Varsity cagers take two of three, fall into second place

The varsity basketball Eagles fell from the ranks of the league unbeaten this week, sandwiching wins over Fort Bragg (65-46) and Willits (77-53) with a 69-59 loss at Clear Lake.
At press time Cloverdale (7-1, 16-3) was in second place in the NCL1 standings, one game back of unbeaten Clear Lake (8-0) and one up on Fort Bragg (6-2).
The Eagles will return from a three-game road swing on Jan. 29 against visiting Lower Lake (7 p.m.), followed by a Friday, Jan. 31 visit to Kelseyville (7:30 p.m.). Cloverdale will host St. Helena on Tuesday, Feb. 4 7 p.m.).  
Eagles take two
The Eagles began their latest stretch with a Jan. 21 trip to Fort Bragg, taking an early 14-6 lead before settling for a 27-24 edge at the half. The Eagles maintained a seven point lead after three and put the hammer down with a 20-8 fourth-quarter run in powering to a 65-46 win.
Junior center Josh Lemley led the attack with 29 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. Other top producers were Dylan Muller (18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals), Andy Herrera (6 points, 7 boards, 4 assists) and Spencer Hoover (2 points, 4 boards, 2 assists).
Cloverdale was locked in a dogfight in Friday’s visit to Clear Lake, taking a 22-19 lead after one. The Cardinals took control with a 17-9 surge in the second quarter to regain the lead at a 36-31 advantage. The Eagles stayed within striking distance down five after three, but Clear Lake closed it out with a 19-14 fourth-quarter run to notch a 69-59 victory.
Top scorers included Lemley (21 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks), Herrera (11 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals), Spencer Hoover (9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), Shayne Turner (8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal), Muller (6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal) and Logan Axell (4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals).
Cloverdale rebounded from a slow start in a Jan. 27 visit to Willits, erasing a 16-8 first-quarter deficit with a 34-12 explosion in the second period to grab a 42-28 halftime cushion. There was no let-up after intermission as the Eagles cruised to a 77-53 rout.
Lemley (19 points, 8 boards, 3 blocks) and Herrera (19 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 3 steals) led the way while other top scorers were Muller (15 points, 4 rebounds), Tyler Ruys (8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals), Hoover (5 points, 2 boards, 1 assists, 2 steals), Adrian Gutierrez (5 points, 1 rebound), Turner (4 points, 4 boards, 1 steal) and Axell (2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals).