A late turnover that led to a fastbreak bucket with just 20 seconds left in the game was the difference, as the Ripon Indians dropped their first Trans Valley League game of the season 42-41 at home against the Sonora Wildcats Tuesday night.
Both teams carried five-game winning streaks and undefeated records in league play into the game, and Indians coach Dean Balcao knew his team was in for another test after beating Ripon Christian Friday night.
“Friday night’s game was definitely an emotional high,” he said. “I told our guys we’re in the middle of a tough stretch that we could easily go 3-0 or 0-3 in, and I felt like we just lost focus tonight.”
The Indians (3-1, 11-9 overall) brought with them the same defensive intensity that got them out to a hot start in TVL action, where they have yet to give up 50 points to an opponent. Swarming team defense and hustle plays from senior guard Ethan Baur helped hold the Wildcats (4-0, 14-6) to just 16 points at halftime.
“Ethan is our energizer bunny,” Balcao said. “He’s so fast on the court and makes a ton of hustle plays that really helped us tonight.”
Twelve of the 16 points scored in the first half by the Wildcats came by way of 3-point baskets by senior guard Quentin Solis, who came into the game averaging 10.7 ppg on the season.
“Quentin really kept us in the game early on when nobody else could seem to hit at all,” Wildcats coach Lloyd Longeway said. “He helped us hang around, and in a road game that’s being played in the 40s that’s all you can really hope for.”
Ripon was paced by leading scorer Marcus Madoski, who scored 15 points while pulling down 11 rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Unlike Friday night at Ripon Christian, the Indians were unable to pull away from the Wildcats. It was their visitors who came away with big shots, none bigger than the two 3-point baskets late in the fourth from Sonora point guard Noah Wright, who finished with nine points.
“We told our guys coming into the night that 3 (Solis) and 1 (Wright) were their shooters,” Balcao said. “We knew we couldn’t get too far away from them, and we had a couple lapses that led to open looks for them.”
Despite the lapses on defense, the Indians found themselves up 41-40 with less than a minute to go. The high press from Sonora that gave Ripon trouble for most of the game, forced a steal from Eli Ingalls, who was able to find Jonathan Curran for the layup and game-winner.
For Ripon, its back to the drawing board and a quick turnaround.
“We told the guys after the game its time to look ahead and to try to forget this one,” Balcao said. “We’ll watch film on Escalon tomorrow and get ready for them and hopefully bounce back Thursday night.”
Junior varsity
Ripon 64, Sonora 40
Demario Gamboa paced the Indians in their victory over the Sonora Wildcats at the JV level. Sam Stewart contributed 13 points of his own.
