Latest news with #ModestoChristian
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Modesto Christian's top scorer is Modesto Bee boys basketball Player of the year
Brice Fantazia said it was one of the best performances he's seen at Modesto Christian. Guard Gavin Sykes willed the Crusaders to victory in the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals against Lincoln. He relentlessly attacked the rim en route to a 45-point masterclass, his best performance as a Crusader and likely of his high school career. The win secured the Crusaders a spot in their fourth straight Division I section title game, keeping alive the hopes of the first D-I four-peat since Sheldon (2010-2013). All in a day's work for the back-to-back Tri-City Athletic League MVP headed to Long Beach State on scholarship next season. Whenever Modesto Christian needed him, Sykes came through, leading the Crusaders through a schedule packed with some of the best teams in California and the nation. They won some and lost some, but in all, they gained experience. After leading the Crusaders in points and securing his spot as one of the best guards one the West Coast, winning league MVP and powering Modesto Christian through a playoff run that included a trip back to the Open Division regionals, Sykes is The Bee's boys basketball Player of the Year. With graduations, preseason injuries and transfers, eight underclassmen were expected to step into bigger roles. Fantazia knew a heavier load would fall on Sykes and junior guard Myles Jones. The entire section took notice of the new Crusaders, and word spread that this season's MC squad might be vulnerable. Sykes was having none of it. In addition to his 45-point performance in the section semifinals, Sykes opened the season with a 38-point outburst against North Coast Section D-II champ Moreau Catholic; scored 37 points against Oak Park, Missouri's No. 1 team; and went toe-to-toe with Baylor-bound McDonald's All-American Tounde Yessofou, equaling his 25 points in a close game against St. Joseph. Against Sac-Joaquin Section teams during the regular season, Sykes and the Crusaders went 15-0. They were crowned undefeated Tri-City Athletic League champions for the third straight year. They earned the top seed in the D-I playoffs and rolled through the first three rounds of the section playoffs, reaching their fourth straight section title game, despite outside doubts. Though they lost in the title game to Folsom, they continued adding to their resume as the state's most successful Open Division program, reaching the state's top playoff division yet again. A few weeks after losing in the D-I section title game and in the first round of the Open, Sykes was able to reflect on the season. 'We felt like we had a good season. Obviously, the end is not what our standard is here, there's a higher standard as one of the better teams in NorCal,' he said. 'But we still did a good job. We were young this year, but we still accomplished more than what people thought.' Sykes finished the season top five on the Crusaders in points, rebounds, steals, blocks and threes made, and he was one of three Crusaders to make over 45 threes and shoot 40% or better. He was ninth in the section in points per game (22.4), eighth in field goals made (246) and fourth in free throws made (133) and he was fifth in all of California Division I in each category. Fantazia said multiple times during the season that Long Beach State is getting a steal of a player. Sykes' heroics continued to prove his coach right. Sykes had 11 total Division I scholarship offers and chose The Beach over the likes of hometown Sacramento State, Montana, Cal Berkeley and Sam Houston State. 'I want to take (basketball) as far as possible,' he said. ' I want this to be my job. Hopefully it can take care of me for the rest of my life. I'm excited to be at Long Beach. I'll be down in SoCal with some of my family. I'm very excited to get down there.' A transfer from Christian Brothers in Sacramento, Sykes burst onto the scene in Modesto during 2023-24 in his first game after sitting due to transfer rules, combining with Jones and others to take down Vanden in the Holiday Hoop Classic championship. That year, he led the Crusaders in scoring and powered them to a third straight D-I section championship. He sank De La Salle in the first round of the NorCal Open Division playoffs that year with a buzzer-beating game winner. 'He's one of my favorite players ever,' Fantazia said. 