Prep basketball roundup: Escalon, Patterson girls stay unbeaten
Boys and girls basketball games highlighted Friday’s high school sports action. Teams played in tournaments and nonleague contests as they complete the first half of the season before league play starts at the beginning of 2024.
Downey participated in a tournament championship against a top 15 ranked team in the Sac-Joaquin Section. Ripon Christian, Escalon and Enochs picked up wins on the boys side. In girls hoops, Escalon and Patterson remained undefeated. The Cougars moved to 11-0, while the Tigers are 13-0 after Friday.
Here is a look at Friday night’s basketball action:
Boys Basketball
Ripon Christian 67, Gregori 48: The Knights used a 13-0 second-quarter run to open a 17-point lead at halftime of the Friday night matchup between two of The Bee’s top 10 boys basketball teams. By the end of the third, sixth-ranked Ripon Christian held a 55-37 advantage over the No. 9 Jaguars. The Knights outscored the Jaguars 12-11 in the final quarter. Jake Vander Veen led Ripon Christian with 18 points, Mason Tameling scored 13 points with three 3’s, and Jace Beidleman scored 11 points and added nine rebounds and two blocks.
Escalon 62, Calaveras 46: Sam Jimenez led the Cougars to their 10th win this season with 20 points and nine rebounds in a nonleague win over the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV runner-up. Friday night’s win is Escalon’s third straight victory. It plays Sonora on Wednesday to open the Oakdale Rotary Tournament.
Enochs 53, East Union 40: The Eagles bounced back from Wednesday’s loss to Modesto Christian with a double-digit win over East Union. Enochs picked up its fifth win this season and will play Alhambra on Thursday in the opening day of the Livermore Cowboy Holiday Tournament. It tips off CCAL play with a pair of road contests against Turlock and Modesto on Jan. 10 and 12, respectively.
Oak Ridge 67, Downey 35: The Knights fell to the No. 13 team in the Sac-Joaquin Section in the Joe Bowers Memorial Tournament championship. The Knights won their first two games against River Valley and Vista del Lago, led by transfer guard Jayden Coelho’s 20- and 23-point outings. Senior Reuben Lewis notched a triple double against River Valley with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. They will compete in the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoop Classic, opening the tournament at 10 a.m. Wednesday with Campolindo.
Girls Basketball
Escalon 47, Central Valley 18: The Cougars remained undefeated after a dominant nonleague win over the Hawks. Escalon held Central Valley to its lowest scoring output this season while keeping alive its streak of 45-plus-point games. The Cougars play three more nonleague contests before opening TVL play on the road against Riverbank.
Patterson 53, Tracy 34: Patterson, the No. 8-ranked team in the section according to MaxPreps, stayed unbeaten with Friday night’s blowout win over Tracy. The Tigers have scored 50 or more points in 10 of their 13 wins with five 60-point games and a 70-point performance. They finish the calendar year with three tournament games Dec. 27-29 before starting CCC play Jan. 2 against Central Valley.
This story was originally published December 23, 2023 at 7:53 AM.
