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Raiders survive Monticello’s second-half rally
Rich’s two late fourth-quarter threes propel Raiders to season-opening win
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
CEDAR RAPIDS — Saturday’s game was a tale of two halves, but the Williamsburg girls’ basketball team fended off a 17-0 run from Class 3A No. 4 Monticello in the second half for a 53-47 season-opening win at Rivalry Saturday.
The yearly event, hosted by Kirkwood Community College, had a slate of eight games, all featuring ranked teams.
The Panthers cut the 20-point deficit all the way to two in the fourth period, but two three-pointers from Carly Rich gave the Raiders enough cushion to hold on for the victory.
“They were really big for us down the stretch,” Williamsburg coach Stephanie Dacey said about Rich’s threes.
Rich finished the game with 20 points to lead the Raiders.
It was all Raiders in the first half. Williamsburg built an 18-6 lead in the first quarter.
They stretched it to 19 by halftime, 35-16.
Williamsburg junior Zoe Allen had a big first half in the post with 15 points.
“The biggest improvement she’s made is that she’s letting herself be in the post and recognizing she can dominate down there,” Dacey said. “Whether it’s offensive rebounds, drop-step finishes, and she does have some guard skills too.”
The team’s defense and Allen’s presence in the paint allowed the Raiders to build their lead to 20 in the third, 42-22.
Roles changed midway through the third, and suddenly the Panthers were the ones forcing turnovers and turning them into points.
Led by the efforts of Jayden Kuper, the Panthers cut the lead to seven after three quarters.
“We had some miscommunications, and they capitalized on them and hit some big shots,” Dacey said “We’ll get better at some situational things.”
Kuper finished the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers.
“She’s a great player,” Dacey said. “Ava (Hocker) gave it quite a battle defending her.”
A Kennedy Hermsen layup cut the lead to two at 43-41, and Rich delivered with two straight threes.
An offensive putback from Hocker extended the lead to seven with under a minute remaining. Rich finished the game with a steal and two free throws for the 53-47 final score.
The Raiders led from start to finish and showed a glimpse of what they’re capable of this season.
Kennedy Skaggs and freshman Channing Becker played some great minutes for the Raiders in the game, Coach Dacey said.
Next up for the 10th-ranked team is their home opener Tuesday against Burlington.
