LAKEPORT >> So much for the homecourt advantage. After dropping a 59-58 heart-breaker at home to the Clear Lake Cardinals last month, the Lower Lake Trojans repaid the favor on Friday night, and with interest, winning 65-48 in North Central League I varsity girls basketball action at Lakeport.
The loss knocks Clear Lake (8-2 league, 17-4 overall) out of a first-place tie with the Cloverdale Eagles, who beat Fort Bragg 60-41 to improve to 9-1. Clear Lake’s only other league loss is to the Eagles, who they play again Feb. 13 in Lakeport.
“We ran some new sets to try and free things up (on offense),” Lower Lake coach Dave Milano said. “We ran a lot of screens.”
As a result, Lower Lake connected on a baker’s dozen worth of 3-pointers. Aleia Milano had six of those and a team-leading 25 points overall while Vanessa Hughes added 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Samantha Caires also came up big for the Trojans with 11 points and a team-best 12 assists.
“She (Caires) had a great game,” Milano said. “She got into the paint and caused them a little issue.”
“They didn’t miss anything,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said. “They came out a lot more intense than us, they were ready to play and we were flat. You have to give credit where credit is due and they were the better team tonight.”
Lower Lake (6-4, 15-6) outscored Clear Lake in every quarter and led 31-19 at halftime and 49-34 through three quarters.
Camille Donald’s 14 points paced the Cardinals and Corin Alakszay and Kortnie Reynolds added 10 points apiece. Clear Lake finished with four 3-pointers.
Milano increased her career point total to 1,657. She needs 16 more to break Vince Alderman’s school record of 1,672, a mark that has stood since the 2002-03 season.
Lower Lake also won the junior varsity game, 35-33.
In other girls action Friday:
Kelseyville 58, Middletown 22
At Kelseyville, there was no post-Cloverdale letdown for the Kelseyville Knights as they handled the Middletown Mustangs to improve to 7-3 in the league standings and 16-6 overall.
After handing Cloverdale its first league loss on Tuesday, the Knights jumped all over Middletown in the first quarter while building a 19-5 lead. They increased that margin to 30-6 by halftime.
“The girls came out really fast and we relied on our defense from there,” Kelseyville coach Jim Hale said.
Grace Davidson and Payton Conrad led the Knights with 12 points apiece. Conrad also had seven assists and three steals while Davidson finished with 12 rebounds and four steals.
“Those two were all over the floor,” Hale said.
Hanna Morris scored five points to lead the Mustangs (3-7, 10-12).
In JV action, Sophie Kucer scored eight points and Giana Tyrrell added seven as Middletown defeated Kelseyville 36-28. Olivia Kucer and Emily Young had four points apiece for the Mustangs.
RVC 48, Upper Lake 21
At Santa Rosa, minus their leading scorer on the season, the Upper Lake Cougars fell to the Rincon Valley Christian Eagles in NCL II action
Senior center Brenna Sanchez missed the game so that she could prepare for the Academic Decathlon super quiz scheduled for Saturday in Upper Lake. Sanchez is a member of Upper Lake’s Academic Decathlon team, which is the defending Lake County champion.
“That definitely changes us,” Upper Lake co-coach Mike Smith said of a Cougars lineup sans Sanchez. “We were looking at is as a snap shot for next year (when Sanchez will no longer be with the team).”
Sophomore Kaila Willard led Upper Lake (4-7, 10-11) with eight points and Katlyn Minnis had four.
“I was very happy with Kaila’s play,” Smith said. “She was aggressive. It was probably her best game.”
Willard also had Upper Lake’s lone 3-pointer.
Rincon Valley Christian led 12-0 after one quarter and 30-4 at halftime.
The Eagles also won the JV game. The final score wasn’t reported.
