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Varsity Cagers Learning From Tough Losses
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For the Bruin varsity cagers, last week was a learning experience in playing together as a team.

The Riverbank High School boys basketball players lost Tuesday's away game, 60-43, to Sierra but studied their mistakes and came back Thursday to defeat Delhi by 64-55 at home.

"We learned a lot against Sierra. We try to do too much individually and we're not that kind of team," said Bruin coach Jeff Jennings. We need to play together as five people in both offense and defense."

Sierra has an unbeaten record in six games, he noted, and while this game was closely contested in the earlier quarters, they pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Trailing throughout, River,bank lost the opening quarter, 15-14; the second, 13-9; the third, 17-13; and the last, 15-7.

Kevin Cole hit top points of 18 for Riverbank, followed by Drew Villalobos, with 10; Eric Rodriguez, with seven; Jon Blount, with six; and Kyle Mitchell, with two.

"Cole is one of the best shooters in the area. He's very accurate," said Jennings.

Cole also hit five 3-pointers for the Bruins from the free throw line.

Facing Delhi, another undefeated team, on Thursday, the Bruins profited "by sticking to the system, because they struggle when they go outside," said Jennings,

"We had a balanced effort with a lot of contributors," he added.

Turning the tables, the Riverbank cagers led on points in every quarter this time.

Starting with13-10 in the opening quarter, and again, making 13-10 in the second, Riverbank led by 16-14 in the third quarter and by 22-21 in the final period.

Eric Rodriguez and Cole shared top scorer honors with 13 points each. Villalobos had 11; Ray Baca, nine; Kyle Mitchell and Blount, eight each; and Justin Montano, two.

Baca hit three 3-pointers for Riverbank, and Blount and Cole, two each.

This week, the Bruins are scheduled to play Bret Harte on Tuesday and Sonora on Friday in away games before participating in the four-day Oakdale Tourney starting Monday.