Lansdowne, VA (January 19, 2022) - The Lightridge Lightning probably had a feeling it would be a long night when they traveled to play the Riverside Rams. In only the second year of their program, the visitors were just 2-12 overall. On the home side, the Rams were looking to build on a solid 8-6 record.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
To their credit, Riverside did not take Lightridge lightly. In fact, they poured it on as they would against any opponent. When the Lightning called timeout midway through the period, the Rams had already built an 11-0 lead behind eight points from the sharp-shooting Cam Koscinski. The timeout helped, but the Rams led by an even wider margin as the quarter ended, 18-6.
Not willing to give up, Lightridge surprised everyone, clawed their way back, and almost closed the gap completely before Riverside hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to make it 31-24 at the half. This quarter alone was a good example of what the future could be for the young program.
But Riverside isn't a young program, and the senior-laden team stepped it up after the break and again dominated the action at both ends of the court. A balanced attack pushed the lead out to 49-32 at the end of the third period, and stifling defense and a huge rebounding edge completed a twenty-three point winning margin.
Final Score: Riverside 70 - Lightridge 47
