FORT BRAGG — Even without one of their starters on the floor, the Clear Lake Cardinals returned from a two-week winter break to easily beat the Potter Valley Bearcats 71-37 in first-round varsity boys basketball play Tuesday morning at the Fort Bragg Tournament.
Clear Lake (5-4) draws the winner of another Tuesday first-round game between Del Norte and Making Waves Academy of San Francisco in the semifinals Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. The tournament wraps up Thursday.
“They had a good break, we practiced Monday and we had an early game Tuesday after making the long trip over here, so we were a little sluggish at the start,” Clear Lake head coach Mike Damiata said.
Tournament officials administered a COVID-19 test to all players before they could take the floor Tuesday and Clear Lake senior Zane Robinson tested positive, according to Damiata. Robinson may be able to return to the tournament if he can obtain a more accurate test from a clinic that shows a negative result.
“We’ll see,” Damiata said.
Losing one of of their top scorers didn’t slow down the Cardinals against the Bearcats, who stayed close for a quarter at 14-8.
“From the second quarter on we overmatched them,” Damiata said. “When you overmatch someone you need to take care of business and we did.”
Clear Lake outscored Potter Valley 21-10 in the second quarter and 27-3 in the third quarter to open up a 62-21 lead.
“All of our subs got into the game,” Damiata said.
Ethan Maize went 8-for-8 from two-point range while leading the Cardinals with 18 points. Joey Soderquist added 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and Greyson Wind, replacing Robinson in the starting lineup, added 12 points, with two 3-pointers.
“Greyson filled in very well,” Damiata said. “Joey shot the ball well and Drake (Smart) had a really good game in the post.”
Damiata also praised the play of his defense.
“It was solid the entire way,” he said.
Clear Lake dives headlong into its North Central League I schedule starting Monday with a home game against St. Helena.
“These (tournament) games are to get us ready for that,” Damiata said of the Cardinals’ 15 remaining NCL I games.
Clear Lake beat Willits in its league opener Dec. 14 before heading into the winter break.
