BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Up and down the lineup, the Lady Raiders were setting new season highs in one category or another. Nine of Three Rivers College's 10 active players scored and played at least 14 minutes as the Lady Raiders beat Lindenwood-Belleville University JV 75-45 on Tuesday. With the win, Three Rivers sweeps the season series between the two teams and extends its winning streak to five games. Four starters finished in double figures for Three Rivers, balanced between 11 and 15 points, but each put up a new season high in some category. "The kids are starting to figure out there is a lot more to the game than making shots and that is going to make us a better basketball team down toward the end of the year," Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said. Michael Everhart, who led the Lady Raiders with a season-high 15 points, also had a season-best seven rebounds and another season best three steals.
Joya Smith, who also got a season-high 13 points, swatted eight shots, doubling her previous season best. "She's got great timing. When someone is coming to her around the basket and we are getting a lot of those blocked shots as a turnover," Walk said. Kaylee Heggemann's 12 points was also a season best for her, and she was a rebound shy of a doubledouble, which would have been her first of the season. Ge'Naisha Robinson, the team's leading scorer so far this season, was a few points under her average with 11. However, she had a seasonbest five assists, a season best four rebounds and matched a season best six steals. It was still a four-point game late in the first quarter, but Three Rivers hit seven points in the final minute, then another seven in the first 3 minutes of the second quarter to blitz their way to a 31-13 lead. Everhart hit 3s to end one quarter and start the next, and another four players contributed to the 14 unanswered points. Three Rivers was ahead 44-22 at the half after shooting 65 percent in the first 20 minutes. "That's two halves in the last two games that we've shot 65 percent. I'm hoping that trend continues," Walk said. The Lady Raiders defense held Lindenwood to eight points in the fourth quarter. The Lynx didn't score in the final 3 minutes and shot 27 percent overall. They also committed 31 turnovers, which the Lady Raiders turned into 25 points off turnovers. "We were able to get out and do what we wanted to do on the defensive side of things," Walk said. Three Rivers, which shot 40 percent from the field, was also plus-six on secondchance points. Three Rivers' 11 blocks and 22 steals were also new team highs for the season.
Naylor alumna Kabrien Rogers played a seasonhigh 14 minutes and got four points and five rebounds, including three offensive rebounds. "She looked good. She's starting to figure out the speed of the college game. We were glad to be able to get her in. She was dog sick and still got in there and battled and competed, and that's what you want to see," Walk said. All seven of Three Rivers' wins have been by double digits and its two losses were both by three points to Wabash Valley. Sophomore Jay Perry is out for the season after tearing her ACL against Arkansas Baptist on Nov. 21. It is the second time in three years the Three Rivers point guard has torn her ACL. Perry played and started 12 games as a freshman before tearing her ACL in early January 2015. She had surgery that May due to an initial missed diagnosis and red-shirted last season. She was averaging eight points and four rebounds four rebounds off the bench.