UKIAH >> Strong play by Annabel Pyzer down the stretch helped the Middletown High School junior varsity girls basketball team beat Fort Bragg 45-39 in the opening round of the Ukiah JV Tournament on Friday evening in Ukiah.
Middletown (5-1) plays two more games in the four-team, round-robin tournament on Saturday, beginning with Willits at 11 a.m. and followed by Ukiah at 2:15 p.m.
“We were kind of beat up from last night’s game,” Middletown coach Andy Brown said of a 37-32 non-league win over Casa Grande on Thursday night at Middletown. “They (Timberwolves) were killing us on the boards in the first half. We put it together in the second half and our sophomores stepped up.”
Pyzer’s rebounding and inside scoring were key to Middletown’s victory, according to Brown. Brianna Alves, who finished the game with seven points, also hit a key free throw in the final seconds that gave the Mustangs some breathing room.
“It was closer there at the end than the final score shows,” Brown said.
Sophie Kucer added 10 points in the win.
