RIPON — Practice paid off for the Timberwolves.
Sierra High coach Martha Spivey revealed that her team worked on the low-post moves prior to Tuesday’s non-league contest at Ripon Christian, including blocking out on rebounds.
The result s of that was a 44-40 victory.
“They got a lot of second-chance points,” said Knights coach Ed Mulder of the Timberwolves’ efforts in the second quarter.
That’s when his team was outscored 16-5 with Kayla Wilson leading the way. The senior captain for Sierra scored most of her 15 points in that span.
“Our defense created for our offense,” said Spivey.
She added: “We finished off our shots and we got good open looks (at the basket).”
The Timberwolves (2-0) led 10-9 after the opening period, increasing their margin 26-14 at the half thanks to their strong second-quarter showing.
“I challenged our girls at halftime to do a better job blocking out (on the boards),” Mulder said.
Ripon Christian (2-3) took the challenge to heart and slowly climbed back into the game.
Baskets by Elizabeth Weststeyn, Molly Hoeksema and Jessica Van Vliet cut into the deficit, 32-25. But Sierra responded with pressure defense sparked by senior guard Devi Coglio, who capped off several second-half steals with uncontested layups.
She finished with a game-high 16 points.
 Down 36-26, the Knights opened the final period with Hoeksema burying a trey. But the Timberwolves’ Wilson was quick to respond by drilling one from beyond the arc.
Ripon Christian finished out strong, outscoring Sierra 8-2 as time expired. Nicole Graham caught fire, hitting 7 of her team-high 14 points.
Jessica Orozco chipped in with 11 for the Knights.
The Timberwolves relied on defense down the stretch with Lindsey Walljasper coming up with a pair of a rebounds and a block in the final minute of the game. She added eight points.
“It’s always good to play a good team in the preseason,” Mulder said, praising the play of Sierra.
What’s more, he was pleased with his team’s improved play in the second half.
“They showed a strong desire to win,” Mulder added.

Sophomore
Sierra 40,
Ripon Christian 14
Yessica Salcedo scored 12 points for Sierra, while Renae Heida accounted for half of Ripon Christian’s production with seven.