LAKEPORT — Would the Cloverdale Eagles do what no other North Central League I team has done this season and beat the Clear Lake Cardinals, spoiling senior night in Lakeport?
The answer to that questions on Tuesday night was a resounding no.
While the Eagles were able to keep it interesting for a quarter, that was all they could do as the Cardinals rolled to a 73-57 victory that gives them no worse than a share of the league title, their first in more than a decade. It also sets the stage for Thursday when Clear Lake (13-0 league, 23-2 overall) shoots for a perfect league record at Middletown in the league finale for both teams. If the Cardinals win, they’re the undisputed league champions. If the Mustangs (12-1) prevail, the two teams will finish as co-champions and a one-game playoff will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. in Lakeport to determine which squad gets the league’s automatic playoff berth into next week’s North Coast Section playoffs — the Cardinals compete in Division V and the Mustangs in Division IV.
In other words, there’s still a lot on the line for both teams as the regular season winds down.
“It’s a huge task,” Clear Lake head coach Scott De Leon said when asked about Thursday’s regular-season finale against Middletown. “It’s a tough place to play, they’re a good team and a very well-coached team. I expect it’s going to be a heck of a ballgame.”
That wasn’t so much the case on Tuesday as the Cardinals built a 35-19 halftime lead. It was 37-19 early in the third quarter when the Eagles went on a 13-0 run to slice Clear Lake’s advantage to 37-32, but the Cardinals answered with a 10-0 run of their own and held their double-digit lead the rest of the way.
An 18-5 second quarter was the big difference in the game.
“We just picked up our defensive intensity and we also shot the ball extremely well,” De Leon said.
Preston Jones had 10 of his team-leading 20 points in that quarter, including two of his five 3-pointers on the night.
“That kind of broke the game open,” De Leon said.
Josh Damiata, one of eight seniors honored before the Cardinals’ final home game of the regular season, helped seal the victory by scoring nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter when he was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Darius Ford added 13 points, Tj Marcks had 10 and Jaron Mertle finished with eight points, 15 rebounds (seven offensive) and four blocks.
Senior honorees were Jones, Damaita, Marcks, Rodrigo Lupercio, Seth Mix, Erik Valadez, Jesus Inustroza and Brady McGuire, who missed the season because of a knee injury.
In the junior varsity game, Clear Lake clinched the undisputed NCL I championship with a 60-50 victory over Cloverdale as four Cardinals scored in double figures. Clear Lake is 13-0 in league play and 22-2 overall with one game remaining, that on Thursday in Middletown.
This is the third straight title for Clear Lake and head coach Phil Psalmonds, who is 39-2 in his last 41 league games.
Clear Lake outscored Cloverdale 24-12 in the third quarter to break open a one-point game at halftime. Keanu Ford hit both of his 3-pointers and scored eight of his 12 points in the quarter. Treppa Macks and Donovan Valadez led the Cardinals with 16 points apiece. Ethan Maize added 10 more.
In other boys basketball action Tuesday:
Middletown 55, Willits 30
At Middletown, the Middletown Mustangs prepped for their first-place showdown with Clear Lake on Thursday in Middletown with an easy victory over the winless Wolverines (0-13).
On a night when the team honored its seniors – Noah Brown, Nash Field, Guy Boyd, Victor Guzman, Johny Hoogendoorn and Justin Dacosta – Middletown (12-1, 19-5) was led by Brown’s 17 points, including three 3-pointers.
“They played the majority of the minutes tonight,” Middletown head coach G.J. Rockwell said of his seniors. “Brown played really well and Dacosta played well at point guard. All those guys have been in the program for four years and have been together a lot longer than that. All are good kids, it’s been a pleasure to coach them and I’m going to miss them. Tonight was about having fun and that’s what we did.”
Middletown led 31-16 by halftime and 47-21 going to the fourth quarter.
Jimmy Rockwell had 10 points for the Mustangs and Andres Cervantes added eight.
