After trailing by a couple of baskets after one period of play, Weston Ranch got hot, blowing past Ponderosa High 60-40 behind a huge second period performance Friday in the Christian Brothers Tournament.
Aljanea Brown led the Cougars’ charge, pouring in a game-high 17 points to pace all scorers. Teammate Jazmin Strane followed suite with a 15 point effort, followed by Jakia Richmond’s eight point night.
Weston Ranch (2-1) fell behind 16-12 after one, but outscored Ponderosa 27- 6 in the pivotal second period.
“We made some adjustments after the first,” Weston Ranch head coach Chris Bauer said. “We were a little too aggressive with our press, so we made some changes there. Once we started rebounding the ball that really helped kick our transition game into gear.”
The Cougars have earned themselves a spot in the consolation championship at 11:30 a.m. against Del Campo.
Escalon Tourney
Ripon Christian 58, Escalon 38
The Knights were able to rebound from a disheartening effort Thursday to put together a solid showing, dominating host Escalon High for a 20-point victory and the tournament’s consolation championship.
Ripon Christian (2-1) got an impressive outing from Mikaela Alger, who substantiated her All-Tournament Team nod with a 17-point, 10-rebound contest.
“We played with much more intensity than we did a night ago,” Ripon Christian head coach Ed Mulder said. “And the intensity showed on the offensive and defensive ends.
“It was nice to see the improved intensity.”
Kayle Colyne finished in double figures with 10, while teammates Tegan Manus and sister Mikayla Manus chipped in with nine and eight points, respectively.
Non-League
West 34, Sierra 19
The Timberwolves’ struggles on the offensive end continued into their second contest of the season, falling to West High in non-league action Friday.
Sierra (0-2) was only able to manage eight points through the first two periods, yet only found themselves trailing by seven. Defensive adjustments from the Wolfpack, intensified the pressure and forced Sierra to deal with an aspect of its play they’ve struggled with.
“It’s just a matter of understanding how to handle pressure,” Sierra head coach Steve Unterholzner said. “They put on a little press and the pressure was something that we could not handle.”
Sierra will be back on the court Tuesday when they meet up with Ceres High.
