TRACY – Sierra closed out the 35th Annual Tracy Breakfast Lions/Tom Hawkins Girls Basketball Tournament with its third win in a row, outlasting Silver Creek of San Jose 44-43 to bring home the consolation championship trophy on Saturday.
“Going into league that is what you hope for,” Timberwolves coach Larissa Founts-Bergerson said. “You hope for games like that so you can be prepared for everything that could go wrong.
“This was one of those games where our shots weren’t falling as early as I would have liked them to but the girls fought through. I am proud of them.”
Trailing by one point with 3 seconds remaining, the Raiders (4-7) tried to get the ball the length of the court only for Lindsey Walljapser to intercept the desperation throw and save the win for Sierra (7-6).
Walljasper tallied a double-double with 11 points, 5 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
“It was a team effort,” Walljasper said. “So I do the best I can to help out my team and I am really excited for VOLs to come up because we have come a long way.
“On that last play it was obvious she was going to throw it so I just tried to do the best I could to get the ball.”
After six ties and two lead changes in the final quarter, the Timberwolves broke the last tie when Raiann Prieto (five points, six rebounds, three steals) hit the second of two free throws with 3 seconds showing on the clock.
“I was really nervous,” Prieto said. “I thought the first one was going to go in to set the tone, and then I missed it. But then I made the second one.”
Jordan Hayter (four rebounds, two blocks) led Sierra with 13 points and made three of her team-high five steals in the fourth quarter.
“The first thing to go through my mind on defense was to stay in front of them,” Hayter said. “And then after I got the ball I thought I was going to turn it over, and then after I laid it up I knew it was time to get back on defense.”
Silver Creek’s Logan Jew shared high-point honor with Hayter at 13.
Third place
East Union 55,
Carson of Carson City 48
Trailing by two points entering the fourth quarter, the Lancers (6-5) erupted for 23 points in the final period.
“We wrapped up a good tourney,” East Union coach Jim Agostini said. “We won three of four for third out of 16 teams. I’m happy with that.”
Julia Vezaldenos earned all-tournament honors and along with Hailey Gosney led the Lancers with 14 points. Kayla Montoya scored seven of her 14 points in the critical fourth period for the Lancers.
The Senators fall to 7-7.
Seventh place
Ripon 48, Enochs of Modesto 40
So much for the box-and-one defense.
The Eagles (7-7) employed that defensive scheme in an attempt to stop the Indians’ sharp-shooting sophomore Reina Sausedo and she torched them with 13 of her team-high 21 points with the rest of the load being distributed among seven other players.
“We had eight different people score tonight which helps to keep people honest and shows that we are not one dimensional,” Ripon coach Rick Inderbitzin said. “After halftime our defense kicked into gear limiting Enochs to five free throws for the third quarter which helped us maintain a lead throughout the fourth quarter.
“We are well aware some teams will try different things against us but we have been responding to what they give us. It was nice to finish the tournament with a win and now we need to get ready for league and every game will be important.”
Sausedo made the all-tournament team and Katie Kaiser scored six of her 10 points in the fourth period for Ripon (9-3).
West Coast Jamboree-Turquoise Division
Championship
Liberty of Brentwood 60, Manteca 48
VALLEJO – Kyaria Jacobs and Jayda Jackson each scored 15 points for the Buffaloes (7-5) and both were named to the all-tournament team at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School.
