KELSEYVILLE — The Lower Lake Trojans hung around for three quarters before the Upper Lake Cougars pulled away for a 57-41 win in first-round girls action Thursday afternoon at the 50th annual Stokes Tournament in Kelseyville.
Upper Lake (7-0) scored the final four points of the third quarter and the first nine points of the fourth quarter to open up a 50-37 lead as Nya Marcks banged in a 3-pointer with just under six minutes left in the game. Lower Lake (1-6) was never closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
An Upper Lake defense led by the tenacious play of senior guard Maddy Young made the difference down the stretch as the Cougars took advantage of a number of Lower Lake miscues – both forced and unforced – to turn momentum squarely in their favor.
“Our seniors are stepping up and our juniors keep improving,” Upper Lake co-head coach Annie Pivniska-Petrie said of the likes of seniors Taylar Minnis (nine points), Young (eight points) and Heaven’Lee Loans Arrow (eight points), and juniors Jadyn Poe (nine points), Jayme Zimmerschied (eight points) and Marcks (seven points).
Minnis scored seven of her nine points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back baskets late, both of them assisted by Young, to lock up the victory.
Lower Lake led 14-10 after one quarter and trailed by only four points at halftime and after three quarters, largely because of the play of junior guard Tiahna Tubbs and her team-leading 21 points.
“That was the best three quarters of basketball we’ve played all season,” Lower Lake head coach Shannon Tubbs said. “It looked worse at the end because they (Cougars) got a couple of easy baskets. For what we have and for as young and inexperienced as we are, to go up against a team with that much experience and play that well, I couldn’t be prouder of my girls.”
Added Tubbs, “That was a fun game to coach. Upper Lake has a great group. Maddy is fun to watch. That’s what you’re going to see every night at the next level. She plays hard.”
Upper Lake will have to do without Young for the remainder of the Stokes Tournament as she also competes for the Cougars’ wrestling team. She’s off Friday and Saturday to compete in the West Coast TOC in Sacramento.
“We won’t have her, but that will give our other girls a chance to step up,” Pivniska-Petrie said.
Serenity McCoy scored eight points for the Trojans.
Second-round games Friday at the Stokes Tournament have Upper Lake taking on Ferndale at 5 p.m. and Lower Lake playing Kelseyville at 8 p.m.
Ferndale 65, Kelseyville 14
Defending Stokes champion Ferndale opened up a 28-2 leading while beating the Kelseyville Knights in first-round Stokes Tournament action.
Ferndale (6-1) plays Upper Lake (7-0) Friday at 5 p.m., a game that will likely decide this year’s winner of the round-robin tournament.
Ferndale’s defense limited Kelseyville to two points in each of the first three quarters as the Wildcats built a 50-6 lead. Junior forward Reaghan Langher led the way with a team-best 26 points, 10 of those coming in the first quarter alone and 21 in the first half. She had plenty of scoring help from teammates Carly Carmesin (16 points) and Kayla Albee (13 points).
Aleanna Valles led the Knights (1-8) with five points, including Kelseyville’s only 3-pointer, and Ashley Hodson had four points.
