Heather Mazza and Heidi Eisenbeis were major contributors during the Ceres High girls basketball team's 64-42 season finale victory over the Atwater Falcons in Ceres Thursday night. Mazza and Eisenbeis scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.
"Every given night they can do that," said Ceres coach Shawna Nunes.
Ceres placed second in the Central California Conference standings with a 10-3 record, improved to 20-7 overall and earned the No. 10 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs. The top 16 teams in the section power ratings earned a berth into the postseason.
"All of us are disappointed that we didn't win league," Nunes said. "I still think we accomplished a lot this year."
All nine of Ceres' players scored against Atwater.
Quantelle Daniels had eight points. Kelsey Sayad and Jennifer Arnold had seven points. Meghan Franksen, Jessica Mazza, Krystle Brown and Heather Jones added six, four, three and two points, respectively.
Six players scored for Atwater (4-9 CCC).
Tashia Crawford and Cassandra Berlanga had 10 points apiece. Brittnie Cooksey, Sierra Curiel, Aerial Gregston and Jasmine Willoughby scored eight, six, five and three points, respectively.
Ceres led 30-21 at halftime as seven different players scored. Daniels had six points. Sayad and Heather Mazza had five points. Franksen and Eisenbeis scored four points. Brown and Jessica Mazza added three points.
Led by Eisenbeis and Heather Mazza, the Bulldogs outscored the Falcons 34-21 in the second half. Eisenbeis and Mazza had nine points apiece.
Ceres led by 18, 48-30, at the end of the third quarter.
The Bulldogs shot 62 percent from the free-throw line (16-for-26) and committed six turnovers.
The Falcons shot 46 percent from the foul line (6-for-13) and had 14 turnovers.
Ceres 43, Modesto 36
Modesto High didn't play like one of the worst teams in the CCC in Modesto on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The Panthers trailed by just four points, 31-27, at the end of the third quarter. Ceres outscored Modesto 12-9 in the final quarter.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-3 in the CCC, 19-7 overall.
The Panthers fell to 2-10 in league, 7-18 overall.
Seven Ceres players scored.
Brown had a game-high 18 points. Franksen and Eisenbeis had eight points apiece. Heather Mazza had five points. Sayad and Arnold scored two points. Daniels added one point.
Seven Modesto players scored.
Crystal Williams had a team-high 10 points.
Ceres plays at No. 7 seed Tokay High (19-7) in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday at 7 p.m.
"We would have been playing Laguna Creek or Sheldon (if we lost to Atwater)," Nunes said. "We have a better chance against Tokay."
If Ceres defeats Tokay, it will face the winner of the Grace Davis/Elk Grove game.
Ceres lost twice to Davis during the regular season and finished second behind the Spartans in the league standings for the second year in a row. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier
"Every given night they can do that," said Ceres coach Shawna Nunes.
Ceres placed second in the Central California Conference standings with a 10-3 record, improved to 20-7 overall and earned the No. 10 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs. The top 16 teams in the section power ratings earned a berth into the postseason.
"All of us are disappointed that we didn't win league," Nunes said. "I still think we accomplished a lot this year."
All nine of Ceres' players scored against Atwater.
Quantelle Daniels had eight points. Kelsey Sayad and Jennifer Arnold had seven points. Meghan Franksen, Jessica Mazza, Krystle Brown and Heather Jones added six, four, three and two points, respectively.
Six players scored for Atwater (4-9 CCC).
Tashia Crawford and Cassandra Berlanga had 10 points apiece. Brittnie Cooksey, Sierra Curiel, Aerial Gregston and Jasmine Willoughby scored eight, six, five and three points, respectively.
Ceres led 30-21 at halftime as seven different players scored. Daniels had six points. Sayad and Heather Mazza had five points. Franksen and Eisenbeis scored four points. Brown and Jessica Mazza added three points.
Led by Eisenbeis and Heather Mazza, the Bulldogs outscored the Falcons 34-21 in the second half. Eisenbeis and Mazza had nine points apiece.
Ceres led by 18, 48-30, at the end of the third quarter.
The Bulldogs shot 62 percent from the free-throw line (16-for-26) and committed six turnovers.
The Falcons shot 46 percent from the foul line (6-for-13) and had 14 turnovers.
Ceres 43, Modesto 36
Modesto High didn't play like one of the worst teams in the CCC in Modesto on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The Panthers trailed by just four points, 31-27, at the end of the third quarter. Ceres outscored Modesto 12-9 in the final quarter.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-3 in the CCC, 19-7 overall.
The Panthers fell to 2-10 in league, 7-18 overall.
Seven Ceres players scored.
Brown had a game-high 18 points. Franksen and Eisenbeis had eight points apiece. Heather Mazza had five points. Sayad and Arnold scored two points. Daniels added one point.
Seven Modesto players scored.
Crystal Williams had a team-high 10 points.
Ceres plays at No. 7 seed Tokay High (19-7) in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday at 7 p.m.
"We would have been playing Laguna Creek or Sheldon (if we lost to Atwater)," Nunes said. "We have a better chance against Tokay."
If Ceres defeats Tokay, it will face the winner of the Grace Davis/Elk Grove game.
Ceres lost twice to Davis during the regular season and finished second behind the Spartans in the league standings for the second year in a row. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier
