UPPER LAKE — Reserve guard Kilyah Whipple provided the spark the Upper Lake Cougars were looking for to start the second quarter Thursday night against the Sonoma Academy Coyotes in the North Central League II and regular-season finale for both of these varsity girls basketball teams.

Upper Lake High School's varsity girls basketball team takes possession of its second straight North Central League II championship pennant after a 52-30 win over Sonoma Academy on Thursday night in Upper Lake. (Courtesy photo)

Whipple buried a 3-pointer and the Cougars went on to have a big quarter while pulling away to beat the Coyotes 52-30. The NCL II winners received their championship pennant after the game, giving Upper Lake's girls teams a sweep of the league in 2022. It also was the second straight title for head coach Mike Smith's varsity squad.

"They set a nice standard for us," Smith said of his players, most of whom played on the 2020 championship team. "It definitely feels good."

The Cougars (9-0 league, 19-2 overall) will learn Sunday where they have been seeded, who they are playing and where in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 5 playoffs Tuesday.

"I expect to be between four and six," Smith said when asked where the Cougars might be seeded in the 16-team field.

While Whipple, a freshman, kick-started a 16-5 second quarter for the Cougars with her 3-pointer, Smith said Zoey Petrie had seven of her team-leading 14 points in the quarter, including a 3-pointer, while Maddy Young's defense stopped the Coyotes cold.

"Young's defense was insane, she was a dynamo out there," Smith said.

Heaven'Lee Loans Arrow also hit a 3-pointer in the second quarter as the Cougars went into halftime up 26-15.

Upper Lake gradually added to its lead in the second half.

"(Maddy) Noble's rebounding and (Taylar) Minnis' toughness inside were huge in the second half," Smith said.

Noble had nine points in the win while Minnis, Loans Arrow and Whipple all finished with seven.

Upper Lake's JV girls closed out their season with a 37-29 over Victory Christian Academy, led by nine points, five assists and three rebounds from Nya Marcks.

Rainy Minton added eight points and nine rebounds while Kali Minnis had six points and four rebounds as the Cougars wrapped up the league championship.

In other girls action Thursday:

Clear Lake 45, Cloverdale 43

At Lakeport, junior center Montana Wells connected from 8 feet away after Clear Lake inbounded the ball against the Cloverdale Eagles with .3 seconds left, and the Cardinals closed out league play and the regular season with their sixth straight victory.

Montana Wells launches the game-winning shot against Cloverdale with no time left on the clock Thursday night in Clear Lake's 45-43 victory over Cloverdale. (Photo courtesy of Trett Bishop)

Cloverdale tied the score with eight seconds left after breaking Clear Lake's press. Clear Lake's Sierra Bruch raced down the court after taking the inbounds pass and her underhanded shot was deflected out of bounds by the Eagles. The clock continued to run after the ball went out of bounds and was stopped with .1 remaining. The officials conferred and put .3 seconds on the clock.

Sydney Howe inbounded the ball and the Cardinals used Sierra Bruch as a decoy to clear out the area for Wells, who shot the ball over a Cloverdale defender as time expired.

"Nothing but net," Clear Lake head coach Phil Psalmonds said of Wells' game-winning shot. "I think I jumped 10 feet in the air."

Psalmonds said it a fitting way to honor the team's three seniors — Howe, Zoey Pepper and Norr Descamps — all of whom were introduced before the final home game of the regular season. Howe and Abby Mertle led the Cardinals with 13 points apiece followed by Wells with 11.

"None were bigger than those final two," Psalmonds said of Wells' point total.

Clear Lake and Cloverdale players follow the flight of Montana Wells' shot with no time left on the clock. (Photo courtesy of Trett Bishop)

Pepper added six points.

"Cloverdale played their hearts out," Psalmonds said of the Eagles, who took a 37-36 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals (10-3, 13-9) will now await Sunday's North Coast Section at-large and seeding meeting to find out who and where they will be playing Tuesday in the opening round of the Division 5 playoffs.

"Sure would be nice if we could sneak in there with the eighth seed and get a home game," Psalmonds said. "But we're happy just to be in it."

Clear Lake held off Cloverdale down the stretch to eke out a 40-39 win in the JV game. Quincy Paarsch hit several clutch free throws down the stretch for the Cardinals. Lilianna Cruz led the team with 18 points and Paarsch, who went 5-for-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, had 14.

Middletown 51, RUP 27

At Middletown, having already clinched the outright NCL I championship, the Middletown Mustangs were able to rest their starters and give their reserves plenty of minutes in an easy win over the Roseland University Prep Knights.

Middletown's Paige Astley drives to the hoop in a 51-27 win over Roseland University Prep on Thursday night in Middletown. Astley finished with eight points for the North Central League I champions. (Photo by Bob Minenna)

Middletown (12-0, 17-5) outscored RUP 13-0 in the first quarter and never looked back.

"We jumped out in front and stayed there," Middletown head coach Andy Brown said.

Mia Hoogendoorn's 10 points led the Mustangs, Jaidyn Brown added nine and Paige Astley had eight.

Middletown's four seniors — Georgia Guerrero, Paige Astley, Allison Brown and Ella Rockwell — were honored prior to the game.

Middletown wraps up league play and the regular season Saturday in Kelseyville.

The Mustangs also won the JV game, 62-29, as Bella Santiago rolled up 26 points. Abby Tacla added 14 points and Brooklyn Wood had 12.

Lower Lake 67, St. Helena 39

At Lower Lake, Terilyn Jo Jermany's 20 points and 14 rebounds powered the Lower Lake Trojans against the St. Helena Saints on senior night at the Lower Lake gym.

One of those five seniors honored was Jermany, who was joined by Margarita Cordova (17 points), Sonja Desano, Kyleigh Mock and Kyra Womack, who missed the season with an injury. Mock missed the game in COVID-19 protocol.

Lower Lake (4-7, 6-13) outscored St. Helena 25-12 in the first quarter and had a 39-20 lead by halftime as head coach Shannon Tubbs used a mix of starters and reserves all game against the winless Saints (0-11).

Tiahna Tubbs added 16 points in the Trojans' win, including three 3-pointers.

Lower Lake hosts Fort Bragg on Friday night (varsity game only, tips off at 6 p.m.) and plays Roseland University Prep on Saturday afternoon in Santa Rosa to close out the season.

"I think we can get the next two," Lower Lake head coach Shannon Tubbs said of the Trojans' final two games of the 2021-22 season.

Lower Lake's JVs beat St. Helena 40-30 behind eight points apiece from Jenna Johnston and Atasah Oppus and seven more from Ayla Ales.

Lower Lake improved to 4-5 in league and 8-9 overall.

Willits 51, Kelseyville 27

At Willits, the Kelseyville Knights lost to the Willits Wolverines in NCL I action, dropping Kelseyville to 1-11 in league and 1-18 overall.

No other game details were available.

In the Knights' 44-36 loss to Fort Bragg on Wednesday in Fort Bragg, Larue Furlani led the way with 22 points and Lilly Wiser added seven points.

"Larue was on fire," Kelseyville head coach Bonnie Thomasson said. "Emily Sandoval was the player of the night for us defensively by shutting down (Lucy) Kendricks."