MHS stays in hunt with vital road win
Four teams enter final week of league play with shot at winning share of NCL I crown
The Middletown Mustangs went on a 17-0 run in the second half to break open a close game and soundly beat the Cloverdale Eagles 53-37 in a North Central League I varsity girls basketball game Friday night in Cloverdale.
Middletown (9-3) remains two games behind Fort Bragg (13-1) in the loss column but could still get a piece of the title if it wins its final four games — all against teams with losing records — and if Fort Bragg loses next week to Cloverdale (10-3) and Clear Lake (12-2). Clear Lake and Cloverdale also play Thursday in a game that has title ramifications.
Middletown scored the final 15 points of the third quarter and the first two of the fourth quarter to go up 45-28. Cloverdale immediately answered with a 7-0 run to cut it to 45-35, but the Eagles would get no closer. Mia Hoogendoorn (19 points) keyed Middletown's scoring surge with a pair of 3-pointers — she had four on the night — while Amanda Hart added five points and Skylar Williams (16 points) had another 3-pointer.
Middletown, a winner of four straight, led 17-9 after one quarter. Cloverdale closed the gap to 26-23 by halftime.
“We went into halftime and talked about what we needed to do,” Middletown head coach Roxi Holt said. “And they did it. They executed (in the third quarter). We got back to what we were doing in the first quarter.”
Holt said she continually changed up defenses on the Eagles and the Mustangs responded with one of their best defensive outings of the season.
“My girls were playing solid defense and it showed in the foul count,” Holt said.
Middletown was charged with only two fouls in the second half and Cloverdale shot only three free throws over the final two quarters.
“This is the Middletown team we had at the beginning of the season,” Holt said. “Had it not
been for (our) injuries there would be no league race.”
Middletown dropped a 40-38 decision to Cloverdale back on Jan. 12 in Middletown. Their other league losses were 31-30 to Clear Lake and 39-33 at Fort Bragg.
Hoogendoorn had nine steals, seven blocks and six rebounds to go along with her 19 points, and Williams pulled down nine rebounds. Kamryn Atkins added a team-best 11 rebounds as well as five points.
Tylie Hatcher led the Eagles with 16 points before fouling out of the game. Shasta Vlasak added 12 points.
Middletown is 15-6 overall.
In the junior varsity game, despite a big second-half push Middletown couldn't recover from a 21-4 halftime defict and fell 44-38 to Cloverdale.
“These girls fought an awesome battle tonight,” Middletown head coach Jamie Burns said. “We fought back from a 17-point deficit and brought it within three points.”
Unfortunately for the
Mustangs, a 6-for-27 night from the line was too much to overcome.
“We had lots of opportunities to win this game,” Burns said. “We had the calls going in our favor all night and fouled out two of their starters and had them in foul trouble both halves.”
Added Burns, “I'm very proud of all the girls who put in 100 percent for their team all the time and never quit.'
Middletown scored one basket in each of the first two quarters while going 0-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Harley Holley's 15 points paced the Mustangs while Brooklyn Wood added 11 and Autumn Clark had eight. Aubree Santana's 15 points powered the Eagles.
Middletown's varsity is home Saturday to play Willits in a league makeup game that was postponed early last month. Both Middletown teams are on the road Monday to play Roseland University Prep as part of a four-game set between the two schools. The Mustangs stay on the road Tuesday to play Willits.
In other NCL I action Friday:
Clear Lake 69, Kelseyville 25
At Kelseyville, Clear Lake scored the game's first 19 points en route to a 23-2 first quarter and an easy win over archrival Kelseyville.
“We came out and pressed them, they turned it over and we scored a bunch,” said Clear Lake head coach Phil Psalmonds, who began rotating in his reserves as soon as the score reached 19-0.
All nine Cardinals who suited up for the game scored. Amber Smart led a balanced attack with 12 points, Rubi Ford and Montana Wells each had 11, Sierra Bruch finished with nine and Emily Gersalia had eight.
“Rubi ran the point well, I think the game is slowing down for her,” Psalmonds said of the senior guard. “She was making good decisions, took her time and let things develop. I'm really happy with Rubi's play.”
Cali Schnabl and Lily Wiser scored six points apiece for Kelseyville (0-14, 1-23).
Clear Lake also won the JV game, 34-22, behind 11 points from Karsyn Greer and six each from Kaylah Billig, Hannah Garrity and Kiley Voris.
Fort Bragg 58, Lower Lake 41
At Lower Lake, a slow start hurt the Lower Lake Trojans in a loss to the league-leading Fort Bragg Timberwolves, who used a 22-10 first quarter to take
control of the game.
Since dropping its league opener to Middletown back in early December, Fort Bragg (13-1) has won 13 straight.
“We need to change our mascot to the gravediggers because we like to dig ourselves a nice, big hole that we can't get ourselves out of,” Lower Lake head coach Shannon Tubbs said of his team's poor start.
Lower Lake (5-10, 8-17), led by 17 points from sophomore point guard Ayla Ales and 12 from center Rebecca Theodorou, battled back to close the gap to 36-32 late in the third quarter.
“We made it really interesting, but then we pulled the pin and jumped on the grenade to see what we could do to ourselves.”
Fort Bragg put the game away with a 17-7 fourth quarter.
“They play physical and use their fouls smartly,” Tubbs said of the Timberwolves. “We buckled under the pressure. We reacted to the mental part instead of the physical part and it took us out of our game.”
Tubbs had nothing but praise for Ales' play.
“As a sophomore playing in this league against a lot of seniors, she gave it 100 percent
the whole time,” Tubbs said. “She gave us a spark that kept us going, her and Becca. That was definitely her best game by far.”
Lower Lake honored its seniors before its final home game.
The Trojans close out league play and their season Wednesday in St. Helena.
In the JV game, Aliana Barnes scored 11 points and Mary Watson had nine as the Lower Lake Trojans beat Fort Bragg 44-21 to improve to 11-4 in the league standings and 15-8 overall.
“We got to the line quite a bit and were able to take advantage of it,” Lower Lake head coach Jessica Wiley said. “Mary and Brooke Watson both picked up charges. Our girls were hungry on defense and solid with the press.”
Jamiya Lee-Ayers added six points in the win.
Upper Lake def. Tomales (forfeit)
At Upper Lake, the Tomales Braves forfeited their NCL II game to the Upper Lake Cougars. Upper Lake is 11-0 in league and 22-1 overall.
The Cougars host Roseland Collegiate Prep on Monday in a varsity-only game.