Looking ahead to Thursday’s first-place battle with Clear Lake, the only team that has beaten the Mustangs in league play this season, Rockwell said, “We’ve got a shot at it, we’re capable of doing it but we have to play well. We’ve been fighting from behind all season. It’s been an emotional roller-coaster, but we’ve got another shot to beat them.”
In the JV game, Middletown beat Willits 66-43, avenging a loss to the Wolverines in their first league meeting last month in Willits.
Jorge Fonseca led the Mustangs with 11 points, part of a balanced attack that also featured 10 points from Tanner Pachie and nine apiece from Greyson Rockwell and Cole Ketchum.
Middletown had the game well in hand at halftime with a 36-19 lead.
The Mustangs are 10-3 in league and 16-6 overall with one game remaining, that Thursday at home against league champion Clear Lake (13-0).
RVC 55, Upper Lake 30
At Santa Rosa, Upper Lake began the week tied with Roseland University Prep for first place in the NCL II standings, but the Cougars ran into an emotionally charged Rincon Valley Christian squad on Tuesday night and lost to the Eagles, who were not only playing their final home game of the season, but their final home game period as the private school is scheduled to close its doors at the end of the current school year.
“We controlled our own destiny and we might have just thrown it away,” Upper Lake head coach Justin Dutcher said of a league title that appeared within the Cougars’ grasp.
A 59-50 winner over the Eagles back on Jan. 18 in Upper Lake, the Cougars nursed a 26-25 lead into halftime before falling behind in the second half. The Eagles used a 15-9 third quarter to go up 40-35 and then dominated the fourth quarter to completely spoil Upper Lake’s night.
“They had all the momentum in the world in the second half,” Dutcher said. “It was their last home game and the school is closing its doors, so the place was packed.”
Rincon Valley Christian scored the game’s first 12 points before Upper Lake fought back to take its first lead, 23-22, late in the second quarter.
“It was a game of runs early on,” Dutcher said. “The second half we allowed the officials to dictate the game. We were more worried about the officials than what we were doing. It was craziness, I can’t even explain what happened.”
Depending on how Roseland University Prep fared Tuesday against Credo, the Cougars will either be tied for first going into their Thursday league finale at home against Credo or one game behind Roseland University Prep, which closes on the road against last-place Tomales.
Kenny Hodges’ 23 points led the Cougars and Dylan Armstrong added nine, all on 3-pointers.
Lower Lake 82, Kelseyville 68
At Kelseyville, the Lower Lake Trojans had five players score in double figures although a strong second half by the Knights kept the game interesting.
Lower Lake (4-9, 12-13) dominated the first half while building a 44-23 lead. Kelseyville (1-12, 4-21) answered with a 46-point second half to get within seven of the Trojans down the stretch.
“Seventy percent of our points were off the fastbreak,” Lower Lake head coach Jeremy Jakubowski said. “We were sharing the ball really well and everyone was contributing.”
A 26-8 first quarter put Kelseyville in a deep hole and the Knights spent the rest of the game trying to climb out of it.
The second half was a different story, according to Lower Lake’s coach.
“They (Knights) outplayed us, outhustled us, outshot us,” Jakubowski said
“My guys came out inspired, got a number of stops and made a lot of good things happen,” Kelseyville head coach Gus Schillinger said. “In the first half we didn’t get back (on defense) and they got a ton of layups against us.”
Tyler Linnell scored all 11 of his points in the second half in an attempt to rally the Knights. Adrian Villalobos led the team with a season-best 22 points, including six 3-pointers – three in each half. Robert Chavez added 14 points and Bodhi Baird had 11.
“I’m happy my guys played hard in the second half,” Schillinger said.
Darian James and Izzac Carver led the Trojans with 18 points apiece, Elijah Hernandez had 13, Mike Taliaferro 11 and Mahki Johnson 10.
“Darian’s quickness was a lot for us to handle,” Schillinger said of James. “Carver was really efficient on offense for them and Hernandez helped get them going in the first quarter with nine points.”
In the JV game, Cory Holt scored 19 points to lead Kelseyville to a 65-30 win over Lower Lake.
