KENTFIELD >> The Lower Lake Trojans reached their goal of winning a league title and qualifying for the North Coast Section basketball playoffs in 2016-17. They also just missed winning 20 games, settling for a 19-9 mark after falling 76-65 to Marin Catholic on Wednesday night in a first-round Division IV girls game at Kentfield.
Aleia Milano scored 21 points and Vanessa Hughes added another 18 but the 12th-seeded Trojans coudln’t overtake the fifth-seeded Wildcats (18-10) down the stretch. Marin Catholic moves on to the quarterfinals on Saturday and will play No. 4 seed St. Patrick/St. Vincent, a 67-33 winner over Willits in another first-round game Wednesday.
Marin Catholic led 19-13 after one quarter and 40-33 at halftime but Lower Lake never let the Wildcats out of its sights.
“They pretty much managed that seven-point lead the whole way,” Lower Lake head coach Dave Milano said. “We cut it down a couple of times but they would run it back up to eight or nine. Lower Lake got as close as three points in the third quarter before the Wildcats answered with a run to regain the initiative.
Marin Catholic, a team that did most of its scoring inside the paint this season, was forced to the outside by the Lower Lake defense but responded with 11 3-pointers.
“They did what we wanted them to do, shoot from the outside, but they stepped up and made some big shots,” Milano said.
Lower Lake’s coach said the Wildcats were cordial hosts and took the Trojans on a tour of their campus before game time.
“The most gracious, welcoming place we’ve ever gone to,” Milano said.
While the Trojans return a ton of offensive firepower next season in Milano and Hughes, they’ll have a hard time replacing seniors Jolean Scarborough, Claire Alderson and Alisha King, according to their coach.
“All they do is run through walls for you and don’t ask any questions,” Milano said of the three seniors. “Our juniors have some pretty big shoes to fill.”
Milano, a third-year varsity player, scored her 1,000th career point early this season and finishes the 2016-17 campaign with 1,145.
Lower Lake tied Kelseyville for the North Central League I championship this season with a 12-2 record. During one stretch the Trojans won 10 straight games.
“I’m happy with the progress we made this season,” Milano said.
