Ashburn, VA (January 20, 2023) - Hoping to create some separation in the Potomac District standings, the front-running Riverside Rams opened the game with seniors Tai Schaefer and Jaden Frazier taking control. One was owning the paint, and the other was hitting shots from the outside, and the host Stone Bridge Bulldogs could not initially keep up.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
An early timeout by the Bulldogs steadied the home team, but they still trailed at the end of the first quarter, 17-7. The Rams clearly had the rebounding advantage, but tighter defense by the home team kept the game relatively close. At halftime, the Rams held that same ten-point lead, 25-15.
Stone Bridge came out of the locker room with an intense press, and that strategy enabled the Bulldogs to narrow the gap to 25-20. But Riverside's Shane Crissman got hot from the outside, increasing the gap to fourteen points, 36-22, and forcing a Stone Bridge timeout midway through the period. After regrouping, Stone Bridge went on a furious tear of their own. Led by Gabriel Coulthurst--whose interior passing ignited the offense--the Bulldogs almost completely erased the deficit, ending the third quarter trailing by just three, 38-35.
But Riverside stayed calm and collected, and would not let Stone Bridge come all the way back. Although the final score was close, the Rams had the lead from start to finish and hit the big shots when they needed them. The win means Riverside remains on top of the district standings with Stone Bridge and Potomac Falls right behind.
Final Score: Riverside 55 - Stone Bridge 53
