MOUNTAIN HOUSE — Ripon Christian’s recent struggles extended into its Trans-Valley League opener against Mountain House on Wednesday.
The defending champion struggled with the Mustangs’ pressure defense and allowed 25 points in the fourth quarter before dropping a 57-50 decision.
“They started pressing and we turned it over,” Ripon Christian coach Mark Hofman said.
Ripon Christian (0-1 TVL, 9-5 overall) held a 37-32 lead at the start of the fourth before it quickly evaporated. Brett Thompson anchored Mountain House (1-0, 11-5) with 19 points, and fellow sophomore guard Nick Baluyot had 18.
Andrew Vander Weide made good use of his 6-foot-6 frame against the smaller Mustangs and tallied 21 points, but it was otherwise a challenging night on the offensive end for Ripon Christian. Reigning TVL MVP Zach Cortright contributed eight points.
“Andrew played well but we did not get scoring from enough sources,” Hofman said. “