MAYFIELD, OH— The Riverside Lady Beavers traveled to Mayfield to take on the Lady Wildcats and took home the road win in a thrilling 46-42 contest. The win pushes Riverside to 6-5 while Mayfield falls to 5-5. The two teams posed two very different offensive styles. Riverside showcased quick ball movement and finding three-point shooters, while Mayfield was patient, slowing things down to make sure they get the look they want.
The Lady Wildcats immediately displayed that patient attack, and after a long possession, utilizing a couple of out of bounds calls in their favor, they put home the game’s first bucket, courtesy of Liz Vazquez.
Neither team scored much to start the contest, but then both sides got hot. Aubrey Laurenty hit a three from the corner for Riverside to give them the lead, then both sides went on a run. First a 7-0 run came from the Lady Wildcats. Alexa Januszewski got it started with a stop, spin, and layup combination. Fatima Sardo-Longo drilled a three to follow, and two more points were added to give Mayfield a 9-3 advantage. However, Riverside answered with a 9-0 run, nailing three shots from beyond the arc. Kellie Mapes got it started and Madison Owens hit back to back three’s from the same spot in the right corner to give the Lady Beavers and 12-9 lead. Mayfield finished the first on a mini 4-0 run to hold a 13-12 lead after the first frame.
The second quarter saw more of the same for Riverside, as they opened with a 9-1 run to open the period. Laurenty and Mapes hit their second three each and after a 1-for-2 trip at the charity stripe, Emma Wilhelm hit the first two point shot for Riverside to give them a 21-14 lead. This run was answered by the Lady Wildcats. They only had one point through the first four minutes and change, and then came to life with a six-point burst. Sydney Montgomery got it started, stepping back for a long two. Maddie Williams utilized the offensive glass to cut it to three, and Montgomery got it down to one with some free throws.
Alyssa Rocky for Riverside and Bri Gati for Mayfield exchanged buckets, and Owens hit her third triple to end the half. The scoreboard read 26-22 in favor of Riverside.
The Lady Beavers displayed a new offensive game plan in the second half; get it inside to Wilhelm. She used her height to her advantage, scoring the first four points for Riverside and opening the game up to an eight-point lead.
The Lady Wildcats did not seem to have an answer for her and went on another offensive cold spell. They were finally bale to string some points together in the final third of the quarter, using offensive rebounds to do it. They put the lead back down to four, but Wilhelm again showed no one can guard her, putting a hook shot home to push it back to six. Olivia Williams scored off a beautiful curl off a screen to cut it to four again, and hit a three to make it a one point game the next possession. Rockey was able to answer that three was a quick two before the final buzzer, and it gave Riverside a 34-31 lead entering the final eight minutes.
Mapes opened the quarter with another three-ball, but Montgomery answered from inside. Scoring went cold, and with 5:14 to go, Wilhelm showed off her defensive efforts with a block on a driving Montgomery and saved the ball from going out of bounds. The resulting possession led to a basket and a six-point lead, 39-33. Riverside eventually hit the 40 point mark, and leading by five with about three minutes left, they played keep away. A technical foul was then assessed to the Lady Wildcats head coach Cullen Harris, and the ensuing free throws made the lead seven. Riverside kept their distance the rest of the way despite a great effort from Mayfield, and the Lady Beavers took the win 46-42.
Wilhelm led Riverside with 11 points, while three scorers had nine and two others finished with four for the Lady Beavers. Montgomery led the Lady Wildcats with 12 points and Olivia Williams followed with nine.
Riverside is back in action on Wednesday, Jan 8 against the Kenston Bombers. Mayfield is back home against the John Adams Rebels on Monday, Jan 6.
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