Ripon had six- and five-game losing streaks during a challenging pre-league schedule but appears to now be trending in the other direction.
The Trans-Valley League’s reigning co-champion dispatched upstart rival Escalon 63-49 on the road Wednesday, getting double-doubles from seniors Bronson Burrow and Nolan Young.
“We controlled the game from the jump,” Ripon coach Justin Graham said. “The (lead) was always within 7-11 points but Escalon made a run in the third quarter. The guys responded well, battled hard and played through foul trouble to get the win.”
Leading 29-22 at halftime, the Indians (3-0 TVL, 6-11 overall) widened the gap to 14 in the third quarter, 38-24. Escalon (1-2, 11-7) quickly back thanks to 12 unanswered points powered by four 3-pointers split between Jack Anderson and Joey Fross.
Ripon carried a 50-43 advantage into the fourth quarter and held the Cougars to just six points the rest of the way.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Burrow ground out 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Young racked up 16 points, 10 boards and three steals. Logan Gillespie finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Anthony Sausedo chipped in four points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals.
The Indians will take their four-game winning streak to Hughson on Friday.
Lathrop 69, Beyer 68
This Western Athletic Conference thriller came down to the final seconds Wednesday in Modesto.
Samuel Stewart made the go-ahead bucket for the visiting Spartans (4-0, 7-8) with 4 seconds left, converting on an inbounds play. With a foul to give, Lathrop fouled to force the Patriots (0-1, 6-9) to go three-quarters of the court with just 1.9 seconds remaining. Jaelin Butler deflected the ball after it was inbounded, securing the win.
The senior center also led Lathrop in scoring with 18 points. Izaias White tallied 14 points, Stewart ended with 13 and Camryn Hayes had 10. Hayes got the Spartans going at the outset, hitting two 3s and scoring eight of his points in the opening quarter to help them stake a 16-12 lead.
