CONCORD — A 27-6 second quarter sent No. 3 seed Ygnacio Valley to a 94-54 victory over Kelseyville in the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Section Division 4 boys basketball playoffs Saturday night in Concord, ending the Knights’ season at 17-11.
Kelseyville, the North Central League I runner-up this season, played a competitive first quarter with the Wolves (21-5), the Diablo-Valley League runner-up, and trailed only 18-15.
“We just turned the ball over too much, we couldn’t shoot, and kind of went into a shell,” Kelseyville head coach Oscar Lopez said of his team’s shortcoming during the Wolves’ big second quarter. “They thrived off the fastbreak and turnovers. They didn’t do anything that surprised us in their half-court offense.”
With a 6-foot-9 center, Ygnacio Valley cleaned up on the boards, especially on the offensive end, according to Lopez.
“He had only 10 points, but he had the height,” Lopez added. “They spread the wealth around between their guards. They can shoot and attack the lanes.”
The two teams combined for 55 points in the third quarter alone, Ygnacio Valley outscoring Kelseyville 31-24 to open up a 76-45 lead entering the final period. Kelseyville senior guard Manny Acosta, the Knights’ leading scorer with 17 points, connected on four of his five 3-pointers in the quarter.
“Kyle Watkins also started to get going,” Lopez said of his sophomore star. “He had seven of his 11 points in the quarter.”
Before it was over, Lopez emptied his bench, not only to give his reserves and younger players some court time, but also as a gesture to honor his seniors who he brought off the court one final time.
“I’ve been with the seniors four years, I had them as freshmen on the JV team,” Lopez said. “They also lost a year (2020-21 to the COVID-19 pandemic). They took the program to the next level. Without their hard work and sacrifice we wouldn’t be pushing for championships. They showed the younger guys what it takes to get here and where we’re going in the future.”
Luke Watkins, another of the team’s seniors, finished with 11 points in his final high school, including three 3-pointers.
Kelseyville, the No. `11 seed, upset No. 6 McKinleyville 69-68 on the road Tuesday.
Ygnacio Valley plays at No. 2 seed Justin-Siena of Napa in the semifinal on Tuesday.
