by Boots Giblin
Riverdale Baptist vs Sandy Spring Friends School was a highly anticipated matchup of unbeatens, where 5-0 Riverdale Baptist faced off against 3-0 Sandy Spring, ending in a 69-48 win for Riverdale Baptist. Both teams came into today looking to keep their momentum going, especially an up and coming Sandy Spring team, looking for a big win against one of the top teams in the area. When Riverdale Baptist’s coach was asked about the keys to victory she stated: “Defense. Heavy on defense. Taking care of the ball, sharing the ball. Giving everybody equal opportunities to put the ball in the basket and continue to play Riverdale basketball.”
In the first half, Riverdale played a solid game on the defensive end, holding Sandy Spring to just 40% shooting from the field. They also took care of the basketball, only turning it over four times in the half, but they had trouble scoring the ball, shooting just 37% from the field. Sandy Spring was effective in the first half with well – timed double teams in the low post, as well as getting all five guys crashing the glass and were able to make the game a battle in the first half. Sandy Spring shot well early, leading by as much as five in the first half, but Riverdale was finding their pace offensively and had a late spirit to lead 35 – 32 at half.
The second half was dominated by Riverdale Baptist as they controlled the glass and used their size advantage more effectively in the second half. They outrebounded Sandy Spring 30 – 8 in the second half, and sped up Sandy Spring, making them play uncomfortably on offense, as Sandy Spring shot 7 – 29 in the second half, and 6 – 30 from three on the day. They failed to attempt a free throw in the second half, moving away from their earlier success with dribble penetration. Riverdale shared the ball more to their coach’s liking in the second half, finishing with 18 assists as a team and five players in double figures. Even when Sandy Spring got good looks on their sets, it felt as though there was a lid on the basket for them in the second half, as they only scored 16 points in 16 minutes of play. Riverdale standout ’24 guard Jack Furman was asked about what Riverdale Baptist can continue to do to keep their momentum, he was quoted saying: “We should expect to continue to bring a high level of energy in all areas of our game, and continue to emphasize our defense.”
Riverdale Baptist moves to 6-0, as they will play the defending IAC champs in Bullis, who just came off a statement win against DeMatha, in what will be maybe the most highly anticipated game of the summer league thus far. Sandy Spring looks to bounce back against New Hope Academy on Wednesday.
Check out our highlights here: https://youtu.be/fWF_hZO1UT0