By Conner Orr

Going into the game, River was solely focused on getting their fourth win of the season. However, this would not come as easy as their other wins; they were up against Prairie who were 2-1 overall, with their only loss being by one point.

The game started out with River jumping on top early in the first quarter. They were able to maintain this lead, and through their stout defense and ability to drive into the paint, they led 35-32 at halftime.

River opened up the third quarter strong, scoring often early on. Despite this, Prairie made up for their lack of defense to start the quarter, and got within five points by the end of the third.

The fourth quarter went back-and-forth and saw Prairie hold a lead over River for a period of time. Prairie was much more defensively disciplined in the fourth quarter, leading to more offensive opportunities.

Nevertheless, with under three minutes in the game, River and Prairie were tied at 61. The last few minutes of the game were all defense, with only two more points being scored in these last minutes. These two points came with six seconds left when Ari Richardson drilled two clutch free throws. River then locked down Prairie for the last remaining six seconds and closed out the game.

After the game, Richardson explained that in the last two minutes they “were mainly focused on the defensive side, offensively, [they] knew [they] could take care of it.” He also described his aspirations and expectations for the team when he elaborated that “[they] all know [they] all think [they] can [win] the state title.”

This win puts River at 4-0 and gives them momentum going into this week where they will play both R.A. Long and Mark Morris - both have not lost a game yet. This win also asserts the team as one of the top teams in the state as they will look to win it all this season.