MIDDLETOWN >> With a startling lineup loaded with veterans, the Clear Lake Cardinals finally reached the promised land of a North Central League I varsity girls basketball championship on Thursday night with a 59-26 victory over the Middletown Mustangs in the league and regular-season finale for both teams at Middletown High School.
Clear Lake (12-2 league, 21-4 overall) moves on to next week’s North Coast Section Division V playoffs as the league’s co-champion and automatic playoff representative. Co-champion Cloverdale (12-2, 19-6) is sure to receive an at-large berth, and both Clear Lake and Cloverdale should end up seeded high in the 16-team field, one that will be released by the section office on Sunday.
“We could be anywhere from two to five,” Clear Lake coach Kory Reynolds said when asked about where the Cardinals will be slotted in the Division V bracket.
Coming off a big and emotional home win over Cloverdale on Tuesday, the Cardinals had a rough time in the early going against Middletown (4-10, 11-15). Clear Lake led just 6-5 after the opening period but began to find its stride early in the second quarter.
“We seemed a little sluggish and had a little bit of nerves,” Reynolds said. “Then we started finding out groove.”
While outscoring Middletown 22-9 in the second quarter, Kortnie Reynolds scored 11 of her team-leading 21 points and Kiana Richardson had five of her 11.
The Cardinals put the game away with a 21-2 third quarter.
Valerie Hutton joined Reynolds and Richardson in double figures with 18 points, including three 3-pointers.
“She had a great game tonight (scoring) and she needed it,” Reynolds said.
Hanna Morris finished with a team-high seven points for Middletown.
The Mustangs do return seven of their 10 players next season and should get a boost from their talented junior varsity squad.
In the JV game earlier Thursday, Middletown capped an 11-3 league run by pulling away late to rout the Clear Lake Cardinals 52-31.
It was still a close game midway through the third quarter when Alle Vierra came off the Middletown bench to score six quick points, all on 3-pointers.
“That gave us some breathing room,” Middletown coach Andy Brown said. “The team we were tonight is the team we’ve been all season minus a couple of slip-ups.”
Sophie Kucer’s 18 points and six steals powered the Mustangs. Brianna Alves added nine points and Vierra finished with seven.
Middletown closes the season 18-8 overall.
