The varsity basketball Eagles staged a hoops party with seven teams invited on Dec. 12 to 14 at the 54th annual John McMillan Holiday Classic Tournament, then decided they might as well take home the first place trophy in winning all three games.
“It’s been several years since the Eagles claimed this great tournament title,” victorious Cloverdale coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “What made me happy was the great teamwork our team displayed on the court and the tremendous effort they put into their defense and rebounding.”
This year’s eight-team field included Cloverdale, St. Vincent, Del Norte, Anderson Valley, St. Bernard’s, Willows, St. Helena and Credo.
The Eagles opened the tournament in dominant fashion against Willows, racing to a 39-23 halftime lead en route to a 74-39 rout.
Leading the way for Cloverdale were Shayne Turner (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals), Josh Lemley (14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks), Dylan Muller (12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), Tyler Ruys (11 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal), Adrian Gutierrez (8 points, 1 assist, 1 steal), Spencer Hoover (6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) and Chuche Maciel (6 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists).
It was more of the same the following night against an overmatched St. Vincent squad in the semifinal, as the Eagles jumped out to a 33-20 halftime lead on their way to a 61-34 romp.
Leading the way for Cloverdale were Ruys (12 points, 9 rebounds), Lemley (10 points, 14 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals), Muller (9 points, 2 rebounds 3 assists, 3 steals) and Gutierrez (8 points, 2 rebounds).
Saturday’s McMillan title clash with St. Helena was anything but easy, as the Saints raced to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Eagles began to find the range in the second period, cutting the deficit to six to trail 28-22 at the break.
Cloverdale regrouped at halftime, coming out with a vengeance in the third period to take a 40-38 edge at the end of three. It was all Cloverdale in the final quarter, closing it out on a 20-8 run to post a 60-46 victory.
Lemley secured tournament MVP honors with a game-high 20 points and 23 rebounds. Also turning in great efforts were Turner (8 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists), Hoover (7 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals), Maciel (6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals), Gutierrez (4 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists) and Ruys (3 points, 1 rebound).
In addition to Lemley, senior Shayne Turner and sophomore Dylan Muller were each named to the all tournament team.
Scheduling notes
The Eagles will compete in the Stokes Tournament in Kelseyville on Dec. 19 to 21, opening up on Thursday, Dec. 19 with a noon tip-off against Upper Lake. The JV Eagles are hosting their own tournament on Dec. 19-21. The Eagles open the tourney on Dec. 19 in a 7:30 p.m. start.
