Roosevelt Soars Over Hawks in Home Opener

Roosevelt Soars Over Hawks in Home Opener
By Steve Dion

The Rough Riders tipped off their 2015-2016 season with two road games against West Seattle and Bainbridge in which they earned a split. Wednesday night marked their home opener against Mountlake Terrace who was holding a 3-0 record heading into the contest. Metro against Wesco: which team would earn an early quality non-conference win?

The first half presented a back-and-forth affair with the lead changing frequently. Mountlake Terrace used their size advantage to clean up on the offensive glass leading to putbacks. As the second quarter progressed, the Hawks hit a cold streak and were limited to only five points in the quarter. Their attempts from three point range were not falling and they had difficulty finishing at the cup. Meanwhile, Johnny Lang sparked a Roosevelt run to start the second frame. The 6’5 senior recorded eight points in the quarter as part of his game high 30 points. The Riders held a 21-12 with 4:21 remaining in the first half and Terrace called a timeout. This felt like a pivotal point of the contest heading into the break to prevent a double digit deficit. The Hawks were able to tread water heading into halftime trailing by eight. They had work to do in the final two quarters.

Coach Sood was able to rally the troops and put together a massive third quarter. Eight of the nine active players contributed to their 23 points during that stretch. At the same time, RHS appeared timid and made mental mistakes that turned the ball over. Lang knocked down a pair of three pointers to keep the Riders offensive pulse going during the Terrace run. The game was on a crash-course to an exciting finish.

The Hawks trailed by four with thirty seconds remaining in hurry-up mode. Brock Davis drove to the cup on the baseline for a bucket and was off the mark. Fortunately, Derek Anyimah had great post position and was able to come up with the rebound and putback. Roosevelt was fouled on the other end and Nate Suedel missed both free throws giving the Hawks a glimmer of hope. Terrace drove down the court and Davis fired up a three to take the lead. The miss caromed out of bounds with less than a second remaining. Roosevelt simply needed to inbound the ball to run out the clock. The entry pass was intercepted by Joey Gardner who hoisted up desperation three. Good if it goes…off the front of the rim. Ballgame. The Roosevelt bench breathed a huge sigh of relief as they narrowly avoided a late collapse. In the end, the Riders earn a check mark under the win column.

The Final Score
Roosevelt 57, Mountlake Terrace 55

Top Performers:
Roosevelt
Johnny Lang- 30 points (4/5 FTs)

Mountlake Terrace
Brock Davis- 12 points