SANTA ROSA — Jayme Zimmerschied racked up a season-high 21 points with three 3-pointers and the Upper Lake Cougars scored 41 first-half points while knocking off Roseland Collegiate Prep 69-24 in North Central League II varsity girls basketball action Thursday night in Santa Rosa.
It was the league finale for the undefeated NCL II-champion Cougars, who roll into next week’s North Coast Section Division 5 playoffs with a 25-1 regular-season record and an 18-game winning streak.
The Division 5 playoff field will be released Sunday and the Cougars will know then who they are hosting in a first-round game Tuesday.
“They are very excited,” Pivniska-Petrie said of the Cougars, many of whom have playoff experience from last season and the 2019-20 season.
Upper Lake hit the floor running against RCP. The Cougars led 20-9 after one quarter and 41-14 by halftime.
“The girls are just kind of locked in and are stepping up,” Pivniska-Petrie said.
Zimmerschied was one of three Cougars to score in double figures.
“She shot the ball well tonight,” Pivniska-Petrie said.
Kat Lopez-Geary finished with 10 points, including two 3-pointers, and Taylar Minnis also had 10 points. Lupy Duncan-Monlo had eight and Maddy Young six.
There was no junior varsity game.
In other girls action Thursday:
Clear Lake 62, Cloverdale 59 (OT)
At Lakeport, Clear Lake senior guard Sierra Bruch sat out nearly the entire fourth quarter with an ankle injury and Cloverdale took advantage to briefly take the lead, but there was nothing that could keep a limping Bruch off the court in overtime as the Cardinals beat the Eagles to close out NCL I play and the regular season.
Clear Lake (13-3, 16-7) finishes tied with Middletown for second place in the league standings and will advance to next week’s Division 5 playoffs as an at-large team. The Cardinals will learn Sunday who they’ve drawn in the first round, which takes place Tuesday.
“How does a team go from 24 points one night to 62 the next?” Clear Lake head coach Phil Psalmonds said in comparing Thursday’s winning effort to a 40-24 loss on Tuesday to league champion Fort Bragg (14-1). “I guess we played some basketball.”
Bruch (10 points) certainly did and so did senior teammate Montana Wells, who finished with team bests in points (16) and rebounds (14).
“She was dominant,” Psalmonds said of Wells. “She was great, She only missed a couple of shots.”
Bruch scored six of Clear Lake’s 11 points in the overtime period, sore ankle and all. She hit a 3-pointer and three free throws. The Cardinals went 8-for-9 from the line in overtime.
“When the overtime started she just got up (off the bench) and went in the game,” Psalmonds said. “She said to me, ‘I’m going to play.’ She’s just a tough kid … she wouldn’t come out.”
Clear Lake wouldn’t have reached the overtime period had not senior center Abby Mertle (14 points) made both of her double-bonus free throws with five seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 51. Cloverdale missed a very long 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“It wasn’t close,” Psalmonds said.
Clear Lake won the first meeting between the two teams, 44-40, on Jan. 17 in Lakeport.
In the JV game, Cloverdale beat Clear Lake (final score not reported).
Middletown 62, RUP 16
At Middletown, the Middletown Mustangs are on a pretty good roll heading into next week’s Division 4 playoffs. They closed out league play and the regular season with a 62-16 dissection of Roseland University Prep, their eighth straight win.
Middletown finishes tied with Clear Lake for second place in the NCL I standings, both teams going 13-3. The Mustangs, 19-6 overall, will play an opponent to be determined at a site to be announced Wednesday in a first-round game. The Division 4 field will be released Sunday by the North Coast Section office.
Middletown honored its three seniors — Jaidyn Brown, Skylar Williams and Kamryn Atkins — during a pre-game ceremony. Williams scored 17 points, including three 3-pointers, while Brown, who is less than 100 percent because of a knee injury , added six points, including a 3-pointer. Atkins had only two points but pulled down a team-best 19 rebounds.
“I knew this team was going to be a special one and it has everything to do with those three,” Middletown first-year head coach Roxi Holt said of her three seniors. “I’ve been working with them since the fourth grade and to be their head coach in their senior year is coming full circle, very special. That only happens in a small community. They’re just three incredible young ladies.”
Holt said the energy for the game on senior night was incredible.
“It was a great experience, it was magical. It was a fun night,” Holt added.
Sophomore Mia Hoogendoorn led the Mustangs with 18 points and Amanda Hart had seven.
Middletown had the game well in hand after one quarter with a 20-4 lead. It was 30-7 at halftime.
In the JV game, Middletown wrapped up its regular season with a 42-14 win over Roseland University Prep as Harley Holley scored 18 points.
The Mustangs went 12-4 in league play and 16-6 overall.
“It’s always great to end a season with a win. Everyone got to play tonight. Traci Newton scored her first four points of the season, which was great to see,” Middletown head coach Jamie Burns said. “It’s been a pleasure to coach all these girls.”
Sarah Fetters scored nine points for the Mustangs and Autumn Clark had eight.
Kelseyville 47, Willits 43
At Kelseyville, Lily Wiser’s 13 points led a balanced Kelseyville attack as the Knights avoided a winless NCL I campaign with a victory over Willits in in their league and season finale.
“We finally played real good defense, played as a team,” Kelseyville head coach Terry McIntire said. “It was nice to see them play where they should be almost every game.”
The Knights honored their lone senior, Makaylah Meyer, prior to the game and she came through with eight important points. Cali Schnabl finished with 11 points, Olivia Hommer had nine and Faith McIntire six.
“That’s a game changer when they start scoring,” McIntire said of Schnabl and Meyer. “All the girls who scored played really well.”
Kelseyville took a 41-29 lead into the fourth quarter although Willits came back to tie it. The Knights pushed ahead 45-43 before Schnabl sank two free throws with six seconds left to ice it.
Wiser went 3-for-3 from the field in the first quarter. McIntire and Schnabl were a combined 7-for-11 from the free-throw line. Meyer had two of the team’s three 3-pointers and Wiser had the other.
Kelseyville went 2-24 overall.
Willits won the junior varsity game 34-27. Matisyn Mateer’s 11 points led Kelseyville.
