Ceres High School's varsity girls basketball team had a comfortable 17-8 lead at halftime during last week's season opener versus Lathrop.
The Bulldogs dashed the Spartans' comeback bid with an impressive run late in the fourth period.
Ceres High reeled off 13 unanswered points and emerged with a 35-20 victory on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.
"It's a relief," said Vanessa Morris, new head coach for the Bulldogs. "You always want to win. I'm happy for the girls. They did all of the work. We have a lot of good things we can build on."
Ceres High junior standout Bryce Ford scored a game-high 21 points.
Allison Gunter had five points, while Dia Borden added three points.
Ashton Frampton, Breanna Freitas and Manjinder Kaur collected two points apiece.
"We played hard today," Ford said.
Bryce accounted for 15 of the Bulldogs' 18 second-half points, including 11 straight during the final two-plus minutes.
Ford scored inside three times and buried two close-range jumpers. She made one foul shot to complete a three-point play.
"Bryce is a great athlete," Morris said. "We're fortunate to have her on the team."
Ford was limited to just eight points while facing a box-and-one defensive scheme during the opening 24-plus minutes of last week's non-league game.
"I was getting frustrated," Bryce said. "I knew towards the end of the game we would get it together. We wanted to win."
The pace of the game changed late in the fourth quarter. Ceres High's lead increased from 22-20 to 33-20 in a matter of minutes. Gunter registered several steals. Ford scored at will in the paint.
"She (Bryce) stopped settling for jump shots," Morris said.
The Bulldogs dashed the Spartans' comeback bid with an impressive run late in the fourth period.
Ceres High reeled off 13 unanswered points and emerged with a 35-20 victory on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.
"It's a relief," said Vanessa Morris, new head coach for the Bulldogs. "You always want to win. I'm happy for the girls. They did all of the work. We have a lot of good things we can build on."
Ceres High junior standout Bryce Ford scored a game-high 21 points.
Allison Gunter had five points, while Dia Borden added three points.
Ashton Frampton, Breanna Freitas and Manjinder Kaur collected two points apiece.
"We played hard today," Ford said.
Bryce accounted for 15 of the Bulldogs' 18 second-half points, including 11 straight during the final two-plus minutes.
Ford scored inside three times and buried two close-range jumpers. She made one foul shot to complete a three-point play.
"Bryce is a great athlete," Morris said. "We're fortunate to have her on the team."
Ford was limited to just eight points while facing a box-and-one defensive scheme during the opening 24-plus minutes of last week's non-league game.
"I was getting frustrated," Bryce said. "I knew towards the end of the game we would get it together. We wanted to win."
The pace of the game changed late in the fourth quarter. Ceres High's lead increased from 22-20 to 33-20 in a matter of minutes. Gunter registered several steals. Ford scored at will in the paint.
"She (Bryce) stopped settling for jump shots," Morris said.
