Riverside Lady Rebels blitz through first round

NEWARK - The Riverside Lady Rebels blitzed through the first round of the 2-A State Tournament, as they defeated the Alpena Lady Leopards 61-23 in a blowout which got out of hand before halftime. The dominant win came at the hands of several players, as 10 different Lady Rebels contributed points through the first 3 quarters. At the heart of the efficient offense Brooklyn Berry, who scored 15 points and hit 4 shots from behind the arc. Arden Vaughn also finished in double figures with 12 points. Alpena’s Talia Hilton led her team with 6 points, as the Lady Rebels made nothing easy.

Riverside applied backcourt pressure from the onset. Alpena struggled to break the press and could only manage 2 points in the opening quarter. Vaughn recorded multiple steals to create easy offense, as she posted 9 first-quarter points. Berry began her damage from outside, hitting a pair of perimeter shots. The Lady Rebels asserted a nearly 20-point edge early, ending the quarter ahead 21-2.

In the second quarter, Riverside’s outside attack intensified. Briley Travis ignited the spark by letting one fly as the period began. Carly Jo Womack was the leading force behind the 3-pt onslaught, as she drained 3 shots from deep. Mackey Morgan and Henleigh McAnally also found the net, and the Lady Rebels scored 18 of their 21 second-quarter points on half a dozen 3s. Alpena were mostly shut out again in the second quarter, but Candice Moore contributed 5 of their 9 points during the quarter. The stark difference in productivity gave Riverside a 42-11 lead at the halftime break.

Alpena had their best quarter after halftime, scoring 10 points in the third quarter, but the lift in offense came far too late. Riverside wouldn’t let up until the final quarter, as Berry sank a pair of 3s in the third quarter. Klaire Womack, Annalee Qualls, and Scout Priest put themselves on the scoresheet as they were subbed in during the second half.

Priest posted 4 points. Womack and Qualls scored 2 points each.

Riverside would fully relieve their starters in the fourth quarter, where Qualls would score another bucket to finish with 4 points, and Shelby Clay would score her first 2 points of the contest. The Lady Rebels cruised into the second round with a bit of extra rest as they won comfortably.

Riverside Head Coach Tyler Timms was confident after the decisive first-round win. “We came out aggressively and put the pressure on them early. I was happy with how hard they played. This team’s got confidence, and we feel good about what’s ahead of us.”