Purcellville, VA (February 6, 2023) - As the Potomac District regular season winds down, Potomac Falls is firmly in first place. Everybody else, including the Woodgrove Wolverines and the Riverside Rams, is still jockeying for playoff position. At 4-4 in district play, the Rams were just a game ahead of the Wolverines. In their previous meeting, Riverside had come from behind to steal the win. Now on their home court, could Woodgrove return the favor?
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
At first, the answer to the above question was a resounding, "no." With Tai Schaefer scoring six of his team's first ten points, Riverside was off and running from the tip. Woodgrove could get almost nothing going on offense with the Rams' defense packed inside. At the first quarter's end, the Rams held a comfortable 16-6 lead.
Woodgrove closed the gap to start the second period, but Riverside surged again behind clutch baskets from Mason Ridgeway and Paris Borden. The Wolverines clawed the margin down to ten, but Riverside would not relent and expanded their lead to 33-20 at halftime.
Behind Jack Hill, Woodgrove finally brought the difference under ten points to open the third period, forcing an early Riverside timeout. But the Rams seemed out of sync, and their lead continued to shrink. When Colin Fuller hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, it was a two-possession game with Riverside still ahead, but barely, 43-39.
With just under three minutes remaining in the game, Woodgrove's Joey Marcheschi nailed one from behind the arc, and the game was tied for the first time since the opening tip, 49-49. That basket sparked a 12-2 run for the Wolverines with Hill and Corey Schaeffer hitting crucial free throws down the stretch. Staging a remarkable comeback, Woodgrove did indeed return the favor, further tightening the Potomac District standings.
Final Score: Woodgrove 61 - Riverside 51