'Not because he's one of the best players ever here, but just the humility he has and the character he has. He's an amazing young man and I definitely wish I had four years with him.' JORDAN MAGANA, CENTRAL CATHOLIC When TP Wentworth, Wesley Payne and the rest of last year's talented, veteran senior class graduated, it paved the way for Jordan Magana to have a career year. That's exactly what he did. The junior in his third season as a varsity starter led the relatively inexperienced Raiders squad, averaging 17.3 points, 2.9 assists and 2 steals a game. A slow start included losses in the Raiders' first four games, but by the heart of the regular season, Magana had the team rolling through Valley Oak League play. The Raiders swept East Union, Manteca, Sierra, Oakdale and Patterson and were one bad game away from their third straight perfect VOL league title. After a 74-48 loss to Mountain House, they settled for a shared league title with the Mustangs. Magana was voted league MVP by the VOL coaches. A prolific shooter, Magana tied his career-high six made threes this season, finished 11th in the Sac-Joaquin Section in free throws made (103) and finished 11th of any D-III player in the state in threes made (78). He had nine 20-point games and scored 30 twice this season, including a career-high 31 against International High of San Francisco. He's already over 1,200 career points with a year of varsity basketball left. The fans noticed his seasonlong contributions as the Raiders' leading scorer, making him their choice for The Bee's Boys Basketball Fan Vote Player of the Year. Magana collected 14,208 votes, 45% of the over 31,800 votes in the poll. He finished in first ahead of Enochs guard Mason Galvan and Ripon forward Marcus Madoski. FIRST TEAM G — Myles Jones, Modesto Christian, Junior Committed to Stanford University, Jones took over primary point guard duties for the Crusaders, who went into the season as three-time defending Division I section champions. An All-Tri-City Athletic League first team member, Jones had plenty of bright spots during the regular season and playoffs, but few were better than his career-high 32 points in the Holiday Hoop Classic championship. Jones this season averaged career highs in points (13.5), rebounds (4.5) and assists (3.7). G — Jordan Magana, Central Catholic, Junior Magana stepped into a leadership role with the Raiders after last season's veterans graduated. He was named the Valley Oak League MVP after averaging 17.3 points, 2.9 assists and 2 steals a game, all team highs. He was the team's only double-figure scorer and led the Raiders to a co-VOL title along with new league member Mountain House. Magana averaged career highs across the board and scored a career-high 31 points in a nonleague game early this season. G — Avery Sanchez, Pitman, Senior Sanchez holds just about every boys basketball record at Pitman High school and ended an outstanding four-year varsity career averaging 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2 steals, all team highs. He led the Pride to a 19-1 start through their first 20 games, secured a playoff spot and a play-in game win. The All-CCAL first team member scored in double figures in 29 of 30 games. G/F — Curtis Harmon, Beyer, Sophomore Harmon burst onto the scene for Beyer, leading the charge in a historic season. He had one of the best individual seasons in school history, posting 23.4 points and 10.3 rebounds a game while leading the Patriots to a school record 25 wins. The Western Athletic Conference MVP, Harmon led the Patriots to an outright league championship and a 13-1 league record. During the regular season, Beyer won 13 straight games, a school record. F — Marcus Madoski, Ripon, Senior Madoski was arguably the best post player in the Trans-Valley League this season. The first-team All-TVL selection averaged an impressive 23.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks to lead Ripon to second place in the league. He more than doubled his points and rebounds totals from last season. In Ripon's lone Division IV playoff win over Union Mine, Madoski finished with an impressive 22-point, 13-rebound double double. F — Jayson Powers, Gregori, Junior Reaching 1,000 career points was just one of many milestones for Gregori's leading scorer this season. He led the Jaguars in points (17.1), rebounds (9.4) and blocks per game, posting career highs in each category, all while finishing seventh in the entire section in blocks per game (2.5). Named the Central California Athletic League MVP, Powers also led the Jaguars to a co-league title and their first 20-plus win season since 2019-20. SECOND TEAM G – Amos Cady, Ripon Christian, Junior G – Mason Galvan, Enochs, Senior G – Cole Martin, Pitman, Junior G – Jake Vander Veen, Ripon Christian, Junior G – Ross Widemon, Turlock, Senior F – Caynan Gardner, Davis, Senior Honorable Mention Beyer: Rodney Oliney, Reggie Jacob; Big Valley Christian: Titus Boone; Central Catholic: Manjot Mann, Amari Waterford; Central Valley: Jace McLennon; Ceres: Manny Ortega; Davis: JP Motta, Jaden Singh; Downey: Solomon Paris; Enochs: Kila Day, Louis Dill; Escalon: Ben Ferreira, Logan Huebner; Gregori: Raphael Rosas, Kaleb Smith; Hilmar: Aaron Solorio; Hughson: Jackson Gehrke; Johansen: Wilber Gaxiola, Ivan Martinez; Modesto: Andrew Poulsen; Modesto Christian: Ry Atkins, Trevor Dickson, Elijah Payne; Oakdale: Noah Zepeda; Orestimba: Devon Bell; Patterson: Jace Johnson; Pitman: Abhiraj Cheema; Ripon: Logan Lefebvre; Ripon Christian: Mason Tameling; Turlock: Dutch Lawrence ▪ How the teams were selected: The Bee's All-District teams were picked through observation with an emphasis on coach nominations and team playoff success. Players not on these lists were not nominated.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Riverbank's decorated star named Modesto Bee girls basketball Player of the Year
