While the season has not been what people were expecting from the Ripon High Varsity Boys Basketball team, there have been moments of bright spots in their games. Moments similar to their form last year when the team went 18-12. This was even seen with the team on Jan. 23 as they played the Hilmar Hornets. The team put up an incredible match in this game, pushing Hilmar to the brink. However, if they hope to improve in the win column this season, they must be able to close out games similar to this game, as they lost with a score of 46-39.
The game started off very strong for Ripon in the first quarter, as the return of Junior Shooting and Point Guard Gino Calderara, brought more life into the offense. Calderara and Junior Point and Shooting Guard Andrew Shaw, were able to hit several three’s to help Ripon take an early lead.
Calderara stated when asked about his return, “I’m still kind of dealing with the injury, but it feels good to be back with the guys. That’s why I kind of just want to be back out there, just playing.”
Along with the team capitalizing on Hilmar fouls, the team was set up in a pretty good position by the end of the first quarter with a score of 8-15. However the team would lose that huge momentum they had heading into the second quarter.
Offensively, Ripon seemed out of sorts as the players struggled to be on the same page. This caused several turnovers for the team, and allowed Hilmar to catch back up. Accuracy also became an issue for Ripon, as shots became difficult for the team to convert. However, several Hilmar penalties allowed for Ripon to maintain their lead as Ripon hit several free point shots. By the end of the second quarter of the game Ripon had the lead, with a score of 22-23.
Ripon has had similar games to this one this season, where they started off well and looked like they could win it but unfortunately could not finish it out. Heading into the third quarter with the lead, the team needed to improve their accuracy to hold off any Hilmar shots from outside the lines. 
Unfortunately, the quarter did not start off well for Ripon High as accuracy issues continued to hurt the team. The defense was consistent though, forcing Hilmar to struggle inside the lines and giving Ripon a chance. Close to the end of the third quarter Ripon had lost their lead and the score was 30-25. With only a few minutes left to go in the third quarter, Ripon gained a huge momentum swing, as Shaw and Junior Guard Sam Stewart, were able to hit several three pointers to close out the third quarter. This gave Ripon back the lead and the momentum from the first half. At the end of the third quarter the score was 30-34.
With one quarter left and it being anyone’s game, Ripon needed to play their best basketball all night to win. Although they weren’t able to play perfect on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, it was still anyone’s game with only a few minutes left in the game with the score being 40-39. That is when everything went downhill for Ripon as the offense’s accuracy issues plagued any chance they had of coming out of the game with a win. Despite a great effort by Ripon, the game ended with Ripon losing 46-39.
Shaw said when asked about the team not being able to close out games,“Well, it shows that we have the potential to win those games, but we just have bad shot selection and we get too rushed near the end of the game.”
All season the team has shown the fight and grit to win these games, and their amazing starts are proof of that. However if they want to improve their season they must be consistent in all four quarters, specifically down the stretch when the game matters the most. If that happens, Ripon High can turn this season around.
