LAKEPORT — Round two between the Middletown and Clear Lake varsity girls basketball teams went to the Mustangs on Friday night, 39-32, in North Central League I action at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport.
Middletown also won the first meeting, 44-32, on Jan. 10 in Middletown.
Paige Astley gave the Mustangs (9-1 league, 14-7 overall) a huge boost and she led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds, including two clutch free throws down the stretch to keep the Cardinals (6-4, 11-8) at bay.
“She’s been really solid the past few games,” Middletown head coach Andy Brown said. “Hopefully she can keep it up.”
Middletown’s defense clamped down hard on Clear Lake, allowing only 10 points in the first half.
“Middletown plays good defense,” Clear Lake head coach Phil Psalmonds said. “The story of the game was we had 20 turnovers and missed nine free throws.”
“We did force a lot of turnovers,” Brown added.
Clear Lake got as close as five points in the fourth quarter.
Abbey Brown had eight points for the Mustangs, who remain a game behind Cloverdale (10-0) in the NCL I standings. Olivia Kucer added six points.
For Clear Lake, Rylee Mix led the way with nine points and Sierra Bruch and Joy Ingalls each had seven.
In the junior varsity game, Clear Lake swept the season series from Middletown, winning 41-40 in overtime. The Cardinals improved to 10-0 in the league standings behind 16 points from Abby Mertle, 11 from Mikayla Fifield and eight from Montana Wells. Brooklyn Huffman led the Mustangs with 21.
In other girls action Friday:
Cloverdale 50, Kelseyville 33
At Cloverdale, Tehya Bird didn’t reach 2,000 career points — she needed 34 entering play to hit the milestone — but the four-year varsity veteran is knocking on the door after finishing with 29 points in a win over the Kelseyville Knights.
The victory keeps Cloverdale (10-0) atop the NCL I standings while Kelseyville drops to 5-5 and 8-13 overall. Bird’s next game is Tuesday in St. Helena against the winless Saints.
Allison Bryant drew the assignment to guard Bird and did all she could do, according to Kelseyville head coach Skyler Olsen, especially in the first half when the Knights went to the locker room leading 17-14.
The third quarter was a different story as the Eagles, fueled by three 3-pointers from Catherine Driver, outscored the Knights 23-8 to open up a 37-25 lead.
“We were doing great in the first half,” Olsen said. “But then No. 11 (Driver) hit those three 3s in the third quarter and that kind of killed it (momentum) for our girls.”
Bryant and Ryann Taylor finished with eight points apiece to lead Kelseyville and Sam Carter had seven. Bryant had two of the Knights’ three 3-pointers.
In the JV game, one that featured 70 attempted free throws, the Cloverdale Eagles edged the Kelseyville Knights 46-43.
Kaylei Davis had a big game for the Knights with 24 points while teammate Larue Furlani added 12.
Lower Lake 72, Willits 69 (2 OT)
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans climbed back to .500 in league play with a marathon double-overtime victory over the Willits Wolverines.
Lower Lake (5-5, 9-13) scored late in the fourth quarter to force overtime and late in the first extra period to force a second overtime. Aleisha Jones made a basket and two free throws in the second overtime to carry the Trojans to the victory.
Sam Hughes led the Trojans with 20 points and Sonja Desano added another 18, including four 3-pointers. Jones (11 points) and Shelby Sapeta (10 points) also finished in double digits and Margo Cordova just missed with eight points.
“Hughes just does everything we ask her to do,” Lower Lake head coach Shannon Tubbs said. “She’s been our most consistent player all year.”
Desano also came up big, according to Tubbs.
“And on both sides of the ball,” Tubbs said. “She brought a huge amount of energy to the game.”
Lower Lake won the JV game 56-22 behind 19 points from Terilyn Jo Jermany, 18 from Kyra Womack and 12 from Kyleigh Mock.
