The Ripon Indians did not allow more than six points in any quarter and got 10 points from junior forward Anandjap Dhami en route to a 35-14 win over River Islands in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV girls basketball play-in game Monday night.
The victory for the 16-seed Indians (14-15) earns them a trip to top seed Central Catholic tonight.
“Our defense really has carried us all season, so it’s fitting how we won tonight,” Ripon coach John Scheid said. “Getting this win was big for this team, and now we go into tomorrow with nothing to lose against a really good team.”
The game marked the first postseason game in the history of the River Islands (10-18) program coached by former Ripon standout Jessica Hutton.
“It meant a ton coming back to play this game here, of all places,” Hutton said. “Our girls were looking at old photos of when I played here in the foyer before the game — it’s just really nostalgic coming back here.”
The play-in game between two young squads was a rematch of a non-conference tilt just over a month ago that saw Ripon cruise, 48-27. While a 21-point margin would again separate the two sides, Hutton’s Riptide showed early they were up for the challenge in front of them.
River Islands forced seven Ripon turnovers in the first quarter on the way to a 6-5 lead going into the first break.
The Riptide would stretch its lead to 10-5 midway through the second quarter after leading scorer Octavia Orndoff (nine points) completed a three-point play. A timeout from Scheid seemed to stem the tide, as his Indians finished the half on a 7-0 run capped by a last second three-pointer from sophomore guard Kaitlyn Sana, who scored all five of her points in the second frame. Ripon would take a 12-10 lead into the half.
“I was so proud of the way we competed, especially there in the first half,” Hutton said. “We had some things not go our way, but they never stopped fighting. To go from a last-place team a year ago to leading on the road in a playoff game is just a huge step for us and a testament to all of the hard work these girls are putting in.”
While its defense continued to stifle the Riptide, Ripon started to figure things out on the offensive side. Junior guard Savannah Richardson (eight points) was a catalyst in getting the ball moving for the Indians, who found success finding Dhami inside.
“We were a little stagnant there in the first half but got the ball in everyone’s hands after halftime,” Dhami said. “Credit to our guards beating their pressure and then getting us in good spots with the ball so we could finish down low.”
Consistent Ripon pressure driving to the basket combined with good positioning on the boards put River Islands in foul trouble for most of the evening. The Indians scored three points from the line in the third and managed to stretch their lead to 21-13 going into the final intermission.
Scheid gave Ripon fans a sign of things to come for his program as he started the fourth quarter with freshman Ana Vasquez leading the back court. Vasquez would provide an immediate spark scoring five points, coming up with three steals, and recording an assist in just eight minutes of play.
“Ana was great for us late,” Dhami said. “She is so quick and forces the defense to make decisions that help us all get open. She really got our offense going in the fourth quarter.”
The Indians scored 14 points in the final quarter, while allowing just a lone Riptide free throw to finish the game.
Ripon ended on a 30-4 run after finding itself down 10-5 in the second quarter.
“Hopefully, that last 16 minutes is a sign of things to come for us offensively,” Scheid said. “We know CC is going to bring pressure, but with the depth we showed at guard today, we should be able to withstand it and put some points on the board. Whatever happens, I am proud of this group and excited about what is to come for our program.”
Tipoff from Central Catholic will take place at 7 p.m.
