Lathrop’s girls basketball team is off to its best start in program history.

On Thursday, the Spartans improved to 8-0 after holding off Fairfield 47-42 in the first round of the Tony Contreras Delta Queen Classic at Stagg.

They led 24-23 at halftime and maintained the advantage in crunch time by hitting five of six free throws. Senior forward Shakara Porter scored six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Fairfield (3-3) focused its defensive efforts on 6-foot- freshman Breanna Wiseman, who was limited to six points. That only opened up the perimeter for freshman guard Jaylah Seabron, who made the Falcons pay with three 3-pointers in the opening period and four total for the first half. She finished with 16 points.

Ja’Leiyah Ray contributed eight points, while Abby Renteria pitched in four points but came up with big rebounds on both ends.

Lathrop next faces Pitman tonight at 7. The Spartans’ 2018-19 team started that season with six straight wins.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Ripon Christian 58, Downey 49

In the second round of the Mark Gallo Invitational at Central Catholic, Ripon Christian (4-2) held Downey (4-3) scoreless for the final 4:45 of the second quarter to open up a 26-13 halftime lead.

A 10-0 run in the third quarter gave RC its largest lead at 40-21, but Downey made things interesting and cut the deficit to six, 47-41 with still 3 minutes remaining. Josiah Van Vliet ended the threat with a late 3-pointer.

Jake Vander Veen continued his torrid start to the season, scoring 24 points, five rebounds and six assists. Chase Bunnell added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Solomon Paris spearheaded Downey’s second-half comeback, scoring 12 of his team-high 14 points in the latter two quarters.

Ripon Christian squares off with tourney host Central Catholic in a winners-bracket semifinal tonight at 6:30.

Manteca 69, Ceres 43

The Buffaloes (3-5) rebounded from their lackluster opener in the Gallo Invitational, a 41-40 loss to Grace Davis, and its best game of the early season.

Freshman Isaiah Bravo made his varsity debut and led the onslaught with 18 points. Antonio Fraley fired 17, and Jeremiah Orona chimed in with eight.

Manteca next plays Calaveras tonight at 6:30 in a consolation semifinal.

Tennyson 46, Ripon 45

In the first round of the West Tournament, Ripon (0-4) battled back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter but came up short of its first win of the season.

Gino Calderara spearheaded the comeback charge, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the final period. The junior guard also collected five rebounds and four assists. Andrew Shaw and Tip Paini pitched in with nine and eight points, respectively.

Tennyson (2-1), of Hayward, was paced by 6-7 center Kayvon Bowie’s 15 points.

BOYS SOCCER

Enochs 2, Lathrop 1

The top-ranked team in the Sac-Joaquin Section took its first loss of the season in stunning fashion.

Unable to put away multiple clean looks in the first half, the Spartans (7-1-1) gave up the equalizing and go-ahead goals on set pieces in the second half.

Enochs (7-2) came into the non-league match ranked 13th in the section.

Andres Hurtado Garcia put away a header for Lathrop’s first-half goal.

Lathrop’s JV also dropped a heartbreaker, giving up a free kick as time expired.