Manteca faced some tough competition before the new year to help prepare for Valley Oak League play.
Central Catholic may be the best of what the Buffaloes have seen, so far.
The Raiders from Modesto announced themselves as early favorites in the league opener Tuesday, blitzing Manteca from the outset and rolling to a 77-19 victory.
Central Catholic (14-0) scored the first 19 points of the game and did not allow a field goal in the opening quarter. The stifling defensive effort continued until the final whistle, as the Raiders shut out the home team in the fourth quarter with a running clock.
“Credit to them, they play really good defense,” Manteca coach Oscar Calix said. “They’re physical, aggressive and they’re not going to make it easy. I think our girls just really came out in the first quarter and got scared of the physicality. That can’t happen against a good team like Central.”
Central Catholic forced 14 turnovers in each of the first two quarters and 45 in total, coming up with 34 steals in the process.
Manteca (8-9) trailed 31-3 after the first and didn’t make a field goal until Saniyah Anthony scored off an inbounds pass from Jaesha Dunn 70 seconds into the second period. Anthony finished with five points and six rebounds, while Dunn assisted four of the Buffaloes’ field goals. Na’ima Calderon was the team scoring leader with six points.
The junior guard tandem of Ayla Parcon and Samantha Nichols starred for Central Catholic.
Parcon knocked down four of her team’s 12 3-pointers, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and nine steals. Nichols had 17 points, five rebounds and six steals.
Freshman Marissa Garcia added 13 points, seven rebounds and six steals off the bench. Hannah Garcia pitched in with 10 points, four assists and six steals.
“We’re young, so we have room to grow,” Calix said, adding that his primary ball handlers are three underclassmen — sophomores Lana Bondoc and Sari Lason and freshman Savannah Ramirez.
“I think that’s what we need, is to see pressure and for us to learn how to handle it. We have the whole week to get better.”
Manteca will travel to Oakdale on Friday.
