Riverbank boys don’t fear a favorite; top defending TVL champ RC

The Trans-Valley League favorites share a block in downtown Ripon, but those outside the city limits aren’t ready to concede the title.

The defending-champion Ripon Christian High School boys basketball team learned that the hard way Friday. Derek Hernandez scored 16 points, guiding Riverbank to a 54-50 victory over the combustible Knights.

“We just had to show them,” Hernandez said in between rushes of adrenaline, “we just had to show them that we’re going to be here.”

The Bruins (8-7, 2-0 TVL) shook the Knights’ throne with a guard-heavy motion offense and swarming defense. Riverbank never trailed in the second in the half, sending Ripon Christian (9-6, 0-2) to its second straight loss to start TVL play. Since winning its first six, Ripon Christian has lost six of nine, including three in a row.

“It’s really basic basketball stuff,” Ripon Christian coach Mark Hoffman said. “You cannot turn the ball over (22) times in a game. You have to be able to run your offense. And you have to go and play defense. There is no secret here. It is simple, basic basketball things.”

Hoffman lauded his opponent. Riverbank didn’t bow to the resident king.

“(Coach) Jeff Jennings is a great coach,” Hoffman added. “They have a great system; they know their system. They attack the basket well. They play great defense. You have to give them a lot of credit.”

The inconsistencies doomed the Knights, who scored just eight points in the third quarter and saw reigning league MVP Zach Cortright foul out with the game in the balance.

Cortright had more turnovers (three) during a one-minute stretch in the third than points in the game (two), and wore a look of frustration most of the night. He was frustrated with the officials, by his own erratic play and by the chase.

“We put a lot of pressure on him,” Hoffman said. “You cannot leave your point guard alone. … A pass is a two-person issue. It’s not just the point guard. It’s a team sport. We have to relieve that pressure with our other guards or a high-post flash, something like that.”

Riverbank oozed confidence, even when the offense hit the skids. Trailing 21-13, Ripon Christian went to a zone defense and limited the Bruins to one basket over the final 6:17 of the first half.

The score was tied 25-25 at halftime thanks to Ripon Christian sophomore Cade Alger, who beat the horn with a baseline jumper.

Inside the locker room, Jennings encouraged his fleet of guards to be patient, be pesky and above all else, be aware of where Hernandez was. The 6-foot-4 forward benefited from a drive-and-kick offense. He knocked down shots from opposite corners in the first half and had three wide-open layups in the second half. Six of his seven field goals were created by a guard’s penetration.

“We were just trying to stay patient and not rush anything,” Hernandez said.

Forced to make a decision, Ripon Christian’s towering post chose to stop the ball, leaving Hernandez alone in space. The rest was up to the senior, who showed nice touch from about 15 feet and gave away four inches to 6-8 Jacob Vander Hoek.

“I had to play and just be aggressive,” Hernandez said. “If they block me, they block me. But I had to just get (the ball) inside the basket. I expanded my game.”

Ramiro DeAlonzo had eight points, including a banked-in 3-pointer to end the first quarter. Riverbank led 15-11. Robert Cunha also had eight.

Riverbank led 43-33 on Cunha’s 3-pointer from the corner to start the fourth.

“There’s not one guy,” Hoffman said. “They will pass the ball, and whoever is open will take that shot. You can’t key on one guy. They’re a balanced offense.”

Andrew Vander Weide paced the Knights with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He scored 10 of the team’s 17 points in the fourth quarter, but the Knights couldn’t find the 6-6 junior in the final seconds.

“Andrew is keeping us in games right now,” Hoffman said. “And as the game goes on, they start to double and triple him. We need to find some other options.”

Ty Beidleman had 11 points in the loss but went to the bench early in the third after picking up three quick fouls. Vander Molen nine, all in the first half.

Vander Molen tossed up a wayward 3 as the buzzer sounded, triggering an emotional celebration by the Bruins.

“This was crucial,” Hernandez said. “We came into this game knowing they were a shooting team and strong. We just had to play defense … lock-down defense.”

Despite returning three starters, the defending champion is 0-2 and searching for answers. Ripon Christian’s trouble with a guard-heavy team Friday could hint at bigger problems down the road. The TVL is flush with guards, especially neighbor Ripon, which dispatched Escalon on Friday.

“We lost four seniors,” Hoffman said. “If you look at our roster, we have (nine) juniors. But yeah, we have to make some adjustments. There are some things we’re not doing well, and it needs to change.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 11:36 PM with the headline "Riverbank boys don’t fear a favorite; top defending TVL champ RC."