COLFAX – After giving Sac-Joaquin Division IV top seed Colfax an early 11 point lead in the first quarter, the visiting Ripon Indians simply couldn’t overcome the margin in their first-round playoff appearance.

The Falcons outscored Ripon in each of the game’s four quarters to cruise to an 81-53 victory Wednesday.

“We just didn’t come to play,” Ripon head coach Rod Wright said. “We decided to come alive in the third and fourth quarters, but by then it was too late – the damage had already been done.

“We gave up too many easy buckets on defensive breakdowns and that hurt us a lot.”

Colfax’s 6-foot-9 center Ryan Salmonson, led the Falcons (24-4) offensively with his 21 point performance and was one of four players from the squad who finished the night in double digits.

Ripon’s Kody Wengel led the Indians (13-15) – who snuck into the post-season with the No. 16 seed – with 13 points, why offensive sharpshooter Matt Ratto was held to only nine points by a stingy Colfax defense.

But while the Indians clearly had their early troubles, never being able to get any closer than 12 points to the Falcons after the game’s first quarter, Head coach Rod Wright wasn’t as impressed with the Falcons as he thought he’d be.

“I think if they play like they did against us against (third-seeded) Modest Christian they’ll get torn apart,” Wright said. “I don’t think were as good as I thought they were going to be.”

Bear River 57, Ripon 36
GRASS VALLEY – With four players finishing the night in double digits, the Bear River Bruins (20-7) easily dispatched the visiting Ripon Indians 57-36 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs Tuesday.

The Bruin trio of Kelsey Smith, Whitney Uno, and Jenn Meylor – who all finished with 11 points – helped No. 5 seed Bear River outscore Ripon (16-11) in each of the game’s four quarters. Riley Pearson added 10 points to the team total.

“They were just quicker than us and we turned the ball over too much,” Ripon head coach George Contente said. “The long trip, the band, and the gym full of people affected us as the start, but still have to come out and play. We just didn’t execute.”

But the night wasn’t without one bright spot for the No. 12 seed Indians.

Senior Ripon center Lauren Feddersen managed to rack up 23 points and eight rebounds in a dominant performance that accounted more the majority of Ripon’s overall point total.

“They couldn’t stop her,” Contente said of Feddersen. “We kept feeding her inside and they had no answer for her until she fouled out. It was a great way for her to go out.”