Kelseyville drops non-league road contest to Del Norte Warriors
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CRESCENT CITY >> Digging themselves a big hole early, the Kelseyville Knights battled back but couldn’t quite catch Del Norte High School, falling 62-54 in a non-league varsity boys basketball game Friday night in Crescent City.
Kelseyville (6-6) fell behind 20-9 in the first quarter but closed to within five points of the Warriors (11-2) later in the game.
“We would make a run to get close, but they would answer our run with one of their own to go back up by nine,” Kelseyville head coach Oscar Lopez said.
Another slow start by the Knights was largely because of the team’s play on the defensive end.
“We fell asleep on defense,” Lopez said. “We were slow, lacked focus, couldn’t communicate, and it hurt us.”
The first of two games during a northern road swing for the Knights, who play at Eureka 3:30 p.m. Saturday before heading home, Kelseyville closed to 30-21 at halftime. Del Norte had a 45-34 edge after three quarters.
Kyle Watkins scored 10 of his team-leading 20 points in the fourth quarter in an attempt to rally the Knights.
“He came to play,” Lopez said.
Watkins had one of 10 3-pointers by the Knights, who also received nine points from Brock Barrick and Gene Holdenried, and six from Ryder Leary.
Del Norte also won the junior varsity game 36-24. Gordon Astrup led the Knights with seven points and Joey Watson had five. Kelseyville’s JVs play Eureka on Saturday at 2 p.m.
