Ceres High School's junior-varsity girls basketball team edged crosstown-rival Central Valley 47-46 on Jan. 22.

The Bulldogs were forced to erase a six-point deficit late in the game while battling the upset-minded Hawks.

Ceres High used a strong first half on its way to winning the rematch 40-18 on Thursday at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.

"We were expecting it to be a close game," Bulldogs head coach Kristen McClure said. "Last time we played, it was competitive."

Ceres High improved to 22-2 overall and 11-0 in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

Central Valley dropped to 8-12 and 7-4.

The Bulldogs received contributions on offense from nine different players, including Alexis Contreras, Natalia Cortez, Rayohna Sagapolu, Raimee Mendoza, Breanna Moreno, Julia Pata, Leena Bassi, Kaylee Holloway and Kendall Meyer.

Contreras collected a team-high eight points.

Cortez and Sagapolu both tallied seven points.

Mendoza, Moreno and Pata totaled five, four and three points, respectively.

Bassi, Holloway and Meyer chipped in with two points each.

Central Valley's Adria Robinson led all scorers with 11 points.

Angelica Duarte added three points.
Blanca Espinoza and Ishvir Chahal chipped in with two points apiece.

The Hawks never posed a threat as the Bulldogs imposed their will in the opening half.

Ceres High outscored Central Valley 12-2 in the first period and led by 19 points at intermission.

"We played great defense," McClure said. "We were making our shots. We played well together. It was just a good game for us."