Middletown, Clear Lake, Lower Lake all win in Friday tournament action
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HEALDSBURG >> Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, is a day the Hoodendoorn sisters, senior Mia and freshman Izzi, won’t soon forget.
While both made significant contributions in Middletown High School’s down-to-the-wire 48-46 win over the Ukiah Wildcats on Friday night in the consolation semifinal round of the 75th annual Redwood Empire Invitational Basketball Tournament at Healdsburg High School, both paid a price before the day was out.
Mia Hoogendoorn scored 24 points to lead the Mustangs (6-2), hitting the final point of the game from the free-throw line after drawing a foul as time expired in the fourth quarter. She was involved in a minor traffic incident earlier in the day while driving to school, bruises showing on both arms as she ran up and down the court against Ukiah.
“It was very painful,” Hoogendoorn said of her day on the court. “I have whiplash. My hips, back and neck hurt. I just had to play through it.”
Hoogendoorn, who scored her 1,000th career point earlier this season and moved past 1,100 points with the 24 she scored against Ukiah, said nothing has come easy at the Healdsburg tournament where she went up against Justin-Siena 6-foot-1 senior center Jordan Washington on Thursday night in a 50-24 first-round loss to the defending REIBT champions.
“She’s very tough,” Hoogendoorn said of Washington, who led the Braves with 20 points despite playing less than half a game. “You can’t stop her.”
Hoogendoorn said she had no idea what her pain level would be like Saturday when Middletown plays either Tamalpais or Cloverdale in the consolation championship game at 2 p.m.
While Mia survived the Ukiah game battered and bruised, sister Izzi wasn’t as fortunate. Though she came up with a key play late in that game, wrestling the ball away from a Ukiah player with Middletown clinging to a 45-44 lead and 1:32 left, the back of her head hit the floor hard in a wild scramble for the ball, and she also was accidentally stepped on by a Ukiah player, according to teammate Jaylee Doris, who would come through big for the Mustangs a little bit later in the game. Hoogendoorn left the floor with assistance and did not return.
Mia Hoogendoorn said she didn’t know how serious her sister’s injury was but said that if she had to leave the game, it’s worth nothing. “Because she’s tough.”
The final 92 seconds turned out to a be a wild ride for both teams. Middletown turned the ball over with 1:23 left but Ukiah missed a wide-open baseline jumper for the lead. Another Middletown turnover with 55.4 seconds gave the Wildcats a second chance to push in front, but they missed a shot from right underneath the basket. In the battle for the rebound, players from both teams grabbed the ball and the jump ball possession went to Ukiah.
The Wildcats missed a third straight shot moments later, Middletown grabbing the rebound. As Doris was advancing the ball up the floor, she was fouled by Ukiah’s Samantha Wood, her fifth foul. Middletown was in the team bonus and Doris went to the free-throw line where she drained two shots, catching all net with each one to give the Mustangs a most-welcome three-point lead of 47-44 with only 10.1 seconds remaining.
“I just block everything out and focus on the shot,” Doris said of her late-game heroics. “Those were big shots,” added teammate Mia Hoogendoorn said. “I’m very happy to have her as my teammate.”
And the excitement wasn’t over yet. Ukiah had plenty of time left to tie the game with a 3-pointer, and a 3-point shot rimmed out as the final seconds ticked off the clock. While a Wildcats player came down with the rebound she made the mistake of laying it into the basket for two points instead of kicking the ball back outside for another 3-point try.
With a 47-46 lead, Middletown brought the ball inbounds with 1.5 seconds left. Mia Hoogendoorn took the inbounds pass and was fouled just as the final buzzer sounded. She hit the second of two free throws with no time left to make it 48-46.
Leading 17-10 after one quarter, 29-24 at halftime and 38-35 through three quarters, Middletown fell behind 40-38 on a Wood basket with 6:10 remaining, the first of four lead changes in the fourth quarter. Ukiah had as much as a 42-38 lead when Izzi Hoogendoorn scored with 4:34 remaining to make it 42-40. Doris then buried a 3-pointer with 3:32 left to put Middletown back in front 43-42, part of her 11-point effort. Ukiah moved back in front 44-43 on a shot down low with 3:08 to go.
The final lead change occurred with 1:48 remaining. Mia Hoogendoorn stole the ball and drove inside for a basket to make it 45-44.
Harley Holley finished with six points, Izzi Hoogendoorn had five and Jordyn Harbison two for the Mustangs.