There's been a shift in Riverbank High girls basketball and Taylor Macias is at the center of it. The past four years, Macias has been a constant presence in the Bruins starting lineup and the driving force for winning. But it almost didn't happen. When she was in middle school at Modesto Christian, Macias told anyone who would listen that the Bruins were not an option. She planned to stay at Modesto Christian, play out her four years and win titles as a Crusader. Her master plan changed when Modesto Christian did not field a girls basketball team her freshman year and she enrolled at her local public school, Riverbank High, which before her first season, went 4-19 in 2019-20 and 4-5 in the COVID-shortened spring season. 'Instantly, it was raw talent,' said Riverbank head coach Janelle Luu of when Macias first got to the school. 'It's rare when a kid comes that can already dribble, pass and shoot and as a freshman was five-foot-eight. She was long and young and had so much potential for growth.' Four years after she stepped onto the Riverbank campus, she leaves as one of the school's most decorated girls' basketball players, both individually and in driving team success. During her senior season, the Bruins claimed their third straight 20-win season, appeared in their second section title game in three seasons and advanced to the NorCal playoffs. Before 2023, the last Riverbank girls basketball section title game appearance was 1985. During Macias' sophomore season, they went and she led them back as a senior. Both times, she did it as the team's leading scorer and steadying presence. During each deep playoff run, when the team needed an offensive lift, they turned to No. 2 and she delivered. 'When I wrap up my coaching career, she's going to go down as one of the best players I've ever coached,' Luu said. As a sophomore, Macias and then-senior Livi Fernandez were named co-Players of the Year. After leading Riverbank to its second section title game and third-straight NorCal playoff appearance, for the second time, Macias is The Bee's Stanislaus District girls basketball Player of the Year. Macias is the first girl to win the award back-to-back since Modesto Christian guard Brandi Henton won the award in 2009 and 2010. Macias and the Bruins moved to the Mother Lode League this season after the section's realignment and were less than 10 points away from an outright league title. A six point loss to Bret Hart meant the Bruins and Bullfrogs shared a co-MLL title, the third straight co-league title for Macias and the Bruins after leaving the Trans-Valley League as back-to-back co-champs. 'A lot of people think we make it far just because we're talented,' Macias said. 'But we work hard in practices.' The four-year varsity starter averaged 20 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, leading the Bruins through the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs. She scored more than 20 points in the quarterfinals and semifinals, earning Riverbank a trip back to the section title game at Golden 1 Center. Though they fell in a close game to Liberty Ranch, they advanced to the NorCal Regional playoffs. They fell in a first-round home game to Castilleja. Macias finished the season 10th in the section in points per game, seventh in field goals made (215) and sixth in threes made (76). Her senior season capped a legendary Riverbank career. In December she set a new school record for points in a game (48) and at the end of January, she became the first Bruin to score 1,500 career points. She also holds school records for career wins, wins in a season and points in a season. 'I feel like I worked hard for everything I've accomplished,' Macias said, 'and I feel like I reached some of my goals, not all of them. I could definitely improve for college.' As a freshman, Macias averaged a modest 13.8 points a game. She took off as a sophomore, though, putting up a team-high 15.8 points a game. After a down junior season, scoring 11 points a game, her 20-point-per-game senior season was a career high. 'The competitive edge is there, the work ethic is there, the concentration, being a good teammate,' Luu explained. 'All the pillars of being a great player, I saw that this year.' 