KELSEYVILLE — Until the fourth quarter, the Upper Lake Cougars and Kelseyville Knights were stuck to each other like glue.
With the girls championship of the 48th annual Stokes Invitational Basketball Tournament riding on the line Saturday night at a nearly full Kelseyville High School gym, Upper Lake and Kelseyville swapped leads a handful of times in the first half and were never apart by more than six points – usually three or less – through the first three quarters.
With both teams looking for that spark that would lead to some separation, it was the Upper Lake Cougars who finally got it courtesy of one of their three starting freshmen, one Heaven’Lee Loans Arrow. She came through in a big way as the Cougars and their head coach, Kelseyville alum Mike Smith, prevailed 42-36 to reach the Christmas break at 10-2.
“She set the tempo for us and played at the perfect level,” Smith said of Loans Arrow, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player after scoring 16 points against the Knights. “She wasn’t trying to do too much but doing what she needed to do.”
Loans Arrow sank three of four free throws and added a medium-range baseline jumper for Upper Lake’s first five points of the fourth quarter, which along with an Alana Sanchez basket down low gave the Cougars a 39-27 lead. Karlee Zimmerschied’s basket – Upper Lake’s third shot during a critical possession – made it 41-29 with two minutes left.
Kelseyville (3-8) didn’t stop fighting, closing to 41-36 on two-point baskets by Maddy Barker and Sam Carter and a clutch 3-pointer by Allison Bryant with 18 seconds left. That’s where the run ended. Although the Cougars had a hard time sealing the game at the free-throw line, Maddy Young’s free throw on the back end of a double-bonus opportunity with 5.5 seconds left iced the victory.
Kelseyville missed its final three shots from the field.
“We fought really hard toward the end, but it was just a little too late,” Kelseyville head coach Skyler Olsen said. “If we were a little more aggressive in the paint and penetrating a little more, I think the game would have been a little different.”
Smith said several factors played into Upper Lake’s victory. Besides Loans Arrow’s clutch play down the stretch, including a baseline 3-pointer late in the third quarter that pushed the Cougars’ lead to 31-25, the leadership of the team’s lone starting senior, Alana Sanchez, was crucial.
“Several girls stepped up,” Smith said. “Alana’s steady leadership (and 11 points) was huge. Maddy Young (freshman) played with the flu and Lupy (Monlo-Duncan, a freshman) was able to spell her. Maddy Noble (another freshman) really helped us with her toughness.”
And then there was Loans Arrow’s rebounding. She almost single-handedly limited Kelseyville to a single shot each time down the floor in the fourth quarter.
“I think she’s going to be that person who controls the game for us,” Smith said with an eye toward the second half of Upper Lake’s season.
“This was very much a team win, I think our first win ever at Kelseyville’s gym (in two separate coaching stints under Smith),” Smith said. “I couldn’t be any more prouder of my girls.”
Olsen echoed the same sentiments about the Knights, who wrapped up a particularly tough preseason schedule.
“I’m proud of the girls and I think they had a pretty good game,” Olsen said.
Bryant and fellow senior Paloma Ortiz were named to the All-Tournament team. Maddy Barker’s 14 points led the Knights against Upper Lake while Bryant added 10 and Ryann Taylor six.
Kelseyville scored the game’s first five points but trailed 10-5 after the first quarter. The two teams went into halftime locked in a 17-all tie before Upper Lake pushed ahead 32-27 after three quarters.
The Knights are off until Jan. 2 when they visit Middletown for the North Central League I opener for both teams. Upper Lake is off until Jan. 6 when it hosts Esparto in non-league action. After that, the Cougars face a Jan. 10 rematch with Laytonville at Laytonville (the two Division 5 teams have split their first two meetings this year).
