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Cougars stay unbeaten in league play
GHOOPS - WRvsSierra PIC5 for 1-25
Weston Ranchs Elisabeth Alexander takes the ball to the basket against Sierras Kristen Maestretti (32) Friday night at Weston Ranch. - photo by JOHN-JOEL GRIFFITHS/The Bulletin

WESTON RANCH – Four Weston Ranch players almost outscored the entire Sierra girls basketball team during Friday’s 70-56 Valley Oak League victory over the visiting Timberwolves (2-4 VOL, 10-9 overall).

Elisabeth Alexander, A.J. Brown, Rauline Martinez and Victoria Gulley combined for 53, as the Cougars improved to 6-0 in league, 13-5 overall.

“Usually everyone has a decent night,” said Brown, who finished with 14 points, three boards and two steals. “When we move the ball, everyone gets a chance to score.”

Weston Ranch led 32-24 at the half and went on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter. The Cougars led by as many as 19 in the third, but Sierra didn’t throw in the towel.

Senior Celine Barber led the T’Wolves with 19 points and ended the third frame with a 3-pointer that cut her squad’s deficit to 14. Sierra pulled within seven during the fourth after freshman Alison Edwards (six points) hit a triple that made it 54-47.

“We’re disappointed, but I’m really proud of them,” Sierra head coach Martha Spivey said. “We came in prepared. We had a game plan that we executed for the most part. It’s when we had a lapse in rotation or didn’t box out was when they were able to score.”

After Edwards hit her first trey, Weston Ranch answered with an 8-0 run to stretch its lead back to 15. Kristen Maestretti (11 points) and Edwards both hit 3s that made it a 12-point game late in the fourth.

“We had chances to fall apart, and Sierra made a couple runs,” Weston Ranch head coach Chris Bauer said. “But we didn’t. We kept our resolve and were able to push through.

“Multiple players stepped up on defense. On offense, we moved the ball better in crunch time instead of playing one-on-one -- and that was big for us.”

All five of Weston Ranch’s starters scored in the first quarter, where Sierra took over six minutes before scoring its first bucket on a 3-ball from Barber. To start the second half, Sierra took near four minutes to find its first bucket, totaling 10 minutes of scoreless stretches to start the two halves.

Weston Ranch led by 10 after the first quarter and led 18-9 in the second after Brown drilled a trey.

“The game was up and down,” she added. “We missed a lot of shots and it kind of set us back. But we were able to pick it up and keep playing through.”

Gulley scored all of her 11 points in the second half. She also hauled in 12 rebounds. Martinez finished with 13 and Alexander finished with 15 to go with four assists, two rebounds and six blocks. Weston Ranch, which will play Kimball (5-1, 16-3) on Tuesday, went 12 of 23 from the free-throw line while Sierra shot just 4 of 7.

The Timberwolves, who visit Lathrop Tuesday, also received eight points and eight boards from senior Allie Walljasper. Kayla Wilson finished with 10 points and grabbed four boards.

“The goal is to ultimately win league,” Bauer concluded. “But we approach it every day, and you have to be prepared for the next game. It’s the VOL -- anything is possible.”

Sophomore

Sierra 49, W. Ranch 41

Trayana Davis snapped and scored 29 points (four 3s) and also had two assists, two steals and three rebounds for the Timberwolves (3-3, 13-6). Devi Coglio finished with 16 to go with two rebounds, four steals and four blocks. Cecilia Salcedo pitched in with 11 rebounds and five steals against the Cougars (3-3, 10-8).

Freshman

W. Ranch 47, Sierra 32

Jaylene Tauga led all Cougars with 21 points and Vanessa Vega added 10. Nichole Bigornia tallied nine points as Weston Ranch picked up its first VOL victory.