RIPON — Tyler Goslinga wasn’t crowned king during Ripon Christian High’s 51st annual Homecoming festivities before the boys basketball team’s final non-league contest against Summerville Friday, but the 6-foot-8 center later pieced together a performance fit for one.
Goslinga powered the Knights to a 55-43 victory, grinding out 19 points and 12 rebounds to go with four steals despite Summerville’s focused efforts to stuff him in the paint.
Ripon Christian, ranked No. 1 among the Sac-Joaquin Section’s Division V schools by Maxpreps.com, goes into Trans Valley League play at 13-2.
Zach Roberson turned in 18 points and nine boards to lead the Bears (5-9).
“These last four games were tune-ups for league, and league is a lot tougher,” Goslinga said. “(Summerville) gave us a good test. They’re big and aggressive and play good defense.”
The win was RC’s seventh straight since losing to Linden in the championship game of its own tournament Dec. 19. The Knights ended up winning the rematch Tuesday 47-36 and took two of three non-league games against the Lions.
Ripon Christian goes into its league opener at Riverbank next Tuesday with some momentum behind it, but coach Ron Vander Molen hoped for a better performance Friday.
While the defensive effort was there, the offensive execution wasn’t, said Vander Molen.
“We have to play better in league than this,” he said. “I don’t think we played particularly well. The shots weren’t falling in the first half, and we weren’t playing together as a team.
“I’m happy with how our defense has progressed, but the last two games our offense hasn’t really clicked.”
The Knights got off to a slow start, scoring just five points over the first 5-plus minutes of the game. Ripon Christian made its move when perimeter threat Daniel Van De Pol got his stroke going.
Van De Pol scored 11 straight points, a stretch that started with 1:14 left in the first half and ended with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter, for the Knights to push them ahead, 32-26.
Steve Vander Molen hit a 3-pointer with 5:33 left in the game to increase the lead to 48-34, RC’s largest until the final minute.
Ripon Christian forced 21 turnovers on defense and held Summerville scoreless for a 3-minute, 44 second span late in the fourth quarter
Van De Pol ended up with 15 points, and Logan Vos, who converted two key and-1 sequences in the second quarter, finished with 10.
“We had some distractions with Homecoming tonight, so hopefully we can regain our focus because the slate is clean now,” coach Vander Molen said. “If you told me we were going to be 13 and 2 in the preseason, I’d take it, but now that doesn’t have much bearing.”
