RIPON — The East Union defense was suffocating Monday night, forcing host Ripon Christian to turn the ball over 31 times in a 53-25 Lancers win in a Sac-Joaquin Section Foundation basketball game. This is the 13th year for the Foundation games which provide funding for the Section’s A. Dale Lacky Scholarship program. This year, 152 games were played at 81 different sites in the section with the results not counting in the teams’ records. Lathrop visited Golden Valley, while Weston Ranch took on Lincoln in doubleheaders. The Sierra girls hosted Sonora.
East Union set the tone early, forcing eight first-period turnovers.
“For the first game, and for playing everybody, things worked out pretty well,” Lancers coach Jim Agostini said. “The things that we have been working on showed pretty well, especially on our traps.”
East Union totaled 21 steals, with Ruby Dauby and Olivia Vezaldenos each getting six.
“It was great team defense,” Vezaldenos said. “And because of that great team defense I was able to get those steals.”
Vezaldenos also had six rebounds and three blocks, and shared high-point honors with Adrianna Wood at 11. Wood pulled down six rebounds and made two steals.
“We have been working hard in practice,” Wood said. “We are trying to get better each day.”
The Knights scored the first four points of the game and midway through the first quarter the Lancers took the lead for good on a layup by Dauby (eight points, six steals, five rebounds). After falling behind early, East Union outscored Ripon Christian 24-6 the rest of the first half and the Lancers forced 10 turnovers in the second period.
“When they picked up the pressure a bit they kind of took us out of our game,” Knights coach Ed Mulder said. “We are young and this is what we wanted – we got some experience and it didn’t cost us anything.”
Bailey Broker led Ripon Christian with eight points and Pam Radach had seven rebounds.
Four East Union players had a 3-pointer apiece: Dauby, Vezaldenos, Jordyn Posz and Jessica Pablo.
Ripon 49, Manteca 46
At Ripon, Zaire Davis scored eight of her 11 points in the fourth quarter to propel the Indians’ victory. Ripon outscored the Buffaloes 22-13 in the final period.
Cara Brown added 11 points, while Jourdy Ricther hit three 3-pointers for her nine points. Elizabeth Tolbert paced Manteca with 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Buffaloes missed 19 of their 41 free-throw attempts.
