forcing her from the game.
Lower Lake took advantage as Hughes buried one of her two 3-pointers on the night to put the Trojans ahead to stay. She finished with 14 points. Caity Pesonen (10 points) hit another key shot down the stretch to keep Lower Lake in front.
Aleia Milano led the Trojans with 18 points.
Clear Lake 58,
Willits 48
At Lakeport, the Clear Lake Cardinals remained in a three-way tie with Kelseyville and Lower Lake for the league lead with a victory over the Willits Wolverines.
Kortnie Reynolds led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points, Valerie Hutton added 12 points, Corin Alakszay had nine and Camille Donald eight.
Clear Lake (11-2, 18-7) needs a win tonight at Lower Lake (11-2, 18-7) to clinch no worse than a league co-championship, its first in more than a decade.
“It’s nice to be in this position,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said. “It’s been awhile since we’ve been here. The girls are looking forward to it (Lower Lake game).”
Sonoma Academy 54,
Upper Lake 40
At Santa Rosa, Natalie Karlsson scored her 1,700th career point but the Upper Lake Cougars fell to the Sonoma Academy Coyotes in NCL II action.
Karlsson finished with 12 points to hit 1,700 on the nose. She is only the third Lake County player to reach that milestone, joining Upper Lake’s Laura Wilder (1,897) and Kelseyville’s Scott Conrad (1,717).
Brenna Sanchez led the Cougars with 14 points and Isabel Rorabaugh added six.