'You talk about players that are building blocks and I think she's the first person to be monumental at this school. You look back in 10 years … and you reflect as life goes on, I don't know if there will be a player that comes close to her.' Next season, Macias will play for coach Rachel Finnegan at Modesto Junior College. She hopes to be like 2023 alums Reina Sausedo, Natalie Brown, Annie Winton and Krista Anderson, Mary Cotton and a number of other recent MJC alum, who all went on to play at four-year universities. KALIYANEI SAYKAO, DAVIS There's no 16-1 start, no playoff appearance and no 22-win season for the Davis girls basketball team without guard Kaliyanei (Kali) Saykao. She was the driving force behind the Spartans best season in almost 15 years that featured the most wins since 2011 (22) and the first 10-win season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. On the season, she averaged 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Spartans. Davis started the season with a nine-game win streak—the program's best start in over 20 years—and won a pair of tournament championships. Saykao, a career 1,000-point scorer, was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament at Johansen High School. She and the Spartans did not stop there. They shook up the Western Athletic Conference standings, going into the final three weeks of the regular season with just one league loss before falling in three of their last four. Despite the late-season struggles, Saykao, the WAC Most Valuable Player, and the Spartans did enough to reach the postseason for the first time since 2013-14. The fans noticed her season-long contributions at the head of Davis' turnaround, making her their choice for The Bee's Girls Basketball Fan Vote Player of the Year. Saykao collected 18,910 votes, 43% of the over 44,400 votes in the poll. She finished in first ahead of Ceres guard Lilly Staggs and Gregori guard/forward Veronica Whitten. FIRST TEAM G — Kylie Kulina, Beyer, Senior A Stanislaus State commit, Kulina is a four-year varsity starter who has scored over 1,200 career points. Just this season alone, she scored 423 total points (19.2 ppg) while averaging 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals. She was named the WAC Impact Player of the Year. G – Alanah Lopez, Gregori, Junior The Central California Athletic League MVP, Lopez is already a two-time undefeated league champion in just three varsity seasons. The Jaguars' leading scorer, she averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game while being one of the team's primary ball handlers. G — Leilani Olanolan, Riverbank, Junior The point guard and second leading scorer for the Bruins, Olanolan, made an instant impact in her first season for the Bruins. The Mother Lode League MVP averaged 18.8 points per game for the MLL co-champs. She was also No. 18 in California in made threes (93), 17th in the state in assists per game (5.6) and 15th in the state in steals per game (6). G — Kaliyanei Saykao, Davis, Senior A career 1,000-plus point scorer and this season's Western Athletic Conference MVP, Syakao carried the Spartans to their first playoff appearance since 2014. She averaged 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals per game. Saykao and the Spartans won at least 20 games for the first time since 2011-12 and finished with at least 10 league wins for the first time since 2007-08. A multi-sport athlete, Saykao is committed to play softball at NCAA Division II Regis University. G – Arianna Velasco, Escalon, Sophomore Velasco did a little bit of everything for the TVL's second place team. The league MVP, Velasco finished second on the team in points (13.9 ppg) and led the team in rebounds (8.8), assists (4.3), steals (5.1) and blocks (1.6) per game. F — Veronica Whitten, Gregori, Junior Whitten was named to the All-CCAL First Team after serving as Gregori's second leading scorer (8.9 ppg) and team leader in rebounds (7.9), steals (3.3) and blocks (1.3). She finished the season with six points and rebounds double-doubles and had her first career triple-double in a late-season league win over Enochs, tallying 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 steals. SECOND TEAM G — Madison Babasa, Escalon, Junior G – Audrey Pacheco, Gregori, Junior G – Lilly Staggs, Ceres, Junior F – Reagan Jamison, Davis, Junior C/F – Zadie Carraway, Downey, Junior G/F – Alyse Lomeli, Patterson, Sophomore HONORABLE MENTION Beyer: Alana Dancer; Big Valley Christian: Anni Boren; Central Catholic: Allie Abbate, Samantha Nichols; Ceres: Sovannary Carter, Arrayah Stallworth; Davis: Nima Kaur; Downey: Joslyn Sheppard; Enochs: Alivia Pierce, Maya Ramsay; Escalon: Aiden Hohenwarter; Gregori: Gia Brown; Hilmar: Emma Gomes, Sophie Stivers; Hughson: Reagan Barstow, Leah Hobby; Modesto: Eshrajjit Rai; Oakdale: Natalie Powell; Orestimba: Ashlynn Bell, Olivia Gray; Patterson: Takiya Hardin, Kailani Ortiz; Pitman: Aiyana Hosep, Elexi Pulido; Ripon: Kaylee Lehmkuhl, Shayla McKeon, Leila Sanchez; Ripon Christian: Reagan Vander Hoek; Riverbank: Aliyah Felix, Avah Luu; Turlock: Deja Cox, Isabella Moran ▪ How the teams were selected: The Bee's All-District teams were picked through observation with an emphasis on coach nominations and team playoff success. Players not on these lists were not nominated.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Modesto Christian has section four-peat hopes spoiled by veteran, skilled Folsom
