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Varsity Girls Basketball Take Tournament Loss
Champs
Riverbanks varsity girls basketball team was recognized at half-time of the boys Sac-Joaquin Division IV play-in basketball game on Friday, Feb. 20, at home. The girls were Trans-Valley League champions and started their playoffs on the road Tuesday, Feb. 24. Shown, in front, Cristina Perez and Lily Gallagher, sophomore brought up for the playoffs, Mikala Stewart, Sierra Nabors and Melissa Romero. Middle row, from left, Aztrid Meza, Yulisa Oliveres, Patty Elizondo. Back row, Alejandra Villagomez, Lilian Garcia, Karina Cajero, Ashley Genasci, Jennifer Verdin and Olivia Luu. Ric McGinnis/The News

After claiming their first league championship in years, the varsity Lady Bruins basketball team hit the postseason with a game on the road.

The girls ended their season with a Division IV Sac-Joaquin Section tournament-opening loss in Sonora, but topped the Trans-Valley League standings with its 9-1 final record. Riverbank, as the number 10 seed, had to travel for the playoff game, hosted by number seven seed Sonora.

Head coach Lupe Galindo praised his team’s efforts, with the girls getting a taste of playoff action.

“In the end,” he said of Sonora, “they just had a deeper bench than we did. They had more legs at the end of the game.”

In TVL standings at the end of the year, Lady Bruin Olivia Luu showed up on two of the ‘Top Five’ lists from the season. She came in at number two on the Points-Per-Game (PPG) list, at 17.1 points. Top of that list was Jessica Garcia of Hughson, with 20.1 points on average.

Luu also tallied 2.4 on the Assists-Per-Game (APG) list in league play. Luu was tied on the top of that TVL list with Jenelle Anderson of the Escalon Lady Cougars, also with 2.4 assists. Riverbank had an overall record of 15-11 for the campaign.

The Lady Bruins TVL champions were recognized at the final home game of the season for the boys team, as the Bruin varsity hosted a ‘play in’ playoff game against Highlands, falling in that Feb. 20 contest.