Basketball Recap: Savannah Leifried Key Part of a Team Effort in Bulldogs Win

It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Ceres ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They managed a 51-46 win over the Escalon Cougars. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 158th, while the Cougars are ranked 516th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ceres got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Savannah Leifried out in front who posted four points along with nine boards and four steals. With that strong performance, Leifried is now averaging an impressive 2.1 steals per game. Arrayah Stallworth was another key player, dropping a double-double on 15 points and ten boards.

Madi Babasa and Arianna Velasco certainly did their best on Tuesday to avoid the loss. Babasa went 8 of 19 on her way to 20 points along with six boards and five steals, while Velasco dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 boards. Those 13 rebounds gave Velasco a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Aiden Hohenwarter, who put up four points and 12 rebounds.

The win made it two in a row for Ceres and bumps their season record up to 5-2. As for Escalon, they now have a losing record at 2-3.

Ceres didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 48-37 victory against Central Catholic on the 11th. As for Escalon, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 61-22 win against Manteca on the 12th.