The Eagles weathered a tough stretch on the NCL-1 boys basketball circuit last week, combining a 60-59 win over Lower Lake with a disappointing 41-35 loss to Middletown.
The road split pushed the Eagle’s league record to 3-1, and extended their overall mark to 10-4.
At press time Cloverdale was prepping for a Jan. 20 home date with Fort Bragg, followed by a Jan. 23 visit to St. Helena (7:30 p.m.). The Eagles will host Clear Lake Next Tuesday, Jan. 27 in a 7 p.m. varsity tip-off.
Eagles gain split
Neither outing was a thing of beauty from a local standpoint last week, starting with a Jan. 13 trip to Lower Lake. Things started well enough for the Eagles early on, jumping out to a 29-27 lead at the half.
The Eagles clung to a one-point advantage after three quarters and the game hung in the balance until John McMillan sank a free throw with three seconds left to lift Cloverdale to a 60-59 victory.
“We were lucky to win,” Eagles coach Steve Bernardi said later. “The defense was sub-par, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Pacing the Cloverdale offensive attack were Marcus Poe (22 points, 8 rebounds), John McMillan (20 points, 10 boards), Jayson McMillan (14 points) and two points each from Luke Pope and Adrian Bernardi.
The Eagles were back on the road for Friday’s clash at Middletown, a game that shaped up as an abysmal shooting night from the perimeter. Cloverdale managed just two points in the opening period and trailed 15-10 at the half. Things slightly improved after intermission but the Eagles would eventually fall, 41-35.
“It was a horrible offensive game,” coach Steve Bernardi said, citing 3-24 shooting from beyond the three-point arc and 9-54 from the field. “You’re not going to win many games shooting like that.”
Poe finished with a team-high 15 points and 12 rebounds, while other top scorers included John McMillan (11 points, 7 boards), Jayson McMillan (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), and Adrian Bernardi (3 points, 1 rebound).