Championship games are supposed to be tough, gritty and competitive. And the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game between No. 1 Modesto Christian and No. 3 Folsom was. All 32 minutes, the Crusaders and Bulldogs traded heavyweight blows. Transition layups and deep threes with the occasional and-one mixed in for good measure. And at the end of the night, the team that did the boring things the best won the game. Folsom made more timely shots, hustled to more loose balls, played better defense and came out with a hard fought 62-52 win to deny Modesto Christian the highly coveted four-peat. It would have been the Crusaders' 23rd section championship, widening the gap between them and the program with the second-most wins, Ripon Christian. 'Staying boring and doing the little things,' Modesto Christian guard Gavin Sykes said on what it takes to win championships. 'When you get here, you see all the lights and stuff and you get shocked. But rebounding, boxing out, all the little stuff really matters.' Modesto Christian's leading scorer on the season, Sykes finished with 15 points as the tall, athletic Bulldogs went the extra effort, making sure the Long Beach State-bound senior did not replicate his 45-point outburst in the semifinals that got them back to the section's biggest stage. Sykes was one of just three returning starters from last year's championship winning team, joining Myles Jones and Ry Atkins. 'We didn't make enough shots and we had 15 turnovers, you're not going to win a game playing like that,' Fantazia said. 'Our guys were waiting for superman to come save them and that didn't happen tonight. But it's not on Gavin. That's happened to all the greats. We wouldn't be here without him.' The greatest beneficiary of Folsom's anyone-but-Sykes defensive approach was Atkins, who finished with arguably the best game of his career, a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double. Trevor Dickson added 12 points, connecting on four of eight threes and Stanford-commit Jones added nine points and five rebounds. The Crusaders led 15-11 after the first quarter, but after a 19-point second frame, the Bulldogs took a 30-28 halftime lead. The Crusaders never led in the second half, playing Folsom even in the third quarter and scoring just eight fourth-quarter points to the Bulldogs' 16. Chase Rawlins starred for Folsom, connecting on a pair of first-half threes to spark a Bulldogs 9-0 run near the end of the second quarter, turning a Modesto Christian 23-20 lead into a 26-20 Folsom advantage. He also went on a personal 5-0 run in the fourth quarter to keep the Crusaders at bay. Rawlins finished with a game-high 25 points. Fantazia says the Bulldogs' depth took a toll on the Crusaders. Folsom's bench outscored Modesto Christian 23-0. Siyahe Siaisiai, a 6-foot-9 junior, scored 12 points and made two threes off the bench. 'There's a reason Mike Wall has over 500 wins, he's one of the best coaches in NorCal history. He was gonna come out with a plan and I think it was to kind of wear Myles out, wear Gavin out and it worked, hat's off to them,' Fantazia said. 'Their bench and them being older than us definitely played a part in the game.' After earning the school's first ever D-I three-peat last season, Friday night's loss ended the Crusaders' hopes at becoming the first team to four-peat in Division I since Sheldon in the 2010s. Fantazia has led the Crusaders against some of the nation's best teams over the past four seasons. They won a Northern California Open Division title over Campolindo in 2022, took on St. Joseph of Santa Maria and California's all-time leading scorer Tounde Yessoufou and took down nationally ranked teams along the way. The past three Crusaders outfits claimed section titles No. 20, 21 and 22. 'Us coaches were talking on the way up, for the past four decades, Modesto Christian has been arguably the best program in NorCal and we think this might have been the Golden Era of Modesto Christian in the last few years. … Coach Porter has been like another father to me, Richard Midgley has been like a brother to me. To be able to follow in their footsteps and keep Modesto Christian where it's supposed to be makes me proud.' Fantazia could not go out on top at the section level. After juggling coaching Modesto Christian and Modesto Junior College all season, the Crusaders' NorCal run will be his last on the Crusaders sidelines. Next season, Chris Teevan will take over full-time and Fantazia will focus strictly on the MJC program. After a heartbreaking loss Friday night, Fantazia turns around and coaches the No. 4 Pirates in the 3C2A Northern California playoffs Saturday night at home. He says he doesn't know if he would do it again, but there is no doubt he has given his all to both programs. Folsom and Modesto Christian will each advance to the CIF Northern California postseason. Brackets will be released on Sunday. Both teams could be in the Open Division, playing against the very best in California. Jones reflected on the loss and explained what it would take to rebound and make a run in the Open. The Crusaders have been one of the most successful teams since the open division began around a decade ago. 'Obviously, it's hard to shake off, this is a really tough loss,' he said. 'But we'll do our best to use it as motivation for our next game so we don't have this type of feeling again.'
