The last time the Three Rivers Lady Raiders met up with Jefferson College it was anything but pretty as they held on for a come-from-behind, one-point victory in January.
That result didn't sit well with the Lady Raiders who had won by 23 the previous month so Saturday the Team had a chance to set the record straight at the Libla Family Sports Complex.
So, on Sophomore Day, the Lady Raiders shook off a wobbly start and eased past the Lady Vikings 78-63.
Nineteenth-ranked Three Rivers (20-3) was led by Maiya Bergdorf (16 points), Marihya Hart (15 points), Amiya Johnson (13 points), and Ari Winston (11 points). The Lady Raiders shot 52 percent from the field after a sluggish first two quarters and they committed a solid low of nine turnovers.
The win sets up a potential up-for-grabs defeat of Region XVI title tilt at Moberly Area College 5 p.m. Saturday if the Lady Raiders can beat Crowder College 2 p.m. Monday on the road and 5 p.m. Wednesday in Poplar Bluff.
"We have to come out and put two good halves together," Three Rivers head coach Alex Wiggs said. "I don't know if it was fewer dribbles or more aggressive. We were going downhill more in the second half instead of sideline to sideline and that was a big difference between the first and second halves.
"We were lot more efficient in the second half. Every time we put the ball on the floor in the second half it was to make a play."
Jefferson (6-22) definitely made it difficult once again as they ground out a 15-13 lead after 10 minutes and a 33-30 edge at halftime.
"JeffCo is a really, well-coached team," Wiggs said. "That coach came from Wabash Valley – which we know is a very good team – and he knows basketball."
It wasn't for a lack of scoring opportunities for the Lady Raiders but just an inability to close the deal on a Halloween candy basket full of open looks. Three Rivers was outshot from the field 44 percent to 23.5 and were still only down one long make.
They made that up out of the break as a Johnson triple tied the game on the first shot of the third quarter.
That began a nice deluge of Three Rivers offensive success including a Winston and-one and a Smith runner to put the hosts up 41-33 in three minutes.
The momentum continued and the lead rolled into double figures and up to 55-41 on a Marihya Hart three as the Lady Raiders began to click from all points off the floor.
Jefferson made a little push to wrap the quarter as Three Rivers led 56-47 with 10 minutes to play.
No worries for Three Rivers as they immediately fired back up and the lead popped back up to the mid-teens in a matter of two minutes.
When Hart hit another three off a Lady Vikings turnover, the Three Rivers advantage bloomed into a 66-50 advantage just north of the six-minute mark.
At that point, Three Rivers would command the flow to the final buzzer.
"The second half, if I knew the answer why are we doing better then – and I'd rather we do that in the second half than have it switched – we would be really rich solving a lot of teams' issues across the country," Wiggs said. "I don't know if it's because we come out hesitant to not make mistakes and then in the second half it's like, 'you know what, I am going to play basketball.'
"We had 12 assists in the second half – and whenever we attack and are aggressive and are together on the offensive end – we give ourselves a chance to make more shots."
Alan Dale - Daily American Republic