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Girls Basketball Team Reaches Playoffs
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Defeating Livingston but losing to Ripon, the Riverbank varsity girls reached the Sac-Joaquin Section basketball playoffs and were scheduled to play Christian Brothers away on Tuesday. They entered that game with an 11-14 record for the season.

Going against Livingston on Feb. 14, Riverbank won the game by 44-36. The Bruins held their opponents to an 11-11 tie in the opening quarter, and battered them, 12-2, in the second period. Still, they lost the third period, 14-10, and the last, 9-8.

"We played really well. It was kind of a wild game,"' said Riverbank coach Scott Erickson. " They play a press defense. But if you can stay cool, you can beat them. Which we did because we broke their press easily."

Courtney Brock led the scoring for Riverbank with 12 points. Monica Cardenas posted 10 points; Sonia Naranjo, nine; Katie Gettling, five; and Chelsi Walls and Nicole Fatone, four each.

From the outside, Cardenas, Fatone and Naranjo each hit a 3-pointer. The Riverbank girls sank 13 buckets out of 31 attempts from the free throw line.

Facing an undefeated Ripon team on Thursday was a tougher project, and Riverbank lost by 52-38.

Riverbank actually led the first quarter, 12-9, but lost the second period at 10-7. They were then blasted by 25-7 in the third quarter, and Ripon coasted to the win by yielding the last period, 12-8.

"We were tied at halftime," Erickson noted. "But we let down our defense in the third quarter, and they scored rapidly. They extended their lead so far we could not match their scoring and catch up again."

Brock again led the scoring with 16 points. Cardenas posted eight ponts; Janet Moya, six; Fatone, five; and Naranjo, three. Cardenas and Fatone each hit an outside shot for the Bruins.

Riverbank put up 13 shots at the foul line and eight of them found the basket.

That game brought their Trans Valley League mark to 7-7.