(Neola, IA) — Riverside girls and Tri Center boys were the favorites to win on Monday night and they both did but not without being tested by their opponents.
On the girls side, it was a back and forth game between the two teams as the Trojans did not surrender their home floor without a fight. Riverside led 10-9 after one quarter, 18-17 at the half, and 29-28 through three quarters. The two teams traded buckets to start the 4th quarter — Hayden Thomas hit a big three early for Tri Center but Riverside answered inside with Sydney Somers and Sophia Fenner. The Bulldogs led 36-33 with about 2 1/2 minutes when Elly Henderson who was scoreless until now, hit a running shot in the lane. After a Trojan missed three, Henderson did it again and was fouled. She made the free throw to make it 40-33 with 1:44 left and that gave the Bulldogs enough of a lead.
Fenner led Riverside (10-2) with 11 points, Somers had 9, Henderson — who didn’t come out for basketball until the winter break — finished with 8 points all in the 4th quarter. The Bulldogs overcame some tough shooting — they were 15-50 for the game for only 30 percent. Tri Center (3-8) was led by Caitllin Greiner with 12 points while Thomas added 11.
Post Game Interview with Elly Henderson
In the boys game, Tri Center stormed out in front thanks to some hot shooting early. Lincoln Thomas hit a couple of threes in the first quarter, A.J. Harder hit a three and had some great drives and steals that led to 9 in the opening quarter and the Trojans led 20-10 at the end of one and 32-19 at the half.
There was no quit in Riverside who stormed back in the 2nd half — scoring the first 13 points of the third quarter. Owen Fenner hit two threes to lead the chare and the Bulldogs tied the game at 32 in just over four minutes. Tri Center would get a big three from Cael Witt to lead 38-35 at the end of the quarter.
In the 4th quarter, Harder got some baskets in the lane to build the lead back up to 9 44-35 but Cole Jeppesen hit a three and Peyton Amdor got a deuce after a Harder miss to cut it to 44-40. That would be as close as the Bulldogs would get. Harder passed up the threes and would drive for a lay-up. After a Riverside miss, Harder got a floater to make it 48-40 Trojans. The Bulldogs would not go away — Fenner hit another three to make it 48-43.
This is where Tyler Baatz entered the scene — the junior had just 4 points at this time but after a Trojan miss, Baatz got the rebound and put it back in to make it 50-43. Brody Henderson hit another three for the Bulldogs to cut it to 50-46 with 1:54 left. That was the last gasp. Baatz got another lay-up and after a missed Bulldog three, Baatz got another basket inside and the lead was back to 8 54-46.
Harder would lead Tri Center (10-1) with 19 points and Baatz finished with 10 points, 8 in the 4th quarter. Cael Witt and Lincoln Thomas each added 9 for the Trojans. Riverside (5-6) was led by Fenner with 12, Amdor, Brody Henderson and Jeppesen each had 9.
Post Game Interview with A.J. Harder
