Mustangs top Credo at home, Cougars defeat Laytonville on the road
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MIDDLETOWN >> Bodhi Moore’s 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and strong efforts from Jon Hawkins and Anthony Bowerman lifted the Middletown Mustangs to a season-opening 49-38 win over Credo in non-league varsity boys basketball action Tuesday night in Middletown.
With the game tied 24-all at halftime, Middletown (1-0) went on to outscore Credo 25-14 in the second half.
“We played tight in the first (quarter), were a bit sloppy in the second and then buckled down the defense and played the second half much better,” Middletown head coach Jake Diehl said. “We are a young team still learning about each other.”
Hawkins contributed eight points, a team-high 16 rebounds as well as four blocked shots. Bowerman added eight points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. The Mustangs also received eight points apiece from Jasiah Pike and Harrison Brown.
Middletown opens against Elite Charter in the St. Helena Tournament on Thursday. The tournament runs through Saturday.
Middletown’s junior varsity squad rolled past Credo 81-26 behind 22 points from Cody Perez, who made four 3-pointers, and 10 points and 10 rebounds from Nalu Johnson, his second double-double in as many games for the Mustangs (2-0) this season. Emmitt Lloyd added eight points.
Middletown led 18-6 after one quarter and never looked back.
John Finney, Leland Pike and Kolton Costlow also sank 3-pointers for Middletown.
The Mustangs play Point Arena on Friday in the opening round of the Lower Lake JV Tournament.
In other boys basketball action Tuesday:
Upper Lake 59, Laytonville 27
At Laytonville, James Beaux Stiritz scored 14 points while Delaney Allison, Jerod Rosales and Jonathan Barnes each had eight as the Upper Lake Cougars opened a new season with a road win against Laytonville.
“We played great defense but struggled on the offensive side,” said Upper Lake’s Tony Arroyo, who is beginning his second tour of duty as the Cougars’ varsity head coach. “We just couldn’t get our offensive sets going.”
Landon Robinson, a junior, wasn’t among the team’s leading scorers but was player of the game for Upper Lake, according to Arroyo.
“He might not have led us in points, but his defensive intensity led to fastbreaks and so many turnovers,” Arroyo said.
Arroyo also was pleased with the play of Stiritz.
“Beaux came out a little slow but late in the first quarter he just got going,” Arroyo said.
On his team’s initial effort of the 2024-25 season, Arroyo added, “Being a very senior-heavy team definitely helped us get ahead with just our experience in playing ball. We’ve got to continue to improve in all aspects as a team, but it’s all coming together.”
Upper Lake also won the JV game, 62-21. TJ Malicay led the Cougars with 16 points, Wes Wyman added 11 and Carey Swaney had 10.
Upper Lake’s JVs are entered in the Willits Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