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Central Catholic, Mountain House battle for top spot in the VOL standings
At the end of the highly anticipated Valley Oak League matchup between No. 1 Central Catholic and No. 2 Mountain House, all Raiders' coach Mike Wilson could do was tip his cap. After a back-and-forth first half, the Mustangs came out of the halftime break firing on all cylinders, starting the third quarter on an 11-3 run with three threes. Central Catholic won the first matchup of the season in overtime, but that glimmer of hope was all Mountain House needed to spark a 26-10 third quarter Mustang advantage and, ultimately, a 74-48 win Friday night at the Mark Gallo Health and Fitness Center. 'In the second half, they went on their runs, and I don't think they ever stopped,' Wilson said. 'They were hot and they shot the ball well, so congratulations to them.' The first half was a mirror of the first Raiders-Mustangs matchup in Mountain House. Neither team held a double-digit lead. Central Catholic jumped out to an early 15-9 advantage, prompting a Mountain House timeout, but by the end of the frame, the Raiders held just a 21-19 lead. Shamar Jones tied the game at 24 in the second quarter on a putback layup with 6 minutes, 29 seconds left. The Raiders outscored the Mustangs 14-10 for the rest of the quarter and went into the half on a last-second jump shot by Manjot Mann. The second half was dominated by the Mustangs after they opened the third on a backbreaking run. Mountain House connected on eight threes in the second half alone. The Mustangs' offense was firing all cylinders but the defense was more impressive. They held the Raiders to 10 second-half points, all of which came in the third quarter. After outscoring Central Catholic by 16 in the third, the game ended with a 14-0 Mustangs fourth-quarter advantage. Mann's play in the first half was a bright spot for the Raiders. The senior finished with a career-high 21 points, with 17 coming in the first two quarters. He also led the team in second-half scoring, with four points in the third. 'That's the best game he's had all year,' Wilson said. 'He was very aggressive, even on the boards, it wasn't just the shooting. Defensively, he was strong. The midrange around the top of the key, that was open for him.' Though they will not finish with a perfect VOL record, Wilson says the Raiders understand their season is not over with one loss. In the final week of the regular season, they host rival Manteca and then travel to Sierra. In the postseason, they will likely have a first-round home game, as they are ranked No. 5 in the MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section Division III standings. 'The message is it's not over,' Wilson said. 'They're not taking this as the end of the season.' Modesto Christian 81, Tracy 53: The Crusaders led 39-34 at halftime but outscored Tracy 32-17 over the next quarter and a half to secure the blowout win and remain perfect in TCAL play. Modesto Christian earned its 20th overall win and takes on St. Mary's on Wednesday on the road. Orestimba 66, Hughson 59 (2OT): The Warriors earned their third TVL win this season, beating Hughson on the road in a two-overtime thriller. Orestimba has won three of its last four contests to bounce back from a nine-game skid. Ripon Christian 47, Escalon 44: The Knights trailed 23-16 at halftime of the low-scoring home game against Escalon, but outscored the Cougars 20-9 in the third quarter to regain the lead. They used that momentum to earn their ninth TVL win and 20th win overall. Amos Cady scored 17 points, Mason Tameling and Chase Bunnell added 10 apiece. The Knights beat Ripon on a last-second layup by Jake Vander Veen and have won seven straight heading into the regular season's final week. Linden 60, Riverbank 43: The Bruins fell to 0-7 in MLL play with Friday night's loss. Linden is 5-3 in league play entering regular season's final week. Bret Harte 81, Big Valley Christian 56: The Lions fell to 13-9 overall and 2-6 in league play with Friday night's loss. Big Valley Christian has lost three of its last four MLL games and looks to bounce