The Ceres High JV boys basketball outplayed Sierra in the first half.
Then the Timberwolves took control. They outscored the Bulldogs 21-8 in the third quarter, and cruised to a 65-54 victory at Ceres High School on Wednesday.
"We've only had one practice together," said Ceres coach Jim Pernetti.
"If we play them two weeks from now, we'll beat them."
Four players scored in double figures for Ceres (1-1), including Andrew Chipponeri, DaArron Grays, Henry Shamoeil and Steven Downs.
Chipponeri had a team-high 13 points. Grays, Shamoeil and Downs each had 12 points.
Ricardo Castellanos had five points for the Bulldogs.
Ryan Harris scored a game-high 26 points for the Timberwolves, who improved to 2-0 overall. Sierra's Bobby Gaston and Craig Tiffe added nine and eight points, respectively. Aaron Gonzales, Oscar Burrola and Reuben Silva all had six points.
Sierra outscored Ceres 45-30 in the second half.
The Timberwolves shot 46 percent (13 of 28) from the floor and 89 percent (16 of 18) from the free-throw line.
The Bulldogs shot 38 percent (9 of 24) from the floor and 80 percent (8 of 10) from the foul line.
"We ran out of gas," Pernetti said.
The Bulldogs also got into foul trouble.
Downs, Ceres' center, had to watch from the bench after picking up his third and fourth fouls in the third quarter.
"We had nobody to go to," Pernetti said.
Sierra did.
Harris had 15 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Ceres led 24-20 at halftime as it shot 41 percent (9 of 22) from the floor.
The Bulldogs made 5 of 13 shots in the first quarter and 4 of 9 in the second.
Sierra shot just 17 percent (5 of 29) from the floor in the first half. The Timberwolves made just 2 of 18 shots in the first quarter.
Sierra shot 75 percent (24 of 31) from the free-throw line for the game.
Ceres 85, Livingston 54
The Bulldogs defeated the Wolves in Livingston on Tuesday, Nov. 23.
Five players scored in double figures for Ceres, including Grays, Chipponeri, Downs, Castellanos and Shamoeil. Grays and Chipponeri each had 17 points. Downs, Castellanos and Shamoeil had 15, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ceres led 38-29 at halftime.
Chipponeri had seven points, Grays five, and Downs, Castellanos and Shamoeil four in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs outscored the Wolves 47-25 in the second half.
Grays had 10 points in the third quarter, including two 3-pointers.
Downs had seven points in the fourth quarter, including one 3-pointer.
Ceres shot 50 percent (11 of 22) from the foul line. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier
Then the Timberwolves took control. They outscored the Bulldogs 21-8 in the third quarter, and cruised to a 65-54 victory at Ceres High School on Wednesday.
"We've only had one practice together," said Ceres coach Jim Pernetti.
"If we play them two weeks from now, we'll beat them."
Four players scored in double figures for Ceres (1-1), including Andrew Chipponeri, DaArron Grays, Henry Shamoeil and Steven Downs.
Chipponeri had a team-high 13 points. Grays, Shamoeil and Downs each had 12 points.
Ricardo Castellanos had five points for the Bulldogs.
Ryan Harris scored a game-high 26 points for the Timberwolves, who improved to 2-0 overall. Sierra's Bobby Gaston and Craig Tiffe added nine and eight points, respectively. Aaron Gonzales, Oscar Burrola and Reuben Silva all had six points.
Sierra outscored Ceres 45-30 in the second half.
The Timberwolves shot 46 percent (13 of 28) from the floor and 89 percent (16 of 18) from the free-throw line.
The Bulldogs shot 38 percent (9 of 24) from the floor and 80 percent (8 of 10) from the foul line.
"We ran out of gas," Pernetti said.
The Bulldogs also got into foul trouble.
Downs, Ceres' center, had to watch from the bench after picking up his third and fourth fouls in the third quarter.
"We had nobody to go to," Pernetti said.
Sierra did.
Harris had 15 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Ceres led 24-20 at halftime as it shot 41 percent (9 of 22) from the floor.
The Bulldogs made 5 of 13 shots in the first quarter and 4 of 9 in the second.
Sierra shot just 17 percent (5 of 29) from the floor in the first half. The Timberwolves made just 2 of 18 shots in the first quarter.
Sierra shot 75 percent (24 of 31) from the free-throw line for the game.
Ceres 85, Livingston 54
The Bulldogs defeated the Wolves in Livingston on Tuesday, Nov. 23.
Five players scored in double figures for Ceres, including Grays, Chipponeri, Downs, Castellanos and Shamoeil. Grays and Chipponeri each had 17 points. Downs, Castellanos and Shamoeil had 15, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ceres led 38-29 at halftime.
Chipponeri had seven points, Grays five, and Downs, Castellanos and Shamoeil four in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs outscored the Wolves 47-25 in the second half.
Grays had 10 points in the third quarter, including two 3-pointers.
Downs had seven points in the fourth quarter, including one 3-pointer.
Ceres shot 50 percent (11 of 22) from the foul line. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier
