DRIBBLE DRIVE — Logan Axell drove on a St. Helena defender in a league clash with the Saints. The Eagles host Clear Lake on Feb. 13 in a battle for first place.
The race for a coveted NCL1 boys basketball championship may come down to the final game of the regular season on Feb. 13, as Cloverdale and Clear Lake do battle on the Eagle’s home court.
At the start of play this week, the Eagles (11-1) were just a game back of the Cardinals (12-0) with two games left. Should Cloverdale beat Fort Bragg on Feb. 11 (after press time) and avenge its lone league loss to Clear Lake, it will capture at least a share of the NCL1 championship.
Cloverdale (20-3 overall) took care of business in their two games last week, easily dispatching St. Helena (75-46) and Middletown (62-26).
The Eagles played host to the Saints in their Feb. 4 tilt, jumping out to a 30-20 halftime lead before closing out the game with a 22-7 fourth-quarter surge on their way to a 29-point margin of victory.
Top point producers for the Eagles were Josh Lemley (17 points, 8 rebounds), Adrian Gutierrez (13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), Shayne Turner (13 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 4 steals), Dylan Muller (13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), Andy Hererra (7 points, 4 boards, 8 assists, 3 steals), Logan Axell (6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), Spencer Hoover (4 points, 3 boards, 1 assist) and Tyler Ruys (2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist).
Cloverdale made easy work in a Feb. 7 visit to Middletown, holding the Mustangs to single digits in three of four quarters en route to a 62-26 rout. Pacing the attack were Muller (13 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists), Lemley (12 points, 14 boards, 1 assist, 5 blocks), Turner (10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), Gutierrez (8 points, 2 assists), Hoover (7 points, 6 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals), Hererra (5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals), Ruys (5 points, 4 rebounds) and Axell (2 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal).