In other girls basketball action Friday:
Clear Lake 42, Calistoga 34
At Calistoga, Faith McIntire made it three double-doubles in a row as the Clear Lake Cardinals beat tournament host Calistoga in the winner’s semifinal round of the Gene Duffy Holiday Classic at Calistoga High School.
McIntire led the Cardinals (4-2) with 13 points and 19 rebounds while also adding four steals. Clear Lake plays Willits for the championship Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Jazmin Wiebusch added 10 points and three steals as Clear Lake won its third straight. Kam Cresto finished with four points, eight rebounds and three steals while Emily Gersalia had four points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Clear Lake built a 25-11 halftime lead before Calistoga began to battle back in the second half.
Lower Lake 55, Maxwell 21
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans scored 35 points in the first half while cruising past Maxwell in the first round of the Lower Lake Classic, split between Lower Lake’s two gyms.
“Tonight, we shared the basketball, playing against a young Maxwell team,” Lower Lake head coach Shannon Tubbs said. “We were able to work on some things and get some scoring in.”
Lower Lake (3-3) plays twice on Saturday – against Point Arena at 2 p.m. and against Upper Lake at 5 p.m. – as the tournament wraps up.
Lower Lake’s defense was on top of its game with 28 steals, eight of those by Irianna Milano, who also had eight points. Jamiya Lee-Ayers added a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Trojans in both categories, while Brooke Wilson had nine points. Mary Wilson and Brooke Benson finished with seven points each.
Point Arena 49, Upper Lake 45
In another first-round game at Lower Lake, the Point Arena Pirates withstood a strong second half by Upper Lake, and especially, Aubrey Suzor, to beat the Cougars (1-3).
Trailing by 13 points at halftime, Upper Lake roared to life in the third quarter as Suzor scored 10 points.
“She had a really good game,” said Upper Lake assistant coach Don Meri, who was filling in for head coach Raelene Cromwell.
Aimee Schaefers added 12 points and Ashlyn Rhodes, in her first game back since sustaining an injury earlier in the season, had five.
Upper Lake briefly led, 41-40, in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars play Maxwell at 12:30 p.m. and Lower Lake at 5 p.m. in Saturday action as the tournament concludes.
Oroville 41, Kelseyville 39
At Oroville, on a night when the Kelseyville Knights were missing one of their top players, they just missed advancing to the finals of the Oroville Tournament, falling to host Oroville in a winner’s semifinal-round thriller.
Kelseyville (2-5) plays Gridley for third place Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
“The girls played their hearts out and fought back in the second half,” Kelseyville head coach Tim Conrad said. “We picked up our defensive intensity, which turned the game around.”
Kelseyville had another rough game from the free-throw line, according to Conrad.
“If we make just a couple more, we win the game,” Conrad said. “The missed free throws and scoring only two points in the second quarter were the issue tonight.”
Oroville outscored Kelseyville 11-2 in the second quarter to open up a 22-12 halftime lead.
Ashlyn Wurm’s 14 points powered the Kelseyville offense while Matisyn Mateer added 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Nyejzniya Krohn added seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Cali Schnabl had five points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Kelseyville was without Olivia Hommer (illness).
“We fought and gave ourselves several chances in the last minute to tie the game or take the lead,” Conrad said. “We just came up short.”
Lower Lake JV 37, Point Arena JV 15
Lower Lake JV 48, Upper Lake JV 17
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake junior varsity girls beat Point Arena and Upper Lake in the first two rounds of the Lower Lake Winter Classic, which runs through Saturday.
Khaya Chaney’s eight points and seven apiece from Leanna Ortega and Lily Milano led the Trojans (5-2) against Point Arena. Madelyn Garner added six more.
“We played a little slow, but we ran the plays and all of the girls put in work,” Lower Lake head coach Jessica Wiley said. “We pulled down 46 rebounds as well.”
In Lower Lake’s win over Upper Lake, Garner and Chaney led the way with 15 and 13 points, respectively, and Ortega had eight.
“We got to go through some complete offensive sets and had excellent ball movement,” Wiley said. “We were able to rotate through the team and trust that they would work well together. This game gives us a lot of hope for the rest of the season.
Lower Lake wraps up tournament play Saturday with an 11 a.m. game against Clear Lake.
Clear Lake JV 47, Maxwell JV 13
At Lower Lake, Avery Fiske’s 12 points and 11 more from Amy Barrigo-Rico propelled the Clear Lake JV girls team to a win over Maxwell in the opening round of the Lower Lake Trojan Classic.
All eight Cardinals found the scoring column.
Clear Lake plays Lower Lake at 11 a.m., Upper Lake at 2 p.m. and Point Arena at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
