Sierra scored the final nine points of the game, only for host Manteca to hold on for a 50-47 girls Valley Oak League basketball victory on Thursday night.

“It was a little too close,” Buffaloes coach Oscar Calix said. “Discipline and details determine who is going to win or lose, and at the end, we started playing a little undisciplined on defense and not paying attention to details, and that is what made the game closer than it should have been.”

The Timberwolves (2-2 VOL, 9-9 overall) led 26-24 at halftime but tanked in the third quarter, missing five free throws and getting clobbered on the boards with Manteca (1-3, 9-11) grabbing 16 in the quarter to just seven for Sierra.

“It was very frustrating to both watch and coach at times tonight,” Timberwolves coach Rudy Valencia said. “We talk about taking care of the ball, rebounding and defending at a high level.

“I thought our defense was OK, but we certainly could not rebound that ball. I tip my hat to their No. 10 (Jaesha Dunn). She was right there and kept putting it back up and their energy was way higher than ours. It felt like nothing could fall. I don’t want to take away from the win they got but that was probably one of our worse-executed games this year.”

Dunn (20 points, 16 rebounds, two blocks, assist, steal) was a force all night and especially in the third quarter with eight points — four on put-backs — and five rebounds.

“It’s all about going up,” Dunn said. “This year I have definitely been struggling with getting rebounds and going up but today I was about being strong and gong up and put it back, no matter if I drew a foul or not.”

Saniyah Anthony (12 points, eight rebounds, assist) came out from under the basket to drain a pair of 3-pointers for the Buffaloes in the first period.

“As a big I usually don’t get those 3-point opportunities,” Anthony said. “But in practice I have been working on it and I saw my opportunities so I took them.

“It felt good to make them finally.”

Teammate Na’ima Calderon flirted with a double-double, scoring 10 points with nine rebounds and four steals.

Isabellah Crabb paced Sierra with 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals, to blocks and an assist. Tessa Zalunardo added 12 points, seven steals and two assists with Felisa Cruz-Olenhouse chipping in eight points, seven rebounds and an assist.

Saturday afternoon at 1 the Timberwolves host Patterson and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Manteca hosts East Union.

Junior varsity

Sierra 41, Manteca 31

The Timberwolves’ Ekan Khehra led all scorers with 21 points.

Jill DeCosta paced the Buffaloes with 19 points, five rebounds and a steal.

Freshmen

Kimball 52, Manteca 22

Alina Awan scored 11 points for the Buffaloes with six rebounds, four blocks, four steals and two assists.