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CHS experiences remarkable turnaround
JV Bulldogs have won 10 of their last 13 games
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Inder Sandhu amassed 56 points while guiding Ceres High to three victories in WAC play this past week. - photo by DALE BUTLER/The Courier

Ceres High School's junior-varsity boys basketball team rebounded nicely from its early-season struggles.

The third-place Bulldogs improved to 12-8 on the year and 5-3 in the Western Athletic Conference last week after picking up three hard-earned wins.

"We started the season off 2-5," Ceres High head coach Lance Hunter said. "We've won 10 of our last 13 games. We're very tough to beat when we're playing together as a unit. It's so impressive."

Inder Sandhu scored a game-high 25 points, Gurraj Purewal had 10 and Donnavin Koeurn added eight during Ceres High's 55-41 win at Livingston on Friday.

Bulldog teammates Adrian Magdaleno, Monte Wallace and Cristian Palafox chipped in with seven, three and two points, respectively.

"We played extremely well," Hunter said.

Ceres High rallied for a 54-46 win over second-place El Capitan on Wednesday in Merced.

"We gave them their second loss in league," said Hunter, whose team scored just two points in the fourth quarter en route to a 38-33 home loss to the Gauchos earlier this season.

Purewal tallied a team-high 24 points during the second meeting.

Sandhu scored 14 points.

Koeurn collected six points.

Magdaleno and Wallace scored four points each.

Austin Schmidt added two points.

The Bulldogs faced a seven-point deficit at halftime.

Ceres High outscored El Capitan 20-8 in the fourth quarter.

"We came out with more intensity," Hunter said. "We stepped it up, defensively. We forced them to shoot from the outside. We played up to our potential in the second half."

Purewal totaled 13 points in the final period.

"Every time he touched the ball, he looked to score," Hunter said. "He played like a man on a mission."

Purewal and Sandhu combined for 35 points in leading host Ceres High past Livingston, 51-42, on Jan. 25 at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.

Gurraj paced the Bulldogs with 18 points.

Sandhu totaled 17 points.

Koeurn and Magdaleno both contributed six points.

Wallace added four points.

Ceres High has four games left on its WAC schedule. The Bulldogs will play at Los Banos today.

"If we play up to our potential, we can beat any team in league," Hunter said.