Let's put the spotlight on a couple of girls basketball games that took place earlier this evening. The first, which those of you who read the Preps Planner I posted over the weekend would have kept an eye out for, was a Southwest Yosemite League battle between Ridgeview and North.

Ridgeview is generally seen, I would say, as third in the SWYL pecking order, behind Stockdale and Centennial. But the Wolf Pack were surprised tonight by a resilient North team that erased a 10-point first-half deficit and kept coming back and hanging in there during some moments that would have made other teams fold. North won 64-62 with some big shots in the final minute. But no matter who won, it was nice to see a high school game decided by playmakers and not miscues in the final minute. Congratulations to both North and Ridgeview on a game well-played.

A few miles south, Garces and Bakersfield's girls staged a bit of a surprise makeup game. Friday's scheduled game was postponed because of fights on the BHS campus earlier that day, and it was promptly rescheduled for Tuesday night. Thing is, they didn't announce the new date until Tuesday morning. So it caught me a little off-guard, I'll admit. Anyway, BHS solidified its lead on the Southeast Yosemite League race with a 56-42 home victory. The Drillers should cruise to the league title now, I would think.