Purcellville, VA (February 17, 2023) - They used to call games like this "consolation" games, but it's much more than a consolation when the winner earns a trip to the VHSL Region 5D tournament.
That's exactly what was at stake for the Riverside Rams and the Stone Bridge Bulldogs, when they met for the third time this season in the "third place" game of the Potomac District tournament. The first two matchups went Riverside's way, but anything can happen in the post-season.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
Both teams were a bit slow out of the gate. Riverside's Ella Mahaffey scored first, and Stone Bridge's Avery Moon matched her, but midway through the first period the score was just 2-2. The Rams pulled ahead, 8-3, on the strength of two straight three-pointers, but Moon narrowed the gap to make it 8-6 at the end of the period.
The Bulldogs took command in the second quarter. Bergan Needles led the way for Stone Bridge as they surged ahead 13-8 midway through the period. But Riverside fought their way back into it and tied the score, 15-15, on a shot from behind the arc by Casey Weeren. The Bulldogs responded with baskets from Addie Hafer and Sravya Janapati to give Stone Bridge the halftime lead, 21-17.
After the break, it was clear that Riverside was going for the win by pushing the ball inside. With two quick baskets from Lexi Radvanyi, the Rams were back in it at 21-21. The teams exchanged the lead again when Moon hit a free throw to make it 22-21, Stone Bridge, but Riverside had the momentum for the rest of the period and led 30-25 heading into the fourth quarter.
Up until the final period, neither team had taken full control of the game. But that all changed as soon as the last one started. Riverside's offense completely gelled, and their defense intensified. Each possession was productive, and the Rams gradually added to their lead. A Stone Bridge timeout with 3:40 left in the game made no difference as Riverside earned their spot in regionals.
Final Score: Riverside 45 - Stone Bridge 30
