UPPER LAKE — Playing a team they needed to beat even minus their starting five, the Upper Lake Cougars remained in contention for the North Central League II varsity boys basketball championship by rallying for a 46-45 victory over the Tomales Braves on Tuesday night in Upper Lake.
Upper Lake’s starters were serving the second and final game of a suspension brought on by their participation in a men’s basketball league game last week, a violation of California Interscholastic Federation rules. Minus their starters against a solid Mendocino team on Saturday in non-league action at Upper Lake, the Cougars (5-1 league, 16-6 overall) never had a chance in a 54-27 loss. But facing a Tomales team that brought a 3-13 overall record into play Tuesday, it was a different story.
“We kept fighting and fighting,” said Upper Lake head coach Justin Dutcher, who will be relieved to get Kenny Hodges, Hank Nevarez, Ray Moran, Dylan Armstrong and Louis Avalos back on Thursday for a road game against Sonoma Academy. The Cougars are right back on the road to Santa Rosa on Friday to take on Roseland University Prep.
“This group just kept fighting back all night long. When Tomales hit five 3-pointers right off the bat in the third quarter, we could have hung our heads and rolled over, but we didn’t.”
What Upper Lake did was overcome a five-point deficit with two minutes remaining even though three of the Cougars’ players on the floor during those final minutes were junior varsity call-ups. Varsity reserve Dalton Slater, who finished with 12 points, knotted the score at 45-all with 31 seconds remaining when he pounded his way inside for a basket. After Tomales inbounded the ball and worked it down the floor, sophomore guard Diego Velasco – one of Upper Lake’s JV call-ups – came up with a huge steal and drew a foul on the play. With both teams in the double bonus by that point, Velasco had two free throws to give Upper Lake a lead.
“He missed the first one but hit the second,” Dutcher said.
Tomales had time enough to get off a shot but Upper Lake’s pressuring defense made sure it was an off-balance one as time expired.
“They got off a shot, but it wasn’t clean,” Dutcher said.
Velasco’s contributions to the win went well beyond his game-winning free throw and seven points overall, according to Dutcher.
“He did a great job on defense and rebounding,” Dutcher said.
Benat Love, a varsity reserve, led the Cougars with 13 points. Russ Gordon added six points.
The Cougars’ next two games against Sonoma Academy (6-0, 16-4) and Roseland University Prep (6-0, 15-4) are by far their biggest of the season. Roseland University Prep (6-0, 15-4) already owns a 67-58 win over Upper Lake, the Cougars’ lone league loss to date.
“We have to play the two best teams in our league on back-to-back nights. Hopefully they’ll use tonight’s game as motivation for the next couple of nights,” Dutcher added of both the Upper Lake players on the floor Tuesday and his five suspended starters who were rooting their teammates on from the stands.
“They (suspended starters) were pretty relieved we won this because now we still have a chance in league,” Dutcher added.
