LAKEPORT — Make that three straight wins for the Kelseyville Knights and head coach Skyler Olson following their 46-42 victory over the Clear Lake Cardinals on Tuesday night in a North Central League I varsity girls basketball game at Lakeport.
Kelseyville (3-3 league, 6-11 overall) beat Clear Lake (4-2, 9-6) even though its top scorer on the season, Allison Bryant, didn’t score a single point.
“We played a box-and-one on Bryant,” Clear Lake head coach Phil Psalmonds said. “We were not going to let Alli beat us. Sydney Howe was fantastic guarding her, frustrating her a times.”
“We walked in there knowing they were going to try and shut her out,” Olsen said. “I knew it was going to happen. I don’t want to be a part of a team that only relies on one girl and we had other girls step up tonight.”
Two of those players were Ryann Taylor, who led the Knights with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Sam Carter, who added 11 points and six rebounds.
“Ryann was really good,” Psalmonds said. “She got open shots and she made some open shots.”
Both Carter and Kasandra Villalobos took charges during the game that helped shift momentum in Kelseyville’s favor, according to Olsen, who said the Knights’ rebounding was another key to the win.
Sarah Parlee pulled down six boards to go along with five points, MJ Boardman added six points and four rebounds, and Bryant grabbed six rebounds to go along with a team-high five blocks.
“I was very proud of my girls,” Olsen said. “Our rebounding toward the end of the game dictated us winning.”
Sierra Bruch’s 13 points led the Cardinals while Joy Ingalls added nine, Rylee Mix eight and Howe six.
“I think we might have run out of gas a little bit,” Psalmonds said of the Cardinals’ play in the fourth quarter when the Knights outscored them 15-7.
“I’m happy things are starting to work out with my team,” Olsen added.
In the junior varsity game, Abby Mertle led the way with 19 points and Stella Hill added 10 as the Clear Lake Cardinals beat the Kelseyville Knights 46-39 to improve to 6-0 in the NCL I standings. Kelseyville falls to 4-2.
“We were passing the ball and playing good defense,” Clear Lake assistant coach Jeff Mertle said of the Cardinals’ night on the hardwood.
Locked in a 20-20 tie with Kelseyville late in the second quarter, the Cardinals scored seven straight points in the final minute to take a 27-20 halftime lead, the difference in the game.
Rubi Ford scored eight points for Clear Lake.
Kelseyville scoring wasn’t reported.
In other girls action Tuesday:
Middletown 42, Willits 33
At Willits, the Middletown Mustangs (5-1, 10-7) overpowered the Willits Wolverines to take over sole possession of second place in the NCL I standings, one game behind undefeated Cloverdale (6-0).
Middletown held Willits without a basket during a 20-4 first half. All four of the Wolverines’ points came on free throws.
“We had a huge first half defensively,” Middletown head coach Andy Brown said.
Middletown extended its lead to 38-16 after three quarter but paid a price in doing so, according to Brown.
“We got a little beat up,” he said.
Willits cut Middletown’s lead to single digits with a 17-4 fourth quarter.
“We made some turnovers,” Brown said. “We almost made it interesting.”
Paige Astley just missed a double-double for the Mustangs with 12 points and nine rebounds. Sophie Kucer added eight points, Abbey Brown had seven, and Olivia Kucer contributed six points and nine rebounds. Astley had all three of the Mustangs’ 3-pointers.
Middletown won the JV game 41-28.
Both Middletown teams hit the road Friday to play Lower Lake in a four-game set that begins with JV girls action at 3:30 p.m.
Lower Lake 57, St. Helena 17
At St. Helena, after losing back-to-back 41-40 heartbreakers last week to Kelseyville and Clear Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans jumped back into the win column against the winless St. Helena Saints.
Lower Lake (3-3, 7-11) outscored St. Helena 21-4 in the second quarter to open up a commanding 32-6 halftime lead.
Lower Lake head coach Shannon Tubbs emptied his bench early on so that he could rest a handful of starters nursing minor injuries.
“Keep the girls healthy,” Tubbs said with an eye toward Friday’s home game against Middletown to close out the first half of league play. “A lot of girls got playing time tonight.”
Shelby Sapeta’s 14 points, including four 3-pointers, sparked the Trojans. Sam Hughes added 10 points and Alisha Jones had nine.
“Defensively the girls played really good tonight, they were all over the ball,” Tubbs said. “Hopefully that energy carries over to Middletown.”
While the two one-point losses last week put the Trojans mid-pack in the NCL I standings, Tubbs said his Trojans will respond the only way they know how.
“At this point we just need to keep playing hard and see what we can do.”
Lower Lake won the JV game 37-29 behind 12 points from Kyleigh Mock and 11 more from Kyra Womack.
