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Girls basketball heats up
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Turlock High’s girls won their third straight game Thursday night against Golden Valley in a close contest. The 38-30 win positions the Bulldogs with Pitman in a tie for second place in the CCC, just in time for their first meeting of the season on Tuesday.

Turlock led for the majority of the game, relying on Lindy Avila (13 points) and Shiloh Sotto (10 points) to put points on the board. Late in the fourth quarter Golden Valley’s Johnson hit a couple of three pointers to make the game interesting. Turlock responded by putting pressure on the Cougars and forcing fouls that gave them the points needed to win. Avila went five for five from the free throw line in a fourth quarter that saw the Bulldogs outscore Golden Valley 10-5.

 

TC remains the team to beat in the Southern League

The girls at Turlock Christian High also claimed victory on Thursday in a 70-20 blowout of Le Grand High. The Eagles maintain their perfect record and number one standing in the Southern lead.

TC’s Rebekah Muller and Arin Morelli headed the Eagles’ defensive effort with blocks and steals early in the game. The defensive effort opened up opportunities for Halie Bergman (26 points), Marly Burton (17 points) and Natalie Snyder (15 points) to rack up the Eagles’ second highest scoring performance of the year. Le Grand finished the game with no more than seven points in any quarter and a dismal one point fourth quarter.

TC’s next appearance will be Tuesday against a Ripon Christian High opponent that should provide a more competitive game than the Bulldogs did.

 

Denair and Hilmar suffer another loss

Denair High faced another tough opponent in Ripon Christian High Thursday night, just two days after losing to TC. The Coyotes, who were without three players due to illness, never found their footing against the Knights who dominated the entire game and won 63-25.

The Knights attacked the paint in the first half, utilizing the height of twins Morgan and Mikaela Alger to overwhelm the shorter Coyotes. By the end of the first quarter Denair trailed 21-3. The second half belonged to RC’s Jenny Wickham who was on fire with her perimeter shooting.

Denair must now win its remaining four games if a playoff run is to be realized. The Coyotes next game is at home Tuesday against Le Grand High.

 Hilmar High came up short once again when they traveled to Riverbank High to face the Bruins Thursday. A lackluster first half led to a 61-43 defeat for the Yellowjackets.

Riverbank used its size to take advantage of the shorter Yellowjacket team, beating them inside with offensive rebounds and consistent baskets. Hilmar’s energy picked up in the second half, but by that time the proverbial hole from the first quarter was too deep to overcome. Hilmar’s continuous struggle with consistency has been their primary flaw, one they hope to correct in time for next Tuesday’s game against Orestimba where the ‘Jackets will look for their first league win.

To contact Frankie Tovar, e-mail ftovar@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.