Varsity cagers off to hot hoops start

The Eagles served early notice of great things to come last weekend, taking two of three games in the Redwood Classic Basketball Tournament hosted by Anderson Valley in Booneville.
The Eagles kicked off the tourney on Dec. 5 against Laytonville, taking charge from the opening tip en route to a 78-41 victory.
Cloverdale got plenty of offensive production from its “Big Three” of returning veterans, as Isiah Warren (30 points), John McMillan (18 points), and Shane LaPant (11 points) all played well for the Eagles.
“It was a good overall performance by the team,” commented Eagles coach Steve Bernardi. “We shot well, and played good defense.”
Cloverdale squared off against a strong Stuart Hall squad in Friday’s game two of the tournament, struggling to find the range from both inside and around the perimeter.  The shooting woes resulted in a rout as Stuart Hall powered to a 72-44 win.
Pacing the attack were Warren (15 points), LaPant (14 points), and McMillan (13 points).     
“We played a good team but did not help our cause shooting 15 for 55 from the field,” Bernardi noted. “A lot of the misses were easy shots.”
The Eagles finished the Redwood Classic on a strong note, using an outstanding defensive effort to turn back a game Bradshaw Christian squad en route to a 46-33 victory.
Warren earned All-Tourney honors with a team-high 20 points, while McMillan chipped in 15 points for the Eagles.  
“We played great defense against a good team, a good way to end the tournament,” Bernardi said, citing a fine defensive effort by Axay Patel. “We need to continue to find a way to make simple plays.”
McMillan Holiday
Invite on tap
The Eagles (2-1) will host the annual John McMillan Holiday Invitational Basketball Tournament in Cloverdale on Dec. 12-14.