back in the final week of the regular season against Summerville and Riverbank. Patterson 46, Manteca 38: Patterson is 5-3 in its last eight games after Friday night's league win over Manteca. The Tigers bounced back from a 78-54 loss to the Buffaloes earlier this season to split the season series. Beyer 70, Pacheco 34: The Patriots clinched at least a share of the WAC title Friday night, improving to 11-1 in league play and 23-3 overall. Next week's games against Ceres and Lathrop are the final contests before the postseason. Davis 46, Ceres 38: Davis maintained its second-place standing in the WAC with a key late-regular season win. In their last eight games, the Spartans have lost just once and look to close out the regular season strong against Pacheco and Johansen. The Spartans are looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Oakdale 60, Sierra 43: Oakdale picked up its second VOL win, beating Sierra, which is still searching for its first league victory. The Mustangs are a game under .500 and have matchups against Patterson and Mountain House next week. Turlock 73, Downey 53: The Bulldogs led 19-17 after a competitive first quarter but outscored the young Downey team to secure a 20-point CCAL win. Turlock is fourth in the league, with a 4-4 record. Ripon 57, Sonora 41: Ripon bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to rival Ripon Christian with a road win over Sonora to move to 8-2 in league play. Ripon travels to Escalon and hosts Hilmar in the final two regular season games. Enochs 60, Pitman 59: Enochs claimed sole possession of first place in the CCAL, moving to 7-1 against league opponents thanks to a pair of last-second, game-winning free throws. Enochs takes on Gregori and Downey in its final two league matchups. Riverbank 69, Linden 4: Riverbank moved to 8-0 in the Mother Lode League with the blowout win over Linden. The Bruins travel to Bret Harte on Tuesday. Riverbank won a closely contested 58-55 in their first league matchup. Escalon 64, Ripon Christian 21: Madi Babasa scored 27 points and Ari Velasco added 20 as the Cougars easily handled Ripon Christian at home Friday night. Escalon is now 15-10 overall, 7-2 in league and has a five-game win streak headed into the final week of the regular season. Gregori 61, Modesto 20: Gregori stayed perfect in CCAL play Friday night with a dominant win over Modesto. The Jaguars won their last eight games. They host Enochs on Tuesday and travel to Hilmar on Thursday in the regular season finale. Ripon 32, Sonora 25: The Ripon girls basketball team remained perfect in TVL play with Friday night's home win over Sonora. The Indians have won 11 straight games and finish out the regular season against Escalon and Hilmar. Hilmar 0, Hughson 0: The Yellowjackets and Huskies tied in Friday's TVL showdown. Hilmar is 5-2-4 in league play and Hughson is 5-2-5. Escalon 2, Ripon 0: Dominic Murillo and Jesse Gomez scored goals and Brody Abbott and Adrian Velazquez added one assist apiece as Escalon moved to 2-6-3 in TVL play on the season. Goalies Angel Perez and Preston Brehorst combined for seven saves and the shutout. Ripon Christian 5, Orestimba 4: In a high-scoring affair, Drew Meester and Noah Debruyn scored twice and Ben Miller scored once for Ripon Christian. Alfredo Figueroa finished with a hat trick and Bryan Carmona added one score for Orestimba. Hilmar 4, Hughson 0: Brisa Gonzales finished with a hat trick and Raylynn Mendoza finished with one goal and one assist in the Yellowjackets' seventh TVL win. Teygan Horstmeier, Lilly Brewer and Alyssa Colston also had assists. Kayden Elston tallied a save in the shutout. They are in third place with a 7-2-2 record and will play the regular season finale Monday at home against Ripon. Ripon Christian 1, Orestimba 0: Alanna Blanco scored the game's only goal and Morgan Schenk had four saves and held the Warriors scoreless in the TVL win. Each of the Knights' last seven wins have been shutouts. Ripon 3, Escalon 1: Ripon won its 13th straight game and improved to 11-0 against TVL opponents with three first-half goals. The Indians are an impressive 10-2 at home overall this season.
