NEOSHO — The Three Rivers College women's basketball team dominated on the boards and overcame a cold night of shooting to remain undefeated in Region XVI competition.
The Lady Raiders pulled down a whopping 59 rebounds and overcame shooting less than 30% from the field (22-for-74) to turn back the Crowder Lady Roughriders 69-58 on Wednesday night.
With the win, Three Rivers improves to 17-2 on the season and 4-0 in Region XVI play, while the Lady Roughriders fall to 17-3 and 3-2.
After a first half which saw both teams combine to score just 36 points, the Lady Raiders came alive in the third quarter, outscoring Crowder 33-20 to take a 54-35 lead to the final period. While the Lady Roughriders outscored Three Rivers 23-15 in the final period, it was not enough to change the outcome.
Even more eye-popping was the Lady Raiders' efforts on the glass. Every player who got in the game Wednesday had at least three rebounds, including a 10-rebound performance from Emma Toombs. Yannie Flemings and Kamille Brown each had eight rebounds, while Kaleigh Thompson and Brittany Wells had six apiece and the duo of Bramyia Johnson and Lexi Weaver each had five.
Jasmine Davis led Three Rivers offensively with 22 points, while Johnson added 10, Brown had nine, Weaver contributed eight and Thompson finished with seven. Thompson also blocked a pair of shots, while Weaver had two steals.
The Lady Raiders are back in action Saturday evening when they host Moberly in another Region XVI contest. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at the Libla Family Sports Complex. Saturday is also TRC's annual alumni reunion.
Notes: Thompson is TRC's leading scorer this season at 12.1 points per game, followed by Weaver at 10.5 points per game. Thompson also leads the team in rebounding at 7.4 rebounds per game, while Wells leads the team in assists at 3.2 per contest and Brown averages a team-high 2.3 steals per game. … With Wednesday's win, Three Rivers has beaten every Region XVI team at least once this season. … The Lady Raiders won't have to wait long for a rematch with Crowder, as the Lady Roughriders come to town on Monday to make a Jan. 11 snowout.
Mike Buhler - Daily American Republic