The Sierra High boys basketball team began its defense of Columbia College’s Robert Dominic Fuchs Classic championship with a 63-54 victory over Enochs of Modesto Wednesday in Sonora.
The Timberwolves (8-2) captured their seventh consecutive win in the process, but it didn’t come easy. Trailing 32-27 at halftime, they turned up the intensity on the defensive end to garner control of the ballgame.
Enochs (5-10) was outscored 15-8 in the third quarter, and in the fourth Sierra used a 21-point barrage to race away.
Tim Thornton led the charge, hitting five 3-pointers for his 15 points. Will Ward took charge in the post and scored 14 points, and guard Emmanuel Elijah added 13.
Sierra gets a stiff test in today’s semifinal showdown with Central Catholic (11-2), which is led by 6-foot-9 center John Fenton. The game tips off at 3 p.m.
Central Catholic 67, Manteca 34
It was a one-day appearance for Manteca (7-6) in the Fuchs Classic, and it was a rough one.
The Raiders blew open a 16-7 first-quarter lead and never looked back.
Ben Odell pumped in nine of his 11 points in the second half to pace the Buffaloes, who will open the Valley Oak League season next Tuesday at Kimball.
“We are 0-0 going into the (regular) season,” Manteca coach Dave Asuncion said. “We have to continue to improve and work hard. The bottom line is we really didn’t compete today.”
Oakdale Rotary Classic
Ripon Christian 52, Riverbank 58
The Knights (7-3) lost to undefeated Riverbank (10-0) for a second time in nonleague play, this time in the opening round of the Oakdale tournament.
Sophomore standout Rolaun Dunham fired 27 points for the Bruins, 19 coming in the first half. They were ahead 35-20 at the break.
Ripon Christian, which shrunk the deficit to four late in the contest, was led by Josh Van Groningen and Danny Vos, who poured in 13 points apiece. Jared Gosling and Jon Vander Molen each chipped in with 10.
The Knights tangle with the loser of the Chavez-Grace Davis contest at 3:30 today.
Bruin Shootout
Bear Creek 50, East Union 39
The Lancers (6-4) could not recover from a rough start, as they trailed 32-18 for their largest halftime deficit of the season so far. Bear Creek (5-7), the tournament’s host, led by as much as 21 in the second half.
Sophomore forward Jake Danhoff kept them within reach in the early going, scoring eight of the team’s nine in the first quarter. He ended up with 10 points.
The Bruins were spearheaded by Dwayne Lee’s 13 points and face Heritage of Brentwood in the semifinals. East Union takes on Stagg at 4:30 in the consolation bracket.
