Cloverdale will host Lower Lake this Friday
It was a mixed bag in the opening stretch of league hoops for the varsity Eagles, settling for an even split in a pair of games.
Cloverdale (1-1, 7-6) kicked off the NCL 1 schedule with a Jan. 2 trip to Middletown, falling to the Mustangs, 76-60. The Eagles bounced back two nights later in the friendly confines against visiting Kelseyville, soundly defeating the Knights, 71-43.
At press time Cloverdale was preparing to hit the road for a Jan. 8 visit to Fort Bragg, followed by a home clash with Lower Lake on Friday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles will visit Willits next Monday, Jan. 14 in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
Eagles’ split
Things didn’t go as planned in the league opener at Middletown on Jan. 2, as Cloverdale struggled to contain an experienced Mustang squad. Middletown set the tone early with a 19-10 run in the first quarter and led 33-24 at the half. The Mustangs broke it wide open in the third period, outscoring Cloverdale 26-14 en route to a 76-60 win.
Sophomore center Josh Lemley led all Eagles with 18 points and eight rebounds, while senior guard Mario Lopez chipped in 12 points. Other scorers included Andres Herrera (10), Garrett Robertson (3), Chuche Maciel (3), Spencer Hoover (2) and Keller Sibert (1).
The Eagles bounced back in a big way two nights later against visiting Kelseyville, racing to a 37-21 cushion at the half on their way to a 71-43 rout. Lemley took top scoring honors with 20 points and 13 boards. Other leading contributors included Sibert (10 points), Shayne Turner (9 points, 8 rebound), Maciel (9 points) and Lopez (8 points).
