Merced boys, El Capitan girls remain undefeated in CCC basketball
The races for the Central California Conference girls and boys basketball championships are turning into runaways.
Both the Merced boys and El Capitan girls teams are undefeated and in prime position to claim the crown.
The Merced boys improved to 6-0 in the CCC with commanding wins over Golden Valley, 77-49, on Wednesday and El Capitan, 77-42, on Friday.
Merced is 17-7 overall this season.
In a battle for second place, Atwater defeated Buhach Colony 59-44 on Wednesday. Seniors Sylas Austin (16 points) and A.J. Banks (12) led the Falcons. Carter Chapman led Buhach Colony with 15 points.
Here are the current CCC boys standings:
- Merced 6-0
- Atwater 5-1
- Buhach Colony 4-2
- El Capitan 2-4
- Los Banos 1-5
- Golden Valley 0-6
El Capitan girls are tough to beat
The El Capitan girls are 6-0 in the CCC after defeating Los Banos and Merced last week.
Sophomore Alexis Valenzuela had a big night for the Gauchos in a 61-54 win over Los Banos on Tuesday. Seniors Mady Dietz (14 points) and Avnoor Bains (12 points) also contributed to the victory.
El Capitan (21-2 overall) then defeated Merced 58-49 on Thursday. The Gauchos led by four points at halftime before pulling away in the second half. Dietz had another big effort against Merced, recording 17 points, 14 rebounds and six steals.
Here are the current CCC girls standings (some results unavailable):
- El Capitan 6-0
- Atwater 5-1
- Merced 3-3
- Los Banos 2-4
- Golden Valley 1-4
- Buhach Colony 0-5
Stone Ridge Christian boys still perfect
The Stone Ridge Christian boys basketball team remains undefeated in Southern League play. The Knights are 9-0 in league play and 19-4 overall.
Junior Jordan Cortez had a big night for the Knights in an 88-48 win over Waterford on Wednesday, scoring 32 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and recording six steals. Stone Ridge Christian defeated Gustine 105-9 on Friday.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 9:18 PM.
