Taylor Snaer and East Union took out their frustrations on Ripon in the seventh-place game of the Tracy Breakfast Lions/Tom Hawkins Tournament on Friday.
The fourth-year standout busted out for a new career-high 36 points, as the Lancers overcame an early 10-point deficit and won decisively 68-48 at Tracy High’s Swenson Gym. Freshman guard Nylah Dyson backed Snaer’s eruption with 20 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Kailee Inderbitzin netted 10 points, six assists and five rebounds for Ripon (5-7).
East Union (11-4) was coming off losses to Golden Valley and Gregori the previous two nights, and Snaer was on the bench with foul trouble for much of both contests. The team struggled without its best player and continued lackluster play Friday when the Indians (5-7) shot out to a surprising 14-4 lead.
“I just reminded them of the last two games we had,” Snaer said. “I was like; we can’t do this again. We had to get this win, and we have to get it together. I mean, who likes losing?”
Snaer totaled 43 points in East Union’s first three games of the tournament and managed to put away 16 in limited minutes before fouling out Thursday against Gregori. On Friday, she would not be denied, knocking down three 3-pointers, making seven of 10 from the free-throw line and getting the rest through dribble penetration and short-range jumpers.
She also had seven rebounds, seven steals, four assists and a block.
“The last two games, she was on the bench with four fouls,” East Union assistant coach Rick Marsh said. “She was ready to explode. Her shot has been looking better and better. I knew she was going to have a game like this, and today was that game.”
Marsh filled in all tournament for head coach Jim Agostini, who is recovering from an illness.
The turning point for the Lancers came midway through the third quarter. Trailing 38-37, Snaer and Dyson combined to score 13 unanswered points, and Ripon committed 12 of its 27 turnovers in the period.
“Our defense picked it up,” Marsh said. “I challenged them at halftime. “Yeah, they’re making shots, but we weren’t guarding them very well either. I changed the defense, got us out of the zone and challenged them to get out on their shooters.
“The reason I went to the zone is because they were beating us off the dribble in the first half. We couldn’t pick them up full court and we couldn’t guard them in the half court, so we went to the zone and it worked for a little bit, then they started going crazy. I said we’re just going to have to roll the dice here, but I don’t want to sit here and watch somebody step into another 3.”
Ripon started with its best half of the season, so far, scoring inside and out while recording 11 assists. The Indians only had three assists in the second half, as the shots stopped falling and the turnovers began to pile up.
Emily Sesser powered their first-quarter surge by scoring six of Ripon’s first nine points. The Indians were able to weather East Union’s runs and maintained the lead by halftime, 34-31.
“This is a game that, coming in we’re the underdog and we have nothing to lose, so let’s see what we can do,” Ripon coach Rick Inderbitzin said. “I believe that we can win, but the girls have to believe it, too. I thought we proved that in the first half, but (East Union’s) quickness and their experience overcame, and they knocked their shots down. You can’t let teams like that get off good shots.”
Ripon center Gabby Delgado finished with nine points, four rebounds and four blocks. Drew Peters made two of her team’s three 3s, totaling eight points. Makenzie Loechler added six points, six rebounds and three assists.
Donnese Payne turned in four points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks for East Union.
Ripon begins Trans-Valley League play next Tuesday at Hilmar, while East Union gets one final pre-league tune-up with visiting Sonora. The Lancers open the Valley Oak League schedule Thursday at Sierra.
East Union and Ripon will meet again Jan. 14 for the annual Hoops for the Cure Classic. Inderbtizin, an East Union graduate who formerly coached and still teaches at his alma mater, hopes his Indians can build from Friday’s game.
“It was a good experience for us, and I think the girls are happy with the performance in the first half,” Inderbitzin said. “We just kind of lost some consistency and didn’t communicate as well in the second half, but that comes with experience and more practice.”
