Cloverdale moves into first place in NCL1 standings
The defending league champion Lady Eagles have picked up right where they left off last season in the opening throes of the NCL1 basketball campaign, adding a pair of recent wins to ascend to the top spot.
Cloverdale (3-0, 11-2) soundly defeated Lower Lake (71-44) and Kelseyville (70-56), keeping pace with Middletown as one of two league unbeatens.
The ladies will resume league play at home on Jan. 14 (after press time) followed by a Friday, Jan. 17 showdown at Middletown in a 7:30 p.m. varsity tip-off. Cloverdale will host Fort Bragg next Tuesday, Jan. 21 (7 p.m.).
The Eagles wasted no time in establishing control in their Jan. 7 home tilt with Lower Lake, racing to an insurmountable, 44-12 lead at the half. Cloverdale emptied its bench after intermission en route to a 71-44 rout.
“It was nice to finally get a home game after so many away,” CHS coach Rick Berry reported. “It was a very physical game.”
Top contributors included Tehya Bird (19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals), Alyssa Moffett (13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals), Maci Hernandez (1 point, 10 rebounds, 3 assist), Ahnna Randolph (11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), Faith Holloman (6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), Catherine Driver (6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal), Morgan Sceales (3 points, 5 rebounds) and Summer Lands (1 point, 5 rebounds, 1 steal).
Cloverdale was locked in a tight battle in Friday’s visit to Kelseyville, with the teams battling to a 28-28 tie at the half. Leading by two points at the end of three, the Eagles closed it out on a -9 run to bust it open en route to a 70-56 win.
“Kelseyville is always a tough place to play,” Berry noted. “It was another physical game with a lot of contact in the key. Defensively we struggled against their quickness and physicality.”
Bird paced the attack with a season high 41 pts, 19 rebounds, one assist and five steals. Other key players were Holloman (14 points, 2 rebounds), Driver (6 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists), Moffett (6 points, 1 assist, 1 steal), Randolph (3 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals) and Lands (1 steal), Hernandez (3 rebounds, 2 assists) and Sceales (1 assist, 1 steal).
