Mustangs return home Saturday to play Windsor in sectional third-place game
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MIDDLETOWN >> There was no coming back from the 27-8 quarter the St. Patrick-St. Vincent Bruins threw at the Middletown Mustangs in the first half of their North Coast Section Division 4 semifinal-round playoff game Wednesday night in Middletown.
That second-quarter surge carried the Bruins, the No. 11 seed playing their third straight road game, to a dominating 74-48 victory over the host Mustangs.
“The second quarter got out of hand for us,” Middletown head coach Jake Diehl said. “They hit four 3s and two alley-oop dunks. That team obviously plays year-round ball. Hats off to them.”
That was just too much for the Mustangs (23-7), who were down 20-12 coming into the second quarter.
Diehl said he couldn’t fault the effort of his own team because it was simply outmatched by the St. Patrick-St. Vincent squad, one that moved up from Division 5 to play in the Division 4 playoffs.
“Our boys played tough through the last whistle,” Diehl said. “I’m very proud of them. I always ask for max effort and they gave that tonight.”
Anthony Bowerman and Bodhi Moore finished with 11 points apiece to lead the Mustangs while Jasiah Pike added eight points and Jon Hawkins and Cody Perez had six each.
While St. Patrick-St. Vincent (14-13) advances to the championship game Saturday against No. 1 seed Piedmont, the Mustangs return home to host Windsor High School in the third-place game Saturday night at 7 p.m. The winner receives a berth in next week’s NorCal playoffs, part of the CIF State Championships.
Diehl said there’s really no time for the Mustangs to reflect on the loss to St. Patrick-St. Vincent with the Jaguars (14-15), the third Division 2 team they’ll face in the playoffs, headed to town.
“Absolutely,” Diehl said following Wednesday’s game. “We are back to work tomorrow to prepare to play for third (place).”
GAME NOTES: Bowerman and Perez each had two 3-pointers in the loss to St. Patrick-St. Vincent … Middletown needs one more win to break the school record for most wins in a single season … Middletown has already beaten two Division 2 teams in the playoffs – Arroyo High School of San Lorenzo (opening round) and Mission San Jose of Fremont (quarterfinals) … With Kelseyville’s loss to International in the Division 5 semifinals on Tuesday, Middletown was the last hope for Lake County to end what is now a 36-year drought of no section titles in boys basketball. The last team to do it was Clear Lake in 1989 … It’s single elimination from here on out as the next loss ends your season … An old saying says that if you’re still playing basketball in March, you’ve done good, and the Mustangs have accomplished that.
