Hawkins scores 19 for Mustangs, Malicay 16 for Cougars in NCL I varsity action
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MIDDLETOWN >> A 14-5 fourth quarter made all the difference for the Middletown Mustangs in a 45-34 victory over the St. Helena Saints on Tuesday night during a battle between last season’s North Central League I varsity boys basketball co-champions in Middletown.
Middletown (4-1 league, 11-6 overall) won its sixth straight and is now in sole possession of second place in the NCL I standings, one game behind undefeated Kelseyville (5-0) and one game ahead of Clear Lake (3-2).
While the Mustangs struggled at times against St. Helena’s 2-3 zone, Middletown finally figured it out in the fourth quarter, pulling ahead for the double-digit win. It was 31-29 in the Mustangs’ favor entering the final period.
“Most impatient game we’ve played this season,” Middletown head coach Jake Diehl said.
Jon Hawkins led the way with 19 points, including a slam dunk in the first half, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks while center Emmitt Lloyd finished with a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double. Jasiah Pike added six points, six rebounds and two steals while Willie Tadder had five points.
While junior point guard Harrison Brown didn’t score, Diehl said his contributions in other areas were critical to the Mustangs’ success against the Saints. He led the team with six assists, and he also had two steals.
“I am very, very, very proud of that kid,” Diehl said. “It’s almost like he’s a senior playing in a junior’s body. He’s a mature junior who understands the game real well. He’s learning he can also be a facilitator.”
Middletown hits the road Friday to play Upper Lake.
In junior varsity action, Middletown won its third straight, beating St. Helena 40-30 behind 16 points and five steals from Jovial Najd, seven points and four steals from Koa Johnson, and five points and three rebounds from Jonah Perez.
Middletown (3-2, 6-4) outscored St. Helena 11-2 in the fourth quarter, accounting for nearly all of its final margin of victory.
In other NCL I boys action Tuesday:
Upper Lake 61, Lower Lake 56
At Upper Lake, the Upper Lake finally won a close game – and a league game — and there were no shortage of heroes for the Cougars (1-4, 6-9).
“We had a two-point lead in the fourth quarter when their kid (Wyman Hallman) hit three 3-pointers in a row to put them up by seven,” Lower Lake head coach Jay Jakubowksi said.
Wyman finished with nine well-timed points.
“Finally got that win in a close one,” Upper Lake assistant coach Thomas Santana said. “Our defense and the offensive rebounding (15) put us ahead most of the game. Tj Malicay continued to do Tj things tonight not only on offense but on defense as well.”
Malicay had a team-high 16 points to go along with a team-best nine steals and five offensive rebounds. Landen Robinson added 14 points, and Shaun Way had 11 points and seven rebounds.
“Wyatt Hallman came in and hit three 3-pointers to put us back ahead and completely changed the momentum,” Santana said. “Off the bench, Antario Wymen provided a lot of defense to help secure the win down the stretch. It feels good to get over the hump.”
Sophomore Noah Hakala’s 21 points and 15 rebounds led the Trojans (1-4, 7-9) while Tucker Benson added 12 points and six rebounds.
“We played pretty competitive basketball for three quarters and took the lead in the fourth,” Jakubowski said. “We played pretty well overall, but we turned the ball over a lot.”
Upper Lake (1-4, 6-9) hosts Middletown on Friday while the Trojans return home to take on Clear Lake.
In the JV game, Lower Lake won 51-43 behind 18 points from Roy Percoats, 12 from Adrian Guzman and 10 from Zaidenn Welch.
“Bradley Lahr and Zane Maninger really showed up tonight in the post area,” Lower Lake head coach Latoya Fortino said. “We played good defense tonight and it paid off. They both had some amazing blocks and worked hard.”
Lower Lake improved to 2-3 in league and 9-6 overall while Upper Lake to 0-5 and 0-9.
“Everyone got to touch the floor at one point and contributed to the overall win, which is great because we win together and we lose together,” Fortino said.
