#3 Rangeview Leaves No Doubt, Defeats #2 ThunderRidge
The #3 Rangeview Raiders left no doubt as to who was the better team Tuesday night at Rangeview High School. As the Raiders defeated the #2 ThunderRidge Grizzlies 70-56. The Raiders flew around the court, no matter where they were going and the Grizzlies couldn’t keep up. The Raiders were quicker to loose balls, quicker to rebounds, and quicker to the basket. The Raiders netted six three pointers on their way to a 26 point 1st quarter which set the tone for the rest of the game. ThunderRidge seemed almost shell shocked and could only muster nine points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Raiders cooled off from behind the arch and played just a step too fast. Turn overs and the Grizzlies getting more active on the boards held the Raiders to 8 points in the quarter. The three point shot is the great equalizer in the high school game. If your team can make three pointers consistently they will always have a chance. ThunderRidge final broke out of a three point slump and sank four three points. The last one was by Elijah Rodriguez at the half time buzzer which made the score 34-27.
That was as close the Grizzlies would get. The Raiders kept putting up points and the Grizzlies struggled to score in the third quarter. The Raiders man to man defense was excellent and so was their defensive rebounding. The game was sealed by Rangeview’s talented senior guard Tyrei Randall when he converted a four point play after being fouled on a three point shot with just under 2 minutes left in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter the Raiders built a 19 point lead behind the athleticsness of forward Elijah Reed who was very good in the paint scoring eight points in the quarter. Meanwhile Randall added seven points in the quarter nailing free throws as time was winding down.
What made Rangeview extra special tonight was they way that they handled and passed the ball. Which was thanks in part to point guard Elijah Blake. It was fast, clean and crisp which limited their turnovers for the most part. They kept the game very simple and didn’t try to do too much. If Rangeview continues to play this way, they will make a deep run in the play offs.
Double Digit Scorers
Rangeview
Elijah Blake 16
Elijah Reed 16
Tyrei Randall 20
ThunderRidge
Elijah Rodriguez 11
Clay Verk 15
Troy Brady 13
