Manteca’s boys basketball team took care of business Friday in Tracy with its 54-45 win over Kimball, setting up a Valley Oak League first-place showdown.

The Buffaloes (3-0, 13-7 overall) welcome fellow defending co-champion Central Catholic (3-0, 13-5) next Wednesday.

Evani Gaeta burned Kimball (1-2, 11-10) for 19 points and seven rebounds, while Peyton Neiman added 17 points and eight boards. Santiago Sanders contributed six points and five rebounds.

Manteca carried a 21-20 lead into the second quarter and controlled the pace from there, holding the Jaguars to just six and nine points in the middle two periods.

Ripon Christian 74, Livingston 22

The Knights (2-1 Trans-Valley League, 12-6 overall) bounced back from their heartbreaking, last-second defeat to Escalon with a thrashing of Livingston (1-2, 6-13) of home.

Ripon Christian ended the first quarter with a 20-1 lead, and eight of its nine players contributed to the scoring.

Mason Tameling led seven Knights players in double figures with 16 points, four 3-pointers, five rebounds and four assists. Luke Crivello collected 12 points, three 3s and three assists.

The Knights dominated in the post, behind Jace Beidleman’s 11 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks; and Walker Postma’s 10 points and 10 boards.

Amos Cady contributed 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jake Vander Veen pitched in 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

BOYS SOCCER

Ripon Christian 2, Le Grand 2

Two days after tying one of the top squads in the Southern Athletic League, the Knights (1-3-2, 4-9-3 overall) drew again Friday in a more disappointing result.

Host Le Grand (1-5-1, 2-10-2) knotted it in the 68th minute.

Ripon Christian scored both of its go-ahead goals in the first half. Noah DeBruyn found Jack Dooley for the first goal, and Drew Meester’s penalty kick late in the half gave the Knights a 2-1 halftime lead.

GIRLS SOCCER

Lathrop 3, Los Banos 0

Janessa Ward, Morgan Penko and Enriquez-Lopez each scored at Los Banos as the Spartans (4-0-1, 7-4-1 overall) remain in first place in the Western Athletic Conference.

JV girls soccer

Lathrop 4, Los Banos 0

Sarah Vivero struck for two goals, while Ariana Garcia and Jena Otero added one apiece.

Frosh boys basketball

Central Catholic 40 Sierra 37
Sierra (2-2 VOL, 10-7 overall) got eight points apiece from Isaac Kempf, Isaiah Revives and Karanbir Bhandal in the defeat. Kempf also snagged 11 rebounds.