KELSEYVILLE >> They might be running out of players, but they’re scoring points like there’s no tomorrow.
The Kelseyville Knights beat the Upper Lake Cougars 88-24 on Friday in the winner’s semifinal round of the Stokes Tournament at Kelseyville High School and will meet Piedmont for the tournament title Saturday at 6 p.m.
Kelseyville (9-1) suited up eight players against Upper Lake but finished the game with only six after Kat Brown sustained a possible concussion early in the second quarter and Linda Baqleh fouled out in the third quarter. While that was a bad break for the Knights, it also didn’t help the Cougars’ cause because those six remaining Kelseyville players, five starters and a reserve, were red-hot from the field and coach Jim Hale had no one to replace them with late in the game.
“It was the perfect storm,” said Upper Lake coach Mike Smith, a Kelseyville graduate. “They’re going to be just fine this season.”
“We shot the ball pretty well,” Hale said. “The girls are unselfish to a fault and were making the extra pass to the open player. I thought they played real well.”
Kelseyville scored 77 points in the first three quarters alone, including a 33-point third quarter.
“They couldn’t miss,” Smith said.
Kelseyville guard Payton Conrad just missed a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists and nine steals. Tymeka Green added 14 points, Bib Hamner finished with 13 and Grace Davidson had 10.
“Their posts are a different type of post than they had in the past,” Smith said. “Last year they were more long and lean. This year they’re strong and physical. And they have quick guards who can shoot the ball.”
The solid play of Upper Lake center Brenna Sanchez in the paint may have aided the Knights in a way, according to Hale.
“She’s very good at protecting the rim,” Hale said. “It was hard to get the ball inside against her, so we shot more from the outside and we were hitting those shots.”
The Knights found the range on a dozen 3-point field goals after sinking 10 a day earlier in a 76-16 win over Calistoga. Conrad and Green had four treys apiece.
Upper Lake (6-3) draws Healdsburg in the third-place game Saturday at 3 p.m.
In other Stokes girls action Friday, Del Norte beat Foresthill 86-15 while Calistoga defeated Round Valley 48-19 in consolation semifinal games, and Piedmont knocked off Healdsburg 62-30 in a winner’s semifinal contest.
