Prep basketball roundup: Gallo Invite Day 1 scores, local boys and girls teams play non-league games

The Mark Gallo Invitational at Central Catholic High School tipped off Tuesday with four games. Modesto’s Beyer, Central Catholic and Downey each earned wins on Day 1 of the tournament. Prince Major (30 points) and Reuben Lewis (27 points) each had impressive scoring nights to lead their teams to wins.

Lewis sealed Downey’s first win this season with a pair of free throws.

Big Valley Christian remained unbeaten with their seventh win this season.

On the girls side, Patterson, the No. 1 team in the section according to MaxPreps, advanced to a perfect 7-0 with a road win against Gregori. Downey and Pitman were also in action, playing non-league games.

Here are scores and notes from Tuesday’s Modesto-area basketball games.

El Capitan 50, Gregori 44: Sophomore Jayson Powers’ 17-point, 10-rebound double-double was not enough to lead Gregori to a win in its first game of the Gallo Invitational. The Jaguars trailed 15-9 after the first quarter, but by the fourth quarter, tied the game before El Capitan pulled away. Sophomore Raj Sandhu added 11 points and five rebounds and junior Dru Shafer added seven points and a team-high four assists. Powers also added a team-high three blocks. The Jaguars take on Ripon Christian Thursday in their second game of the tournament.

Beyer 58, Sonora 52: Prince Major put on a show in Beyer’s opening game in the Gallo Invitational at Central Catholic High. The senior guard poured in 30 points in the narrow win over Sonora. The Patriots took a 38-27 lead at halftime and led by 10 points in the fourth quarter. They overcame late three’s from the Wildcats to win their second game.

Central Catholic 54, Washington Union-Fresno 36: After a slow start on offense, Central Catholic pulled away from visiting Washington Union in the 6:30 p.m. game of the Gallo Invitational. The Raiders, led by sophomore Jordan Magana, were up by as much as 20 points in the second half en route to their third win.

Bradshaw Christian 58, Oakdale 41: Three players finished in double figures for the Pride in Tuesday’s win. Caleb Carson had a team-high 17 points, Josh O’Neal added 16 and Isaac Jensen finished with a 15-point, 16-rebound double-double. He also added four assists and a pair of steals. Oakdale dropped its fourth game this season as it was unable to hand Bradshaw Christian its first loss. The Mustangs take on Venture Academy Thursday at 4 p.m. in the Frank Godinez Tournament.

Marysville 55, Orestimba 51: Orestimba lost its first game this season, falling to Marysville in a close contest. The Warriors are 5-1 and take on Escalon before playing Summerville, Hilmar and Los Banos in a tournament from Dec. 14-16.

Big Valley Christian 75, Waterford 38: Big Valley Christian continued its impressive turnaround with its seventh win this season. The Lions’ perfect 7-0 record gives them as many wins as they had in the entire 2022-23 season. They are led in scoring by sophomore Titus Boone (19.3 points per game), senior Cohen Boone (13.2), freshman Solomon Paris (12.2) and sophomore Evan Helm (11.7).

Merced 63, Ceres 43: Ceres beat Modesto 82-53 on Nov. 29 for their third win this season but could not win its second straight game Tuesday in a non-league matchup against Merced. Through their first five games, the Bulldogs have been led by freshman Carey Mastin (13.8 points, 4 steals per game). They look to get their fourth win this season Friday against Central Valley.

West 59, Enochs 49: The Eagles lost their second straight contest in a tough non-league slate. Enochs played Clovis North at the end of November and on Dec. 20 will play Modesto Christian. Enochs plays Lincoln-San Francisco Dec. 7 and takes on East Union and Alhambra Dec. 22 and 28, respectively before starting CCAL play.

Downey 42, Liberty Ranch 36: Downey picked up its first win this season, gutting out a victory over Liberty Ranch in the opening night of the Gallo Invitational. The Knights trailed 10-5 early in the first quarter but stormed back to take a 13-12 lead after one. They led by three points at the end of the third and took a late lead in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Reuben Lewis capped his 27 point night with a pair of free throws to seal the game. Lewis added an impressive 10 steals and seven rebounds.

Turlock 63, Livingston 32: Turlock was dominant in its second win this season. The Bulldogs led 43-18 at halftime and put up 52 points by the end of the third en route to victory. The win is Turlock’s second on the season and its second home win. Turlock takes on Davis Wednesday, Dec. 7 in a tournament.

Golden Valley 55, Ripon 34: Ripon struggled offensively in Tuesday’s non-league home game to Golden Valley of Merced. It is just Ripon’s second loss this season. It started the season on a five-game win streak but is 1-2 to start December. Its next two contests are against Sierra (Dec. 6) and Patterson (Dec. 12).

Escalon 76, Modesto 32: The Cougars added five players from the NorCal Bowl Game qualifying football team for the first time Tuesday in a blowout win over Modesto. Escalon remains unbeaten at 3-0 while Modesto falls just below .500 to 3-4.

Girls Basketball

El Capitan 50, Downey 6: The Knights, which won their first two games this season, struggled to find their offensive stride in Tuesday’s non-league contest against El Capitan. Gauchos junior Shantelle Magana and senior Jordynn Middleton led the game in scoring with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Downey looks to end its five-game losing streak Thursday against Elk Grove.

Pitman 41, Ripon 36: The Pride earned their third straight win this season after pulling out a close game against Ripon. Pitman also beat Golden Valley Nov. 18 and Tracy Nov. 21. It travels to Stagg High Thursday at 8:30 p.m. for the opener of the Delta Queens Classic. Pitman through their first few games is led this season by senior Elizabeth Webb (15.7 points, 7 rebounds) and sophomore Dailynn Greener (14 points, 7.7 rebounds).

Patterson 54, Gregori 37: Patterson remained unbeaten this season with a road win against Gregori Tuesday night. The Tigers are the top ranked team in the Sac-Joaquin Section according to MaxPreps computer rankings after a 7-0 start. Siena Musson leads the team with 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds through their first few games and Taylor Mason adds 11 points and a team high 6.2 steals.