By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Turnovers thwart Timberwolves
Bret Hate capitalizes on giveaways to pull away for win
Bret Harte-Sierra girls basketball
Sierra's Olivia Werner (13) gets a shot off in front of Bret Harte's Ariah Fox (5). - photo by Photos by SEAN KAHLER

Sierra and Bret Harte combined to turn the ball over 61 times Thursday night, and the host Timberwolves had the lion’s share with 35.

That helped Bret Harte pulled away after a tight first quarter for a 45-30 non-league girls basketball win.

“We usually force the other team to commit turnovers,” Bullfrogs coach Billy Reid said. “But tonight we are a little short-handed. We have three starters out but that’s no excuse, we just wanted to keep everything going.

“I give a good shout-out to Sierra because they played hard especially after what happened to them last night.”

The Timberwolves (3-4) lost on the road at Calaveras 70-27 on Wednesday.

“We know that they had just lost a hard game and we didn’t try to run the score up or anything like that,” Reid said. “Sportsmanship is the main thing. I can’t believe that happened, but that shouldn’t have happened.”

The two teams battled to a 9-9 tie at the end of the first quarter, due partially to Sierra forcing eight turnovers and committing just five with Brianna Parker making five steals and scoring all five of her points in the opening period for the Timberwolves.

“She’s a quick player and she reads the court very well,” Sierra coach Trisha Werre said of Parker. “She is good at anticipating and getting in there to get the good steal.

“We are definitely happy with that.”

Bret Harte had their own version of Parker in Ariah Fox. The Bullfrogs junior made seven steals, seven rebounds and six points. Teammate Kadyn Rolleri had an unconventional double-double with 12 points and 10 steals.

“She is a very good athlete,” Reid said of Fox. “She always plays on the week side for us. She lurks around there and gets a lot of steals. She is a high jumper, a long jumper, and she is Rick Fox’s niece.”

After the first quarter the defense stiffened for the Bullfrogs (7-3) as they forced 14 turnovers in the second quarter when they outscored the Timberwolves Sierra 16-2 and Sierra added another 10 turnovers in the third period. 

“We just have to do a better job of taking care of the ball,” Werre said. “We get out there and we get a little bit frazzled and the ball turns into a hot potato.

“We have to learn to calm down and make the good passes.”

Grace Langenfeld (six rebounds) led the Timberwolves with nine points followed by Abigail Chapman (five rebounds, three steals) with seven points and Alexandra Chapman (eight rebounds) with five points.

 

Junior varsity

Sierra 49, West 17

In a game that saw the Wolf Pack limited to single digits in every quarter, The Timberwolves’ Marissa Gonzalez outscored West by 11 with 28 points.

Sierra’s Taylor Zalunardo and Maddie McGuire added seven points apiece.